Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-28
AnUnreCOrded Battle


hoohoy fordyce and Muriel Hardcas
.c $1,000 ihc'ng each other In a little rus
uc summer mouse on the Hardcastls
: plantation.
III was ht tne beginning or the civi
war ana the giri was eagerly discussing
, .nc burning puestion OF the hour. Hei
eoinpnhion' however, TOOK no little inter
90. ,nat sne looked at him inquiringly.
.yr 2ure'y; h3ahey' you intend to cnlistT
70 eIhs,. ne echoed duly. Why
Diuriei' onrnhg' DO not feel as you do
nes'ues, ,he sight OF blood sickens mo
now couiu hght, ana how could l leave
your
In Snort interrupted MUriel sharply,
you are coward. traitor to the south.
a coward she repeated scornfully. II
cou.a never Iove coward.
Haye cnre? cried the man In a
suanse' cnokeu voice. DO not repeat
.nmt Wora! III you were man, would
Ahi you! Muriei shrank back. appalled,
.ne stor" she mao raised IN her lover s
prenSt: nc turned quickly away, but
puused 10 open tne uoor. Goodby, MI
,'i' ht shiu prokehiy' all the herceness
b"ne rom MS voice. Il VIII enlist to-
''orio". e,,
nne sprang aiter him, new light
snlnng IN hcr DARK eyes. and ere the
perfuned curtain Of vines had fallen
rom ms hahd she had thrown her arms
ABOUT ms neck IN a perfect abandon Of
'oye ana pride.
nneh ne ieit her to make his prepara-
uons Tor Joining the army. he carried
VIII MN ner promise to marry him as
III, ovvn US Tue war was over. And that
WI, nor pe long. dear Rodney" Muriel
shIu hopetully' Tor the Confederacy will
sooh oe estaDNshed and then-we will
neser more DC parted. And should you
ne'er eone pack' i WIN De your widow
as, ,fuiy US u nnu Deen your wife, and
VII, WI rehluin 80 until death unites my
Split 70 yours
ihese assurances should have satisfied
Lsouney' anu uiu ior awh1ie. But when
ne ,earneu tnat maurice Hardcastle. Mu-
..u' I.', eous.h' VINO hah oeen an unsuccess-
.t .n, su'eor LOT ner naho ana mad gone into
.ne army at the hrst can, had returned
uoine seNereiy wounded hls jealous fears
a"ohe. Muriei wouid help to nurse him.
ner sort hngers would dress his wound;
she wouiu pity hiin' and he would have
enc pes. OF opportunities OF renewing his
suit. hodney tod himself that he trust
Gu 'iuriei iihphcitiy' ana yet the thought
W. r., ner con'Puhiohship with Maurice
,i nauneeu MN day and night and made his
'itg ,r, puruen.
, me uuy OF ms hrst battle arrived.
nouney was sickened by the wholesale
eiausn,er III the MIDST OF which he was
now plunged. AT first he turned faint
ana could scarcely keep his scat on the
, n9rse, ior there was blood blood every
where. Great streams of it began to flow
ior the hght was herce and hard push
sio"ihs s'iuiy RED where the sun
shohe upon 1t or creeping in dark,
mysterious ine where the thick foliage
OF the trees cast deep shadow over it,
but though there was great carnage that
uuy' ana rooney Fordyce was constant
~ IN the thick OF the fight, he came out
ol tne pattie nnhurt.
Ahu yer ne had courted the bullets of
tne enemy ana ionged for thrust of
pasohet-hot that he longed to die. or
even tnought 1t possible that he could
DC kiiied' out II he were wounded he
nsht pi oe sent nome Tor Muriei to nurse!
pu. the Dattie was over. and he had
Ion,e ou' oi unscathed. Ihat night
Nouney,. T,, IN company with one Allan |
WIhsiUw' starteo OUT TO deliver impor-
.ant o,spatcnes 10 camp some miles
...--i...- - AaAio" p"SS
overhung by frowning ellis when Wins
low, W., VINO knew the country well, said:
ihere may be spies on the cliffs who
eouiu PICK US on us easily as dog kills
iaii,o. AS ne spoke MS saddle turned,
anu ne had to dismount to tighten the
grin:
niue on, fordyce, he said, and I'll
eaten up directly. Keep sharp look
OUT.
Suauehiy nouhey Ielt that MS oppor-
tun,ty had come. HIS companion had
saiu II was probable that spies were
iurA,hS on the ciins' ready TO Shoot them.
oouiu ne not' before he Joined him, infiict
"ouhu on himseit which would make
~ nis urn useless ana the truth never be
uncovered!
heuieniper' you VINO read this story,
=, .iiut this man was not In normal condi-
,.on, ,, ne was terrioiy uhherved by the
Jay nghtihg ana the fear OF losing the
ne aaored md warped his better
'uusnent' aeVii was before him
-enptins ana auuring MN with enticing
VISIONS. lie fought against this evil ,
Pp"er' put tne struggles grew weaker.
ne eianced pack. Winslow was still l.
Norkihg at MS saddle. and he was, to all
hieht' aIone. lie swiftly drew a re-
'oi'er from MS pocket and, holding out
us arm TOOK ann. His hnger closed on
ne trigger. In another second the bullet /
YOU'D nave been suddenly imhnddnd in