The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-05-30


tory Of heart lost at glance, so here
responded. and neither could ever aftoy
4! Just what did happen. T.
Tllat night the camp wac all alive IL
:loriilcation OF tho victory. Wit.
'!.ecc', a;,d cong and many toast VIC
chce.cd our Neliio to tho skies, and tho
i:sa.s 'llc hal SO gallant!y won WI.
i,uc,sletl OH for him with pride in his
:,:owess.
But tho buy seemed somewhat indif-
l.'Tcnt to il all, and when were alone and
sought further details Of tho combat.
IL was OF a fa:r face, not of fair fight no
would talk and had to force him to his
quarters to find relief from unceasinC
rapcnrcs about "his Virginia."
For his sho was. IIo had certainly
improved his hours and laado love as q
trooper should.
-Four days a:vcr ho brought her into
camp, q chaplain married thcm thcrc, n
priest was sent for outside and did his
saareot riycting tho bond according to
the creed Of Virginia.
Poor little .cnlla-poor children both.
and yet both co brave, SO innocent, SO
utterly iappy-cach in tho other. She,
Just from convent school; he, ,new to tho
duties of manhood both acknowledged
only ono ruler, Love, and they obcycd
its prorptings.
lsaid we'll noted May 80. Itwas be-
cause May 90 was tho date Of that strange
marriage. Before tho anniversary of.
that day little bud was, lying upon
NirginiG's breast, and her whole soul
seemed fired will, desire to take her wcc
ono and place it i'll her mothers arms.
and let it's sweet facc add to her own
plea for forgiveness.
For Ned procured leave of absence:
they started and arranged to reach
Washington on May 80. Tho mother of
Virginia was therc waiting the release
from Fortress Monroe Of her husband.
who had been captured and confined.
The night OF May 80 tho. happy pair,
with their little ono. drove up to vir.
ginia's Washington hor,c. She wished
to surprise ~. mo,.,or, md Ned sat in
tho carriage = ,,, ,.lo:.;::::.l tho high
steps of her fathers house. Shc wa
about to ring the bcll-thc door opcne
and the light strcamcd out upon +
face, tho great. bearded man in the d II
way recognized her-beforc her wondS -
stricken tongue could utt;r tho word
.fathcr!" his hand flow ont and ho
struck her. Tho spurning blow or tho
surprise, throw tho frail child-mothcr.
down those hard marbles, and when her
husband reached her he took up her
inscnsiblc form still clasping tho.
crushed infant. The man who inadc this
misery disappeared in tho darkness.
Virginia rcgaincd consciousness onlv
long enough to hear her mothers tender.
loving words of welcome and gricf. Ia
turn to Ned and cling few moments To
his breast.
Sho and her little one wcro coffiued
that night.
Another May 90, for my sad record.
Gould Ned revenge himsclf on the
father of his wife? No, tho act was an
unprcn,ilitatetl decd Of hasty, dis
appointed, .lnaddcncd man. No harder
fighter had Uncle. Sam whilc tho wur
lasted. and after it in tho Indian CAM
paigns. than Ned Douglas. But no
lived with brokcn heart.
Two years ago. on May 3o-I reccivcd
from comrado ut /. frontier post, this
dispatch:
.Ncllie" died last night, thank God"
lie died the A.sus "a Alay 80. With
tears could not, would not check. I
sobbcd an cchoing "Thank God!n that
our 'Nollie' was at rcst. Happy with
those no Lived, with tho gcntle spirits
who had SO long watched over and
waited for him.
Thank God!
Thcrc is one burial place In tho M.
tion'a Capital whcrc tho hearts Of those
who arc loft of ''Ours" cyor turn ON
May so. Our comrade, his vito and his
babc arc buried therc. and continually
thero comes an old, whitc-haircd,
broken man who sits for hours in silent,
self-accusing, misery, watch.n,.s but
never touching tho pure wl,ito stvna on
which i;u-rvcd Virginia.
lsit..'y wonasr that May so should
be . Memorial Day 10 uueE Da1Llc.