Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-02-17

fsp suffering" said
Lucy Dean, little regretfully, as she
surveyed the arrangements for the great
party in the rambling yet luxurious old
homestead.
81 don't know" replied her friend
Anna Tracy, as she stepped into chair
TO straighten an engraving of Wash
ington and His Family" household
treasure that was gayly decorated for
the occasion. 1--WE can do nothing
more to help them, and it would cer-
tainly add nothing to their comfort to
sit here and NOPE"
'Then it is a kind of patriotic dis
play, too" put in Lucy, Frightening.
celebrating Washington's birthday
by party will help make the guests
Love our country more"
Anna laughed little at the logic of
her friend, but was too anxious over the
arrangements for the evening to dis
cuss the matter further.
The Dean farm was near the fateful
<<border," and yet the two years of civil
war had brought no inconvenience to its
Inmates. Lucy, the only daughter, rode
at her will over the surrounding coun-
try, and the colonel, her father, whose
warning days were past, hastened to
the conflict only in fancy.
But in these midwinter days of 1868
there were more than the usual dan
gers to the quiet household. They had
taken no active part in the carrying
on of the struggle, though their SYM
pathies We're with the union army,
where Paul. the beloved son and broth
er, was winning his spurs The armies
were camped nearer now than ever be-
fore, and no one relished an encounter
or even n halt of armed forces on the
well-kept lawns and fields of the farm.
Lucy had invited the young people
of the neighborhood to spend The even
ing of February % with her, and had
arranged to make the occasion conso-
nant throughout with the anniver-
sary it commemorated. Flags decorated
the rooms, and portraits of the Father
OF His Country" were seen in the most
conspicuous places.
Late in the afternoon Lucy donned
her riding-habit and mounted her pony
for brisk canter over the snow-laden
roads. She spared not her horse and
hurried through the drifts at a speed
that meant some danger.
Suddenly she stopped. A gray coat
was half hidden by tree trunk. and
in a moment the figure of young man
IN gray uniform stood before her He
was thin and pale, but every motion
aud every word spoke of the training
and instincts of a gentleman.
'.Do not be frightened" he began, Il
won't hurt you"
Il don't think you WILL" the girl sar-
castically replied; you look half
starved"
81 ann
what are you doing in this country?
know by your clothes that you belong
somewhere else"
-'rve escaped-they were taking me
north to prison. was captured. For
two days have not dared to ask for
food. saw you coming and determined
to try and see if you would not at least
give me piece of bread"
He limped as he came nearer, and the
girl saw blood stains on the gray trou-
sers that told of wounded knee
Kindness and par tisanship struggled
for the mastery in her heart.
'We are union" she began, then
with glance at the deep sunlxen dark
eyes her own moisteped and she gave
her decision promptly: 81 will; maybe
some southern girl will do something
for Tom-but you must be very care
full"
Eagerly the stranger promised and
the two stood for several minutes in the
early twilight counseling over the mode
of assistance, the comradery of youth
alone making bond of sympathy be-
tween them.
When the hostess of the evening re-
turned it was with heightened color
The ride had apparently done her good
and if an unusual nervousness char
acterized her manners no one noticed it.
Team after team unloaded its fair
burden at the gate, and the lads and
maidens for ten miles around made the
low ceilings ring with their laughter
and badinage.
1'The blue coats are over in Green
Ridge" spoke one of the young men.
"What pity we could not have
some of the soldiers here in uniform to.
night" replied Anna with a coquettish
smile.
i'You might have got 'em," put in the
postmasters son, - squad of them
were riding down the Chapman creek
road this afternoon.
Lncy was listening and her bright
cheeks suddenly lost their color.
''What-what were they doing?" she