Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-31
HIS LOST LOVE.

"Why did I never marry' Well, I'll tell
you"
The little crowd Of listeners looked in
terested as Colonel Wiley, the handsome
white haired bachelor, said these words
and then settled back in his chair as If to
more comfortably relate the story of his
escape from matrimony.
II was very much in love, but you would
know that when l tell you that she was as
fair and lovely a girl as these Virginia
skies ever looked down upon. A true
southerner, she was loyal to her state and
was proud to say that her ancestors were
among the F. F. VS., which l will explain
for the benefit of our northern guests
means first families of Virginia. While a
slender little creature, she was a splendid
horsewoman and knew every inch Of our
rugged mountain roads. I've seen her
galloping away In a cloud of dust many .
time just as the sun was peeping up over
Jul glorious old Allegheny hills and the
mist arising from the pine grown valleys.
OF course that was just before the war,
and was q young chap then-in my early
twenties, I reckon. Her name was Lucy,
a good, old fashioned name that we south
erners still cherish and do not change to
the more airy Lucille, as do u northern
neighbors. 1t doesn't matter about her
You'd all recognize it were l to
divulge, SO l shall be silent concerning 1t.
She was tho daughter of the house and had
two large brothers, who looked upon Lucy
as a mere baby and guarded her quite az
%zealously. l first had to win their friend
ship before getting anywhere near being
even a mere acquaintance with Lucy.
"When the wal broke out, both brothers
were filled with the enthusiasm of the
battlefield, and by constant illusions to
their bravery and adroit, carefully worded
remarks concerning their excellent ap-
pearance in the uniforms of the Confeder-
ate gray ! soon won them completely
over. As for Lucy, she regarded me with
suspicion for some time, but suffice to say
that when I marched away into the fire
and thunder Of Shiloh a little golden curl,
a locket inclosing the photograph of q
pretty girl and a Bible-her gifts-were
snugly and carefully tucked away In the
lining Of my coat.
"Luoy's brothers and l were enlisted In
the same regiment, and in that way l fire.
quently heard from her. Their father, a
strong minded, stubborn, aristocratic old
fellow, had positively forbidden an en-
gagement or even communication Of any
sort. She was too young, he said, to have
her mind turned topsy turyy with love
nonsense. She made nc effort to disobey,
but when she gave me the curl and locket
and looked at me through tears that were
just falling from her great blue eyes l felt
that In the battle Of hearts l had not lost
and that in due course of time I'd claim
the indemnity of war and call little Lucy
my own.
~ was powerfully in love with her, and
the vision Of her sweet little face was ever
with me. Many a time as l lay on the
ground, wrapped In the poor sbreds Of ny
army blanket, I've looked up at the stars
and unused about how happy our meeting
would be or else built air castles that rose
majestically from out the chaos Of our fu-
ture. I planned our house, and in the
planning gave it wide, leaf girdled porches
which were to be graoed by Lucy in her
dainty gown and wide brimmed hat. This
blissful condition continued for six months
or a year. Then came the usual uncer-
tainties, suspicious and ~jealousies that SO
frequently disturb loves young dream and
bring despair to youthful lovers.
"It was this way: Our first lieutenant
was a dashing young officer, as fearless as
a young lion and SO handsome that the
privates soon dubbed him Master Pretty
boy We were cleaning our muskets one
day preparatory to the morrow's fight,
when Master Prettyboy came strolling
along and paused Q US, saying to Jim,
Lucy brother: 4 received a charming let
ter from your sister today. She sent her
love to you two boys and asked me to tell
how far you both ran at the first
fight
"The boys laughed, made some ordi-
nary reply, and Prettyboy passed on. The
serpent had entered my paradise. I felt
my cheeks flush and my heart beat as l |
realized that my right hand was on my
pistol pocket and that I longed to kill that
feminine faced cad who had been getting |
letters from the one woman whom | had
idealized until she had become the vision
Of an angel to me.
"That night I went to Jim and asked
him If the FIRST lieutenant and his sister
had long been friends.
'They played together when babies
he answered. ISIS thinks q heap Of him.
"That was enough. From that hour my
Of sweet Lucy were blurred with
the mist Of insincerity and faithlessness.
To be sure, we were not engaged, but we
understood, and our eyes had asked and
answered the questions which our lips
were forbidden to speak. And this lieu
tenant-I asked myself why should she
be writing to him, the handsome scoun-
drell Again and again I longed to grip |
nv strong fingers around his throat and
the breath Of life out Of him. He
Desmed by instinct 10 feel my snmity and
made several efforts to draw me into |
chats as Va were gathered around
The campfire after q fatiguing march.
But I would have one Of him. Had he |
not stolen my bride, my wife, my future
from met ! answered him grufiy and got
out Of his way. He looked surprised at |
my rudene1s and indifference and soon
gave up his endeavors to draw me into |
any sort Of . friendly comradeship.
ssIn my intense hatred for him and my
infatuation for her I failed either to
mink or to reason. That IL the way with
youth A grown man, with .
lull grown mind, will walk slowly and
carefully to bis conclusions, weighing EVIL
dence and considering circumstances,
while q boy Of 30 will 90 heller skeltsr,
Ike an untamed colt, arriving at his con-
about a. q kangaroo CROSSES IN
garden patch. Ny love life
n Ibsen, that great philosopher Of philos-
calls it-died y day when the