Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-01-03
CHAPTER VII.

After mature reflection Brown deter
mined to make every effort to rid him
self of the bonds of military servi-
tude, and as a preliminary step sat
down and wrote a long letter to his
aunt telling her of his soldier life, of
Alice, and of the bright pictures he
had drawn of wandering down the
path of life hand in hand with the
beautiful companion of his choice.
He expressed his wishes that measures
might be at once set on foot looking to
his release from army service, and
closed with expressions of warmest
love for the good a aunt whose heart he
must have torn by his long silence, but
whose kind face was ever before his
eyes, and whom he soon hoped to
greet with the embrace of a son warm
est love.
IN due time reply was received, and
tears coursed down the young soldiers
face as he read the tracings from the
hand of the only mother he had ever
known. The old lady, with pathetic
tenderness, spoke of the dreary years
OF waiting, each succeeding day dawn
ing with the hope in her heart that ere
it had run it's course it would bring her
tidings of the dear boy whom she so idol
lied She had never doubted that he
would some day come back to her, and
that her declining years would be
cheered and gladdened by his loving
presence. She would at once consult
her attorneys and take the proper steps
to secure his restoration to society.
In words of warmest love she sent
motherly greeting to the dear girl
whom she had never seen, and bade
her nephew say to his chosen one that
from his description of her beauty,
grace Of manner and lovely traits OF
character she was already enthroned
in a motherly heart which longed to
welcome her as daughter The letter
concluded with these lines:
"All possess will be yours, my dear
est Ned. When the Master calls me
from earth you will be very wealthy
man, and in anticipation of your early
release and subsequent marriage ] will
at once place you in possession of half
of the wealth ! possess, and then you
can place your bonnie bride in the
highest circles of society, for
which her beauty, education and rare
attainments so eminently fit her"
At their next meeting the young SOL
dier placed the letter in Alice's hands,
and asked her to read it. AS her eager
eyes ran quickly over the written lines,
a look of perfect peace and satisfaction
settled upon her lovely face. To her it
seemed that the last barrier to their
happiness was swept away by the pen
of the distant relative, and when her
eyes drank in the message of greeting
to herself, the foodgate of her soul was
opened and tears of JOY fell upon the
open sheets before her.
Ned, my darling-your dear aunt
calls you Ned, and may not 1?-l al
most feel that the blessed Lord above
has taken us in hand. and will lead us
safely to the fruition of our fondest
dreams. My beloved, / am motherless,
and there is but one in whom | can
confide as | would in a mother, Mrs
Colby, dear, good woman who loves
me a. if were her own daughter. She
discovered my love for you the day of
your release from confinement, and
told me of your love for myself. She
read it in your eyes, dear, in the tones
of our voices when the name of each
was mentioned to the other, and she it
was who counseled me to avoid yor un-
til your true standing in life should be-
come known. She believes in you,
Ned, but prudently asked me to not
forget that had but your own unsup-
ported statement of your social stand
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story should be established | must not
compromise myself by frequent meet
ings with you. This letter will remove
every doubt from her mind. May l
show it to her?"
''If you wish you can do so, Alice,
but the time has not yet come for the
world to hear the story, and you must
ask her to pledge her secrecy
When Mrs. Colby reached that por-
tion of the letter referring to Alice, she
exclaimed:
"Why, Alice, has this man declared
his love for your
"Yes, yes, Mrs. Colby; but read it all
and will then explain"
The good woman finished the letter,
and, clasping the girl to her heart in
loving embrace, said:
my sweet child, no further explana-
tion is necessary. You have won the
love of a man in every way worthy of
you, man of wealth and refinement,
and every barrier to your union will
soon melt away. Why, what a wonder
full romance, you dear little creaturel
A young, innocent pussy, who knows
no world outside of a military post,
catches man and fortune whom half
the rich and brilliant bellies of the
great east would strive to win did they
but know him. Why, you demure lit
tie nobody, do you realize what you
have done? l feel that could hug the
life out of you"
30, Mrs. Colby, my good, sweet
friend, have never given thought to
his wealth. / see my Ned only as
lovable man, king am ong men, and l
do love him dearly. He did declare his
love for me, but asked in return only
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