The Van Buren press., 1894-09-22

It was the distant sound of cannon,
dull, heavy. intermittent battle was
gong on. So serene and bright day
Tor men to mutilate and kill one
another! but Mandy listened vacantly,
although the firing increased. 1t
meant nothing to her. Life was so
dreadful, SO strange. that it had left no
room for comprehension of the dread
tul tidings OF death.
"Bo-room! Bo-roomF' cried the
child, laughing aloud. and trying to
initiate the deep, sullen reverberation
of the guns.
What for, nanny, what for?s he
asked, eagerly.
Il don't know" she answered,
slowly.
Very soon his interest slackened,
and he put his head again wearily on
her shoulder. NANNY, Use SO poly"
She tried eagerly enough now to
arouse him, but he slept heavily as If
fever had already drugged his veins
with its red poppy juice. 1t ran it's
course quickly. The last night she
watched by him the rain dripped slow
ly through the leaks in the roof. Now
and then came gust of wind. Nathan
sat by the hearth and his wet coat and
hat, hung on chair, dripped upon the
floor
His eyes were fixed on the boy.
That mans dead.' He spoke rough
", but he had not spoken to her before
for weeks. "Shot In battle.n
Mandy started; her face quivered, as
If she were about TO explain-protest.
But her husband was not looking at
her. Mandy understood the motives;
he was sorry for her--and for that II
he had insulted her it would haze been
easier to bear. Her face hardened
again, and she answered sullenly:
"What do it matter? Nothing mat
ters. Hush, hush" -
For the child had begun to speak.
His mind wandered and he fancied
himself again on the ridge. His
mother, bending over him, could hear
him feebly initiate the guns "boom,
hoom." The land was so full of war
that even to this poor baby the wind
of death blew across old battlefelds.
Nathans kin came to the funeral.
Mandy's people lived further off,
''cross the mountingn-and it was hard
to send message through the federal
outposts. The men talked Of crops and
of the late fights, of Hartman and
Bragg. They treated Nathan with
respect; William was the "best off" OF
the brothers, but Nathan was the old.
est "Nathan's wife," with her still
ness and reserve, impressed them with
awe William watched her closely and
took Nathan aside for talk as the
horses were being hitched to the big
wagon.
II don't like Mandy's looks, he said.
"Taint natural fur woman to be so
still. She oughter hev change
Nathan waited.
"Send her back with u.s." he urged,
"Morgan's men hev fairly tored up the
bridge, but there's good ferry, and
Nancyll be proper glad ter see her
Let her stay spell; it'll do her good,
an she'll come back spry ez ever"
Nathan turned away. "She kin go
eff she pleases," he said, but when the
plan was broached to Mandy herself,
she would not hear Of 1t.
The other women cried when they
left; Mandy's eyes were still dry and
hard.
"'Pear's like she couldn't forgive
providence, no how" said Aunt Jane
after they were out of sight
"Why, sister" said William cheer
fully-he had done all he could and
was inclined to shake off any further
responsibility-"she's young enough
ter hev dozen mo- children
Aunt Jane shook her head. Neither
she nor any of the others had seen
signs Of what they would have called
a failing OUT but the whole atmos'
phere had been unnatural.
1t would have seemed still more so
could she have seen Mandy after she
was left alone. With feverish energy
she cleaned the cabin, and mended
Nathan's Sunday coat and vest. and
various pairs of half-worn socks. Then
she cooked supper, though it was an
hour or so before sundown. Nathan
coming in for an old bucket OF tai
that stood in corner of the. shed, was
amazed. She took up her sunbonnet,
and rs If by flash, he OWNED hel
meaning
"Yo' amt got no call ter CO."
Once more she hesitated.
"The child don't need me now,". she
murmured. She was starving for
word of himself
II dunno" he answered, slowly, "e1
he knowed-it'd he kind O. Lonesome
fur the little feller"-he paused.
For the first time Mandy put he'
hands before her face and wept.
Things we're not very different II
the next three or four years. Nathan
did not talk; he had fallen into
habit of silence, but he watched her
he was restless if, by any chance, sht
were away-a new thing; he ever
tried to save her from rough work OF
exposure to rough weather.
She needed care, though she did MOI
say so. A pain often came In her LEI
side. her breath was short, she had
cough. She was, however, not unhap
DIV, for she began to suspect that Ma
than was fond Of her. Had he COME
to think her innocent or-had he for
piven her guilt? He gave no sigr
either way.
One day she tried to lift heavy lof
and tainted. She was slowly regain
ing consciousness when Nathan fount
her, but her eyelids did not culver o.
her lips move as he carried her IN an1
mt her on the bed. He stopped dowl
and gave her long kiss.
|