Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1899-02-02
LLE GREENE COUNTY, MISS, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2 1899

pearance OF one who had been about
starved to death. His eyes roved co1-
stantly, but they lacked lustre and in
telligence. I told him was glad to
see him and asked how the boys were.
He jumped all preliminary movements
and began describing the attack on
San Juan and Ell Caney Heights. His
voice sounded strangely unfamiliar,
but attributed it to his rough expert
ence.
"It won't do to say those Spaniards
can't shoot" he went on, "because as
we went up the air was as full of bull
let's as bees around hive. L had
| never been under fire before, and |
believe I would have gone back if it
hadn't been for the brave fellows
around me. We rushed on, tore down
those awful barb-wire fences and I be.
gan thinking we would soon be at the
top and give rousing cheer for the
American flag, when L was struck, ]
think, by six Mauser bullets. One
passed directly through the heart"
I jumped out of the chair and ex.
claimed: "What on earth do you
mean? You must be mistaken, Jack
how in the mischief did you recover
SO soon?"
80, T didn't recover" he said
coolly, 81 am there yet" I shivered
and moved away from him. Then he
went on: "That's what [ came to see
you about, Will. You're about the
only man I've any claim on and [ want
you to do me favor"
Then 1 noticed the sunken condition
of the eyes and that his lips never
moved while he was talking.
He abruptly asked:
"Where's Kate?"
I flushed at the familiar method oil
referring to my wife, and coldly told
him supposed she had retired.
He looked disappointed and said, as
if in hurry to change the subject:
"What I want, Will, is this: They
have got me planted on the side of one
of those clay hills down there along
with lot of the bravest boys in the
world, but L want to come home That
hill will wash away in short time and
don't want my bones mixed up with
the trash that will go down the gully.
want you to go down there and hunt
me up, and bring me North, There
is Photographic they haven't torn
my. clothing off-fastened to the shirt.
You will know who it is. And then
there is a great tear on the left arm
from the hand clear up to the elbow.
That was made by the barb wire.
There are two bullet holes through the
left leg, one through the right shoul- :
der, one near the right knee, and one
through the heart. There may be
others that struck after the last one
was fired.
"I want to be laid alongside Sister
Grace"-his voice shook through the
thin lips-''and then someone may
some time come out there to the little
cemetery and put flower or two over
us. 1 know mother willard L hope
someone else. have had hard life,
Will, and few months before I went
to the war L passed through one of
those experiences that stay with a
man. You know what I mean. She
was very kind, and 1 loved the very
air she breathed. OF course she was
way above me. She married and I
well, I died. No, I'll not tell you
who she is, but 1 want to be where
she can come if she's amind. I al
most fancy that L could feel those
footsteps near me. Will you do this
for me, Will? I know it's asking q
lot of you to make that long trip, but
remember, you couldn't have got out
of it that night if I hadn't taken your
place"
And as I made him the solemn
promise to faithfully execute his
wishes a glad smile stole over his face
and he glided from the room.
L told Kate the next day that Jack
Hastley had been killed at Santiago
and that I intended to go South, re-
cover his body and bring it home for
interment in our town cemetery. L
expected nothing else but storm of
protests, ending in fit of weeping.
But there was nothing of the sort. At
first she turned deadly pale and sank
in a chair. Then she arose and walked
towards me, and placed both hands on
my shoulders and said:
"dod bless you, Will; that is good
of you
Then I knew who the girl was that
poor Hastley had loved and lost
The Criterion.
He Had No Choice.