Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-09-22

and then bore MIN up stairs into the
majors front room. April had come by
that time, and a warm south wind, as
has been said, played for several days,
and the skies were murky, the air soft
and unusually humid, and Maynard was
presently allowed to sit propped up in
bed, while Grace, his adoring sister,
read to or chatted with him, and the
doctors let him see occasional visitors.
4frs. Stannard was there by the hour,
and the stern colonel had called and
had been most kind and thoughtful,
and, so far from finding fault, had
praised Maynard's conduct, and still
! the patient was not happy.
One day after long silence he turned
suddenly. Grace, what ladies have
called to see you?"
"Why, all of them, suppose, Ronald
ever SO many anyway"
Not all, because Mrs. Barry cannot
leave her room, am told" said he.
No, very true, but she sent her card
and explained it all u Miss Baird
brought it. -
"When was she here?" demanded the
brother eagerly.
DAY before yesterday and again to-
day, bringing some delicious jelly Mrs.
Stannard is going to give you by and
by" And then the sister saw the joy
light burning in his eyes and the faint
flush that was mounting to his cheek,
and her face took on an instant shade
of gray. "Why, Ronald, - she said, 'do
you know her we'll: You like her?''
Then she could ask no more for all
at once there sprang up III her heart the
question, "What will this mean to Ger
trude Bonner?"
Rising presently and without word,
the sister slowly left the room and re-
turned to her own. Stopping for a mo-
ment to bathe her temples in cold water,
she then stepped to the dormer window
looking out over the bleak northward
prairie and pressed her forehead upon
the cool pane. She had had her own
sorrows, poor girl. Her own love had
left her after a brief, joyous furlough
when she was but IS and rejoined his
regiment just in time for Five Forks.
He had fought CALAMITY in earlier en-
gagements, had won promotion and
come home sorely wounded to be wooed
back to health and strength among the
kindly people of their Mohawk village;
had returned to duty for the last cam
paign full of hope, happiness, love of
country and of her, and the brief glory
OF that campaign was indeed his last.
The joy of the news of Lees surrender
was stifed throughout the narrowing
valley at Little Falls by the telegram
that briefly told them Captain Ralph
Bonner was mortally wounded at Sail
or's Creek. Grace Maynard life from
that time on was taken up in devotion
to her own mother and to his, and when
they, too, were called from earth she
had still left to nurse her aging father,
himself a wounded veteran of the war,
and to rear and love were her boy brother
Ronald and "his' girl sister Gertrude
The fathers one ambition was for his
son-that he might be educated at West
Point and commissioned in the army.
The sisters main hope had been that
when Ronald came back to them an
officer he might look with loving eyes
upon the shy little village girl who as
laughing, romping maiden had been the
playmate and tease Of his early boyhood.
He had looked kindly, even affection
ately, upon her, but with the same Sc
rene fondness with which he regarded
his sister. and then had gone on his
way, after weeks of long talk and coun-
sci with the father, to join his regiment
in far Wyoming.
In every letter Grace had written
there was mention Of Gertrude-how
lovely she had grown, how good and
devoted she was to father, how helpful
and attentive to him, and then always
so eager to hear about you," and now
was all her planning to go for naught?
Was it possible that her hero brother,
who had been her care as we'll as pride
for years, now that he was free to
choose would turn from the fond and
faithful little heart that was beating for
him there at home and dover this un.
known New England girl with the
wealth of his first love? At the first
meeting Grace had noted her beauty,
the radiant color that so quickly came
and went and came again, but other
women had entered upon their inter
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