Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-06-17
JEANNETTE'S PANSIES

"Good-byl" 1t was madness of
farcwclls. They stood looking into
one anothcr's eyes with blanchcd
faces. Would he ever como back!
Her wide eyes grew dcsolate as she
looked at him. Then the laslIes
dropped over them and she lay mo-
tionlcss against his breast for sec
end, as though the spirit had died
within her.
"Jcannettc, is this the girl fitted to
be soldiers wife? lIavo you no re-
gard for my honor?" Ills voice quiv-
cred, but his eyes looked down upon
her proudly.
"Yes." She reused herself bravely.
"Your duty is at the front. l would
not hold you back"
She placed her hand on the bunch
of pansies at her ihroati royal heau--
ties they were, with great vclvcly
hearts of purple and gold.
"TheY are my colors," she whis-
pcred. "Wcar them, my knight, and
be true to your lady always"
Her trembling fingers pinned them
inside his coat
'God be with you." .-
She kept the tears back, smiling into
his face, though the drum-bcat sonnd-
ing in the street below seemed like a
death knoll. 1t was the signal to
start-the signal for the volunteers,
the brave mon who werc off for the
Indian war, this dreadful war that had
come like II blight upon her beautiful
Western home.
"Good-by and God bless you! The
pansies will be my talisman."
The most intense excitement ragged
i'll the mining camp. Ever since the
news had come that the old chief was
OH the warpath and the call had bcc.i
made for volunteers to defend the set
tiers on tho frontier, the town had
been alive with men anxious to obtain
tho scalp of the bloodthirsty redskins.
Among them none was more fear
less or moro brave than Ned Ashby.
lie was one of the young pioneers who
had struck bonanza in the mines.
More Than that Ito use the phraseolo-
gy of the mining camp, he had To-
Gated claim on the prctticst girl in
town and patented ia stroke of
good luck that had made him more
envicd among the boys than even his
mining shares III the May Queen.
Then came the news of fierce bat
tic betweca the Ulcs and Maj, II Thorn
burg's men, in which many were
wounded on either side. Her father
came home at noon with an open let
ter in his hand.
She took it silently and read:
"Edward Abby was wounded in
the battle of The -th inst"
She did not faint. though he had
expected she would. but her face
blanched until it was like marble and
her eyes grew large and black, glow
ing like stars.
al must go and nurse him." sho
said.
Her father laid his hand upon hers.
"Dear child, this is folly-the talk
of insanity. You cannot 60" he said
The color leapcd to her checks AMI
her eyes flashed.
al must &C." she cried.
He could not say no then. lie knew
her nature so well. Thwar!cd in this
desire she might die.
al cannot go with you, Jeanette.
Can You go alone?"
She drew herself up grandly. II
was the prout right of the western
American girl. She knew no fear.
eyes,
AT 6 the next morning her favoritc
horse Plato stood at the door. AT
nightfall she was at the springs fifty
miles away. 1t was popular sum
mer resort and many guests had been
there, but at the first news of the war
most of them had fed 10 the eastern
towns.
The General. who had headquarters