Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-03-25

That evening outside the railroad
station detachment OF soldiers await.
ed in melancholy silence the coming
Of the train which WIS conveying ~
them the body of their dead officer and
comrade. whom they had sll respected
and admired. Close by the gun car
riage was standing on which Gerald
Jocelyn was to make his last journey to
the cemetery on the hillside a mile
away, and at a few yards distance a
closed carriage was drawn up, in which
sat Mrs. Tailyour. holding in mute
sympathy the hand OF the girl widow.
who white and fearless, leaned back
beside her, immoyable in calm despair
She had scarcely spoken since she re-
covered from the deep swoon into
which she had fallen after hearing of
her husbands death. had only anpounc-
ed her determination to bid him q
last farewell beside his grave.
Captain Ferguson was standing near
the carriage and whispered to Mrs,
Tailyour that the trair was signaled;
then he withdrew from her sight inside
the station. Putting and painting, the
train swept in. There was strange
silence for few seconds, followed by
a muiiied m,rmur of voices, the SOL
diers bent forward eagerly and mes
sage was passed down their line from
one to another. accompanied by looks
pr amuVlN1 Mrs T,ilNnYr
pressed her companions hand tighter,
the terrible moment had arrived-how
would the girl face it? Was it possible
sufficient strength of mind and body
for the horrible ordeal which she had
set herself?
Then Mrs. Tailyour saw Captain Fer
suson emerge from the station with a
dazed look of CONSERVATION on his face,
the result evidently of great and over
towering emotion.
He came hurriedly toward them,
making signs to Mrs. Tailyour. which
she failed to understand.
Has it not Gomez" she whispered 10
him as he approached.
There has been a mistake, he muir
INJURED in reply, and Maud though APP
parently unaware of what was passing
around her-caught the words. Her
face woke to animation, she leaned for
ward crying.
"A mistake. He has not come! Oh,
tell me quickly; can bear it; he is not
dead, he is alive see it on your face,
for PHYS sake don't keep me in sus-
pense-let me out must so to him.
She was struggling TO open the door
when someone put Captain Ferguson
quietly aside. and then with i loud cry
Maud sprang past Mrs. Tailyour, and
fell sobbing against her husband
breast.
Yes. there had been u mistake. Ger
aid was alive, though not uninjured;
for he carried one arm in sling and
bandage around his head accentuated
the startling pallor OF his face.
Two words omitted in the telegram
that day explained the mystery Of his
resurrection. Accident, Joceyln
WOuHueu, gunner hllleu, dllcleu LIZ
whole meaning Of the message. Private
Brown, Il. A., had the honors accorded
him which had been prepared for Ma
jor Jocelyn's funeral, and Gerald drove
back to the village with Mrs. Tailyour
and his unconscious wife. Joy never
kills, they say, but Maud approached
very nearly to the shadow land OF the
great unknown She came back from
the beforehand OF eternity. no longer
IA laughing thoughtless child, but a
woman in mind and feeling The shock
of great sorrow, followed by great and
Overwhelming joy, had awakened her
sleeping soul, and brought to maturity
the deeper and finer traits OF charac,,
which she possessed. but which hitherto
had lain quiescent in her and un-
known.
Captain Ferguson ayerred that he
had faced the horrors of war and en-
dured many terrible experiences, but at
no time in his life had he come so near
utterly losing his presence of mind as
in that moment when his dear friend
Gerald Jocelyn stepped from the trail
and laid hand upon his arm.