The record-union., 1893-02-24


until vigorous, martial form, the re-
membrance of which time could not
efface, drew my attention, and the next
moment General Stuart was speaking
to me-
".I remember you, my dear he said;
and remember also that there is very
good water in that well. Can you oblige
me. do you think? AS l was handing
the water to him he turned to group of
officers and called:
Here, Colonel Hunter, is some one
think you know. 1 suppose you will
wish to renew your acquaintance. so l
| Will give you five minutes leave;' saying
which a rich laugh rippled from the Gem
erafs brawny throat and he rode on out
of NJ ylife forever.
Well, sir. when / looked up, there,
sitting astride his horse, was the man
who had been in my thoughts all day.
He looked worn and tired, but his voice
was strong and pleasant when he said:
I hope you have not forgotten me,
Miss Merton?'
Il did not reply for moment, but he
appeared satisfied that l had not forgot
ten. as he dislnounted and once more
stood beneath the tree by the gate.
~ havea sort OF surprise for you in the
shape of a prisoner he. continued.
hastened to explain: ~
n othing serious, Miss; only flesh
wound, and he will be all right in few
weeks; but on learning his name l sus-
pected he was your brother, and upon in
quiry, found l was right. l secured his
parole, and instructed the surgeon to
bring him on here. Here comes the am
bulance now. Here you are, DOCTOR he
called, as rough army wagon jolted up;
and assisted by two dirty rebels, my
brother Bob was helped from among the
straw, through the gate, and from there
into the house, followed by the grizzled,
grumpy, kindly old surgeon, who, when
Bob was placed upon the bed, threw back
the clothing, and lightly touching band
age .around one of his arms, said: You
must keep this bandage wet with cold
water, and if it pains him just loosen it
up bit. That's ALL and without an
other word the grizzled head and growl-
ing voice passed outside on their mission of
| mercy.
"All this time had not said word, but
l grew faint and tottered, might have
fallen, had not the rebel Colonel placed
one of his strong arms around me and
half-carried me into the house. l could
not find strength to rebuke him, as
L should have done; in fact, [ am not
sure that l wished it otherwise; but
| finally | was beside Bob, kissing and
fondling him; calling him every pet name
l could remember, while the rebel stood
over US, smiling his most benevolent
smile.
Bob was very weak, but declared he
was comfortable, and turning to the Vir-
ginian held out his sound hand, which
was warmly taken, as he said:
81 thank you kindly for all you have
done for me, and 1 am sure my sister will
do the same. Will you please tell us
| your name? Some day, who knows, we
may be able to return your courtesy in
kind
"'Oh' 1 interposed. 4 forgot. Colonel
Joel Hunter, of the staff of General
crate Army; my brother Bob, of the -th
Pennsylvania Volunteers
The Colonel once more shook hands
with Bob, but the latter was unbound
| ed, and looked from one to the other of
US as if he thought us crazy, as he proba-
bly, did, until the stranger, noting his in
credulous stare, turned toward me and
said:
"'Your sister and are quite old friends.
Captain Merton, and she now holds an
obligation from me which fortune may
some day compel me to redeem. Do you
not, Miss Merton?'
Ito what do you refer?' 1 questioned
icily, bitterly unwilling that he should
| know had remembered, much less kept,
his precious note. A panied expression
settled down over his face as he slowly
replied:
"'I beg your pardon, but I thought |
had given you note which pledged
| myself to redeem at the end of the war if
it proved worthlessY and turning to Bob
he quietly wished him speedy recovery
and goodbye, bowed stitfiy to me and
went out.
For an instant only, hesitated, and
then casting pride to the four winds
rushed after the soldier, an understand
ing of what l was losing painfully rising
and surrounding, if not breaking down,
the sectional barrier that separated us.
and hurriedly, perhaps Historically,
said:
"'Colonel Hunter, please don't think me
ungrateful. 1 want to thank you for
what you have done for Bob. Kiss your
sister for me when you see her. 1 was
glad to see you again-1-I still have your
-dollar-note and shall keep it until you
redeem it,
"'I will redeem it,, he replied, the
shadows chasing each other from his face
as if by magic; at the close of the war, if
| live, regardless of what the Confeder-
acy does;' and as that Rebel rode away he
actually had the audacity to toss a kiss
toward me; and as l turned to re-enter
| the house / was neither laughing nor
| crying-something between the two, 1
think, maybe happy mixture of both.
events kept step with the march of
| time, and one day great shout arose and
the whole land went wild over the news
| that General Lee had surrendered and
the war was over. Was glad? Yes, in
| deed; for you must remember Bob was
once more at the front, and another was
there, too, in whom l had long been
| learning to take great interest. Gem
eral Stuart, gallant trooper that he was,
had laid down his sword, together with
his life, long before the end, while lead
| ing his men in an assault against desper-
/
nothing.
"People called Bob Colonel when he
came back and went to work on the old
homestead, but mother was gone; died
before he returned.
1.-TWO, four, six months passed and
grew lonely and desolate like and often
caught myself looking wistfully down
the road that stretched away to the Mary
land line. A great yearning was in my
heart, and felt myselfgrowingworn and
thin while my glass told me story of
anxious days and sleepless nights. Each
day in the privacy of my own room,
carefully drew from the corner of a
drawer in my dressingc-ase, a scrap of
paper, well worn and dingy, upon which
was inscribed the promise to pay of a
Government that had ceased to exist.
fear l cried softly sometimes when l
| thought that he who had pledged his
word for its redemption might be as
liteless as the cause for which he had
struggled.
My friends rallied me upon my quiet
and thoughtful demeanor, while Bob was
greatly concerned at the loss of the roses
he persisted once bloomed in my cheeks,
not understanding that the shadow of the
war was over me. Why should he? l
was scarcely awake to that fact myself.
But as day after day passed and the sum-
mer changed into autumn, l came to
realize fully that no one could ever fill
the place in my heart so long left vacant
by the handsome, hard-riding rebel-my