Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-31

bewitched the pretty country girl, and she
had struck her colors at first broadslde from
the battery of his bold eyes.
Dave loved his sister deyotedly; the two
were alone-orphans; but he mad Deen
promised commission as Lieutenant pro-
vided he could secure certain numoer OF
men for three years enlistment, and he
was busy day and night in drumming up
recruits to fill his quota. SO he saw little
of Ned LETTERS. the sailor, and having sue
ceeded IN raising his command he proudly
donned his shoulder-straps and sword and
marched away, leaving Annie well provided
in so far as regards worldly goods, but sadly
in need of a watchful guard TO keep away
the snares Of Cupid.
: The sailor found all plain sailing then.
He made love fast and furious, as sailors
will, and before he joined his ship Annie
Drew had changed her name to Jefers.
After the hard parting from her young
husband the girl-wife wrote to her brother
telling him all Dick was By that time at
the front; the letter was long in reaching
him, his answer satisfactory, tor he was an
easy-going, unsuspicious young fellow, was
still longer in reaching home, but it came
at last and Annie was content as woman
could be with all she cared for exposed to
every danger Of sea and land with perils Of
war added. She loved her soldier-brother;
she idoized her sailor-husband.
Despite the worry consequent upon alb
sence, these were the happiest days in the
lives of the two, for shortly after our first
retreat and seven days hard fighting from
before Richmond, the young Lieutenant re-
senting too fercely wrong put upon him
By q superior officer, rendered himself Ii
able to, and was, court-martialed and dis
missed from the service. Brol1en-hearted
and embittered in spirit he sought his home,
only to find Annie equally deep in trouble,
and, in the eyes of some, disgrace.
For one evening, even as she was busy
writing a letter to her husband at sea, a
young woman, a stranger, called upon her
and exhibited ample, unmistakable proof
that she was the wife of Ned LETTERS, law
fully married to him eighteen months be-
fore Annie ever met him. The blow COM
pletely Frustrated the poor girl, she gave
up health and strength, and when her
brother arrived was fast and willingly let
ting slip every hold upon life.
The rage of David Drew as he realized
the wrong done his sister was tenfold that
he felt over the injustice under which he
himself had suffered and he swore deep
and terrible oath of vengeance.
There was nothing that science or med
icine could avail to give relief or per-
manent aid to the sad young wife, it was
her heart, not her body, that was ailing-
sick unto death, with sickness no earthly
skill could cure. She was gentle as ever,
her mind was continually inventing ex-
cuses for her husband, and inquiry proved
that he was not all bad, that he had been
n7sled before, and with Annie his love had
made him reckless. While Dave cursed,
she blessed; for each VOW Of vengeance
that her brother recorded, she breathed
words of forgiveness towards the absent
destroyer of her peace and life.
The end came soon; gladly and calmly
she died, with her last breath whispering,
as she looked INTO the stern, set face and
dry eyes of her brother:
Forgive, forgive"
David Drew buried his dead. By the side
of his father and mother, in the little grave
yard of the country church, he laid the re-
mains of all that had been left for him to