Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-11-02
STORY OF THE DAY.
A PIECE OF wRECKAGE.
by AUGUSTA PRESCOTT.

that had been anything but glad.
When Leonard Lomax had announc-
ed his intention of enlisting for the
war he had not yet been accepted as
sutton for the hand Of Miranda by any
member of the family excelt Miranda
herself. In fact, the young man had
left his business and gone soldering
very much in the Eope of breaking
down parental OPP position with the force
of patriotic sentiment He had two
parents to contend with, and it was an
uphill struggle for him, even with the
girl on his side.
Then there had been many weeks of
waiting, while ",he boys" Of the town
had been going through the process of
being licked into shape in a camp hum
dreds of miles away, during which per-
iod the obdurate parents had gradually
very gradually-ceased their objec-
tions to NIiranda's receiving letters
from Leonard.
BY the time the papers gave out that
Leonard's battalion <was to sail for
Cuba, the whole household had begun
to take an interest in his letters. But
another period followed when no let
tiers came and Miranda seemed to
droop, and her mother first, and then
her father, and two married sisters, all,
one after another, became positively
sympathetic with her anxiety.
When the name Of Leonard Lomax
had not appeared in the lists of killed
and wounded, and The war was over,
Miranda mother found her sitting by
her bedroom window one evening, all
alone, and went and kissed her or the
foreL cad.
daughter, don't fret any more. Your
father and l can't bear il. When the
young man comes back we'll let you
have your way. It's your own affair,
child"
She did not mention just .ben that
inquiries about young Lomax had baen
made in the distant city where he had
lived until three years ago. Miranda
haunted the depots and postoffice,
taking no notice of tho other by-gone
admi rers.
So there was only ore thing left to
fret about, and that was the fever,
which was-so the reports said-killing
the boys off like sheep.
And now, after one last waiting spell
of three weeks, when there were no let
tiers from Leonard, though he was
known to be at Montauk, a short, feebly
scrawled letter had come: 81 am able
to walk, and they have given me my
furlough. I shall be with you by
Thursday"
And this was Thursday.
For all three reasons Miranda was
already feeling very Happy when tele-
gram came: 81 shall be with you by
seven O'clock And that made her
still happier
1t was not long after six o'clock when
she left her mother with a kiss and a
blush and went down to her own sitting
room to listen for the door bell.
Two OF her little nephews passed
| through the hall, romping toisterouslyi
Miranda astonished them by sharp
reprimand, for Aunt Miranda was hard
ly evec cross and did not generally OBJ
ject to juvenile rackets, in the house OF
out of it.
But she wanted to listen now-and
to think
She had so many sweet thoughts al
ready to ruminate. 1t was sweet K
feel so sure that her lover would soor
be with her. He would look pale anC
haggard, of course, but it would still b.
the same Leonard, and with the glor,
OF war still fresh on him. And it wa
sweet to know that one love was no
any longer at war with another. Sh
could love Leonard Lomax now and ye
not forfeit the love OF her father AM
mother.
AS she sat peeping from behind III
window curtains, another thought cam
to her-!houghts, rather-memories O
two other men she had allowed to tai
to her Of love. One of them she ba
cared for little, she told he self. Thi
one had been loyablo in many ways
certainly amusing,a good companion