The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-05-19
AFTER MANY YEARS.

a liomanco of tho Pension bureau.
Nary E. CGrIVN IN BomaHtlnd
She was i woman Of o striking MP.
pearancc. Her hair was snow white,
while her faco was almost that OF Il
young girl, in spite OF tho sad eyes,
which told Of experience and tho un.
~mistakaOlo lines OF care. The peach
bloom was not gono from her checks,
and there was Il minglinr OF childish
shync's and womanly dignity in her
bearing. l could not guess her age, yet
iels she was not young, and l know rs
well as II sho had told me that some
great trouble had whitcned hor hair.
l saw her often that winter.
Wa were among tho first OF the en-
ployes 10 reach tho floor OF tho pension
bureau. when the noon hour struck, and
she bought her lunch Of tho same old
colored woman l %patronised with un.
varying regularity.
Many times | was on tho point Of
Speaking to her, but the bonds OF
etiquette US rigid in that work-a-day
world rs in the great world outside, pre-
vented me. 1t would have been differ
cnt, perhaps, il tho offices In which we
were employed had boon heal enough
to each other TO make us neighbors, but
they were not even upon the sumo floor.
As it was, | could only study her face
iurtively for n few moments each day,
and from what | thought | discovered
there, build Il little romance for her.
About the beginning OF Spring he
came. lie was an old soldier, prema-
turcly old, and he walked with q crutch.
| do not know how he was employed,
but some way l imagined it was in 4
very humble capacity.
did no; often see him and, perhaps,
l should not have noticed him at all if
he had not, in q perfectly unintentional
way, thrust himself upon my at,en-
tons.
1t was ono day when 'she and l had
been unusually late in getting down to
lunch and were returning up tho stairs
10 offices.
She was n little ahead OF me and as he,
in coming down, passed her. he gave
her q startled look OF hall recognition
and in his slight agitation missed his
footing. He stumbled against me and
| involuntarily thrust out my arm and
savcd him from n possibly bad fall.
After that he always lifted his hat to
me when We met.
Soon | became interested in him. He
had been i handsome man in his youth,
but like SO many old soldiers whose best
years and health and courage as we'll,
had been laid upon his country's altar.
he had apparently lost his grip. Yet l
felt that il must have taken moro than
even the cruel accidents Of war TO have
affected Il man like him go deeply.
| made aromaucc for him likewise.
She did not return his look that morn
Ing they met on the stairs, but passed
OIL seemingly obliviousof what happen
ed afterwards.
l could not help feeling in q vague
way, IRON that time, that their fates, il
not their past lives, wero connected, and
my two romances, without conscious
effort on my part, gradually blended
into one. My friends have long main
taiHed that l have unusual psychologist
power.
One day towards tho end OF tho spring
my chief came 10 me with two letters
which he wished me 10 read.
They were both applications for pen
sions, one from 4 man applying for him
self, tho other from o ona whose
husband, she aaid, had been killed in
the battle OF the Wilderness. Both
gave minuto. particulars and both
proved their cases admirably. Tho re-
narkable thing about them was that the
uaine OF the soldier was the same in
both applications, and tho details OF his
life, including bis place OF residence be-
foro tho war. were Identical
When | had finished reading tho let
;ers, my chief looked at mo curiously.
"WhGt do you think of thom?" he
asked.
lit is n very strange coincidence" I
replied, land yet it doesn't impress me
exactly as n coincidence" I added.
NO. said he. at looks to mo much
more like u romance, n romance OF real
life"
My imagination was quIckened i'm
m~cdiatcly. My thoughts Involuntary
turned to my hero ami heroine.
Both letters gave Washington rs their
addresses. had 4 solution OF the mat
Ter which was strangely eager to prove
the right one. The greatest difficulty
was that tho woman told exactly where
her husband was buried in tho National
ccmetery 1t Arlington.
I suid nothing about my romance to
my chief. but suggested that wo set 4
sort Of trap for the letter writers.
He acQuicscedin my plan with greater
a~lacrity and moro interest than l had
ever seen him manifest in anything be-
fore.
Tho plan itself was n very simple one.
1t was to invite the two applicants to
call ut the Office at the same hour on the
following Monday. In my letter 10
them, however, / made u. slight diler-
%cuce-that is | added n postscript to :he
one addressed 10 the man, in which l
told him that a soldier had been buried
under his name in the National ucmc-
terry. / gave him the number OF the
grave.
The next day was Saturday and Me-
mortal day. l made up my mind to at
tend the ceremonies at the National
cemetery. The day vas bright and
beautiful, and l found my way to Airing.
ton. Before the speech making was
over l pushed through tho crowd and
began my search for tho grave whose
number had become sosicniicant TO me.
1t was not difficult to find, yet in my
eaCerness | seemed a long time in
reaching il
Twas not surprised to see my heroine
standing near il. Fresh flowers were
living upon it, which she was arranging
with loving care.
As l approached | saw my hero ON