Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-09-21
4 ROMANCE OF VAR.

"No, am not complaining against the
government because am held here in pris
on, and you know, Old boy, that | am
neither chicken hearted nor "A coward; but
IA my soul liyeth and | hope for mercy
when die, would let my right arm be
cut off up at the shoulder and then he
ready 20 return to this Internal prison in
Charlesi on, aud to die here with my com
rades, II need be-, il could just see one per
son and talk 10 her for 10 minutes"
The scene wa- in the lailyard at Charles
bon, where in the summer Of 1854 600 Union
officers were placed under the fire OF our
own guns, then bombarding the doomed
city from Morris island.
The speaker was Captain Walters. That
was not his true name, but IL will answer
my purpose. He was captain OF cavalry
from Ohio and had been captain at Camp
BELLS Station, east Tennessee, some eight
months before.
"Why are you so despondent" / asked.
at is because OF late she has been coming
TO me In my dreams"
"Who is shey" | asked after painful
pause.
my wife" hs said, with groan.
"Why, did not know you were married,
captain"
took his hand, and In a vague sort OF
way which | meant TO be consoliug told
him that much Of one troubles were imag-
mary, and that il WAS better TO look upon
the bright side of things. ! am aware now
that this advice must have had in it a ring
Of mockery, for IL Is difficult TO imagine a
situation with less Of the bright side than
ours. But there was something besides the
prison life that was breaking down the cap
l.... - 1T, To-
10 ask him what IL was.
IL not the exact language, the following
IL, am very sure, the substance of what
Captain Walters said:
Like nine out Of ten Of the single young
men who entered the army in 1861, | was in
love. have 10 use for the man who has
not been desperately In love before his
twenty fifth birthday.
1.-The girl 90 whom | WAS attached was
the daughter Of "A neighbor. | had known
her since she was an infant and boy In
knickerbockers, aud cannot recall time
when did not love her, and she was worthy
OF IL from first To last, though there was a
period when ! did not think so, and IL is
the Injustice done her then that is wearing
out my life, and not the sulTerings of this
prison.
ave were married last August, just three
months before | was captured and while
was home on "a wounded furlougb. For one
month was the happiest man In the world,
and that happiness should have continued
had | been worthy Of her love- False to
herr No, sir; | was not capable of that,
mean though was, but was not incapable
of believing that she might be false TO me-
"From the day of our marriage had been
receiving anonymous letters charging my
wife with love for another man. | burned
the letters, nor ever mentioned the matter
to her. But | noticed there were times
when she persisted in going over the Ohio
river To Newport alone To see a sick friend,
she always told me. My anonymous cor
respondent it would seem, kept track Of
her, aud one day letter came saying that
II would follow my wife the next day she
crossed over the river to Kentucky | would
have proof of her infdelity.
'The devil moved me to follow this ad-
vice. disguised myself and followed her
carriage on horseback. Now and then
caught a glimpse Of the pure, beautiful
face, and il filled me with such a sense OF
my own meahness that more than once
wheeled my horse to 20 back, but would
be changed from this nobler purpose by
the memory OF the letters.
II kept sight OF my wife till the carriage
stopped before "A secluded cottage out on
the wooded slopes above Licking river. In
few minutes she came out accompanied
by a tall, handsome young man, who car
ried his arm In sling but whose bearing
bespoke him a soldier, and whose atten-
tions TO my wife indicated lover. They
entered the carriage and drove back into
the hills.
my first impulse was to gallop after
them and shoot them both, but ! calmed
myself, and after hitching my horse found
place where lay concealed till their re-
turn.
"The carriage stopped in the same place,
but this time my wife did not get out. l
could see her, however. lifting up her
face to meet the lips Of her companion.
Then he returned TO the Ohio side, and l
followed with such "A storm raging in my