Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-12-19
A WAR ROMANCE.


wondered what kept his daughter as
he fidgeted with his paper and stirred
his hot coffee. Through the open
window overlooking the sloping, vel
vety lawn honeysuckles peeped into
the old fashioned room and scented
the air with their fragrance, the bright
sunshine lighted up the oak paneled
walls, cleaned on glass and silver on
the table and played about the old
generals white head. Just as his pa
tience was at an end the door opened
and admitted a tail, handsome girl,
with bright blue eyes and a deter
mined mouth. She held big bunch
of clematis in her hands.
"Where have you been, Mona?" in
quired her father.
"Down at the river, 1 found the
stone wall near the boat house ablaze
with these blossoms. I am sorry to
be late, dear"
"The southern mail is in" observed
the general, nodding toward small
pile of letters at her plate.
She flushed slightly as she laid the
-clematis on the sideboard and took
her seat at the table. A conscious
smile crossed her fathers face as she
broke the seal of the first letter
He turned to the paper in his hands,
and his eyes caught this heading. ga
Romance in Real Life" He glanced
at the article casually, and then the
smile died away. and his hands tight
ened on the paper and his face grew
hard and stern while he read the fol-
lowing paragraph:
s'With the invalid officers return
ing this week is young Colonel Law
renee, who was severely hurt in the
charge at San Juan. Among the nur-
ses who went to look after the sick
was handsome young woman whom
the colonel formerly admired. Fam
lily misfortunes had forced her to
adopt nursing as profession. Their
friendship was renewed, and when
the colonel came home he was en-
gagged to his old love. Colonel Law
renee is to be married very shortly.
Report says that he had engaged him
self to another lady, who will now
find that she must look elsewhere for
AS he laid down the paper the gen.
eral glanced at his daughter. She was
sitting, with a dazed expression on
her face, gazing at the letter she
held.
Gather, what does this mean?' she
exclaimed, holding out the letter. He
took it from her, and this is what he
read:
"a West Fifty Street,
New York, Sept. II, 1898.
DEAR MoNA-You have seen in the
papers an account of my being wound
ed. I made light of it in my last let
ter, fearing to alarm you, but the
truth is 1 am wreck, as the papers
have accurately stated. 1 am inva-
lided and crippled, and if it had not
been for devoted nursing should not
be here today. Under the circum-
stances I do not feel justified in hold
ing you to your engagement Not
withstanding the pain it causes me to
do this, I want to release you entire
ly and leave you free to marry some
one who is not so shattered as myself,
but believe me, dearest, that whatev-
er my future life you will always be
shrined deep in my heart of hearts.
Your faithful friend,
HENRY LAWRENCE.
"What does it meant" almost shout
ed tbs old general cit means that
your lover is a scoundrel, Mona. Read
this!" And he thrust into her hands
the newspaper he had been reading.
The girl grew white to the lips. A
mist before her eyes prevented her
for moment from reading the arti-
Gle. Slowly she grasped its full pur-
port.
tsBe brave, my child, be brave"
said her father, as he watched her
anxiously.
She caught her breath and rose hur
riedly from the table, crossed the
room to the open window, and, lean
ing there with the honeysuckle brush
ing against her sunny brown hair,
looked out across the old lawn with
unseeing eyes.
After moments silence, the girl
turned pale face toward her father.
<sI will be brave, but leave me to my
self for awhile" And, crushing the
letter in her hand, she hastily left the
room.
1t was terrible blow to the gener-