Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-01-02
The Spectre Lover.

wearing an expression OF patient suffer
ing and resignation, is sometimes seer
on the streets of Atlanta.
The older residents recognize the sweet
face, surrounded by snowwhite hair, as
one which made many hearts feel sad 6
quarter Of century ago, and those who
saw the calm, resigned features for the
first time recognize intuitively that events
of more than ordinary interest, bringing
with them more than ordinary suffering,
must some time have agonizsd this fair
old lady's life.
Tne romance of her youth was once
familiar to many people in Atlanta, but
occurring as it did, when the Confeder-
acy was making its last herculean efforts
for existence, and the whole country was
devastated by the horrors of cruel in.
vasion, it has passed from the memory
of everybody except the few who, since
the war, have been her constant com
panions and have had the memory OF
these events kept fresh by watching the
never-lessening grief of their friend.
Up to the time when Atlanta gave up
the unequal struggle, and Sherman led
his troops into the vanquished city, q
gentleman lived here whose chief pride
was in his family. Three brave boys
and two fair daughters grew up about
him, and as he watched them grow, and
only saw such traits in them as could
make him proud, he felt that his lines
had been cast in very pleasant places
and was content.
Then came the war, and one by one
his three brave boys left him, full of
hope and courage, leaving him only his
two daughters to watch over. One by
one as they had left him his thrse sons
were brought back again, pierced by
bullets, only to be laid by their mo-
theirs side in the graveyard. When
the last of his boys was brought home
dead the old mans heart broke. For
a few weeks he struggled hard to
overcome his great sorrow for the sake
of his two young daughters. Then one
day he was found with the pictures of
his three dead boys on the table before
him, his head buried ON his folded arms,
quite dead.
Among the friends who came to the
help of the orphan girls WAS q young
officer who had fought side by side with
one of the lost brothers. He was at
home on sick leave. and as day by day
he was brought in contact with the two
sisters and saw the resignation with
which they bore their great sorrow, and
more especially how the younger of the
two devoted herself to the consolation of
the elder, feeling of exceeding pity
sprang up in his heart, and by the time
Ne was able to return to his regiment he
knew that he loved the younger sister
with all his strength.
He told his love. and to his joy he
found he was loved in return. When he
left to Join his regiment he took with
him the assurance that when he re-
turned he would be given the right to
shelter and protect the girl he loved 80
dearly.
Months passed by and the two sisters
continued to live alone in the house
where they had been reared while the
terrible tide of war ebbed and flowed
about them. News of the lover came but
rarely from the front, and when it did
come it told of hardships and privations
and desperate battles that sickened the
heart of the poor girl, whose family had
been swept away, and whose whole heart
was wrapped about her soldier lover.
One night the sisters sought their
room, and, as usual, they sat at the open
window talking of the future. The
moonlight shone on the street below,
making it almost as clear and bright as
in the daytime. Suddenly they both
gave an exclamation of surprise and
pleasure. Standing just opposite their
window they saw the soldier lover OF
whom they were at that moment talking.
There was no possibility of a mistake.
The bright moonlight revealed every
feature, and the girl who loved him
recognized even the clothes he wore. He
was standing with one hand pressed to
bis side and looking at them with what
seemed at the distance an expression o1
loving entreaty. His fiancee waved hei
hand to him and called his name Of
loudly as she dared. He seemed, how.
ever, not to notice the signals
made him, and continued looking ur
without movement. Finally. although
it was late the two girls decided to &C
down and speak to him. As they lef
the window the soft summer air brought
q whisper to them, and both distinctly
heard the words: "Be true to me, al
ways be true"
Filled with an apprehension of some
new and great disaster the sisters hur
ried down the stairs and threw open the
front door. Immediately in front ol
them WAS the spot where the returned
soldier had moment before been stand
ing. He was gone, however, and not 8
trace was left to tell what direction he
had taken.
Distressed and agitated the sisters re-
turned to their room and for many hours
continued to discuss what had happened
longing for the day to come that the
mystery might be explained.
All through the next morning the
younger sister waited for her lover, bu
he did not come. The knowledge that s
soldiers duties might keep her lovel
away did little to console her. Finally
she could stand the suspense no longer
and she determined to visit the city anc
learn what she could Of her lovers &C
tions.
Almost the first thing she heart
was that a great battle had beer
fought the day before, in which
her lovers regiment had been en-
gagged. Crazed with anxiety, she re
NAMED for hours waiting for intelligence
and finally her worst fears were realized
A bulletin of the dead and wounded
was received, and the first name in th'
long list which met her eyes was that o
her lover.
She was taken to her home, and late
learned how the man she loved has
fallen, pierced through the heart whil'
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