The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-03-03
JOHN Smith, PRIVATE.

AICe Ouuuuul cut uAOAS Ia AASA SAAAA-
Der while happy memories of joys for
ever past crowded upon her thoughts,
adding to their sting the bitter present.
A year ago this very night Jack Bel
mont, her friend and companion since her
earliest recollection. had told her that
he loved her, and she had suddenly dis
covered that he alone held the key to
her future happiness.
What IL round of whist parties, sleigh
rides and merrymakings that winter had
been! Mother and brother Ned rejoiced
in their happiness, all their friends con-
graduated them, and their cup of bliss
seemed overflowing. There was no OBJ
stacIes to their marriage, and 1t was set
for early June. Blissful, tender
thoughts like these thronged upon her as
she sat solitary in her dainty chamber;
solitary, emblematic of all her future
life, which stretched out long and cheer
less before her, for she WIS but -.
Their happy dreams had rude awak.
ening when war was declared and the
militia company of which both Ned and
Jack were members went to the front.
Alice babe her lover farewell with Il
bravecOuntenance but heavy heart, and
then resigned herself to endure patiently
the dreary waiting until the war should
end. Then came the fighting before
he soon came home OH furlough, but of
Jack no news came.
Week after week passed in troubled
suspense. Ned wrote to comrades and
officials, but the only replies were that
jack had not been seen since the sur
render of the outlying posts before Santi-
ago. The dread word missing was all
that could be reported concerning him.
AS Alice recalled the terrible suspense of
those weeks that heightened into months,
when every mail might bring q letter
from him, when every ring at the door
might be a messenger or Il telegram with
the news of his safety, or, at the worst,
with proofs of his death, she felt that her
present despair, since hope had fled, was
far preferable. But hope does not die
easily, and even now the sight of the
postman would cause her pulse to quick
en-.
How bravely the girl bore her burden
of sorrow none but her mother fully un-
derstood. She had not gone into d de-
cline nor settled into sentimental semi
invalid. She had endeavored to create
an interest in life and had redOubled her
efforts to become self-supporting, for,
she argued, she must do so sooner or
later. The young girls in her embroid FRY
CAISSeS were lofluS anu luc!AWs Aei
friends were not obtrusive in their SYM
pathy, but needlework, dainty and intri-
cate as it was, could not occupy her
thoughts exclusively, so while her deft
fingers created beauty her fancy wan
dered to the Cuban jungle, where bril-
liant, handsome, loving Jack had died
alone, with no kindly hand to smooth his
dying agony and no one to take his fare
well message.
Alice seldom gave way to her grief, but
OH this first anniversary of her lost hap
piness she could not control herself, and
the mother heart, knowing that sorrow
destroy, had accompanied her son to a
lecture, after giving strict orders to Nora
not to disturb Miss Alice upon any ac-
count. While Alice, pale and fearless,
was wrestling with her grief, trying in
vain to accept the inevitable, the door,
bell rang sharply, as with an eager hand.
In spite of herself her heart gave Il
bound, and then, realizing the folly of
hoping any longer, the girl buried her
face in: the pillows.
Faithful Nora opened the door, pre-
was no one at home, when, looking into
the pale face of the man before her, she
gave little scream and involuntarily
made the sign of the cross.
"Nora, ME darling" said a familiar
voice, as the stranger seized her rough
hands, where is everybody?'
''Sure, Mr.. Jack, tits yourself, it is.
The saints be praised, ghosts don't
squeeze like that Then she turned and
fairly flew upstairs to Alice's door.
The girl heard her coming and started
told to admit no one tonight. Can it
be?'' thought she. ''Hoyw foolish, how
weak to>hope any longer"
Nora knocked, and then eager to break
the glad news, she cried excitedly, 1T
isn't his ghost at all, Miss Alice; it's his
very self, the dear boy"
Alice threw open the door, Nora
slipped away and Jacks loving arms
were once more folded about her. his
dear voice sounded in her ears and ms
An hOur later Mrs. Durham and Ned
returned to be greeted with happy voices
and a hearty embrace from. Jack and
Alice. while the two comrades clasped
hands with fearful eyes. Soon they We're
seated together in the coy parlor, while
Nora upon the pretext Of serving coffee
the reason for his long silence. How
the boy has suffered thought Mrs.
Dunham, as she gazed on his thin, sal
low face and noted its intense gravity
when in repose, so unlike the Jack of old.
"Now Jack" said Ned, tell us about
yourself. You know we had given up
ever hearing what had happened to you.
Where have you been? Why didn't
some of the fellows find you? l couldn't
get any satisfaction from anybody"
Its a sad story, Ned, and we are SO
happy here together once more it Is q
pity to tell it now, but don't wonder
that you feel bit as Nora did. It is
really uncanny for me to appear in this
fashion without warning. The fact is
from the day you were wounded until I,
month ago there wasn't any Jack Bel
mont at aall. only miserable private,
John Smith, from nobody knows where,
and he had on his heart the. heaviest
weight of disgrace in the world, s.s-.+
You will ali be ashamed Of me when
1 tell you the base thought that entered
my mind lust before the first firing at
Ell Caney; but, Ned, old boy, don't judge
until you hear the whole Of my story.
Alice and Mrs. Durham will be lenient,
I know. You remember, Ned, how ut
terly tagged out we were, and oh how
hungry2 What would not have given
for square meal Of anything that was
clean? None Of us were very particular
as to the menu. / was really i'll. but 1t
wasn't in order to complain. When we
son nEo1 tho, e,r,r< orn 1vo,o ~<n hov