The daily morning Alaskan., 1900-05-12
FAITH HELD FAST.

suppOse, sElu lue S6UldI duu sprightly old lady from Ohio, "that I have to my credit one of the most unique of war experiences. The man who is now my husband was colonel of an Iowa regiment, having gone from the east to gain a foothold in what was then comparatively new state. It is matter of record that he commanded one of the finest body of sharpshooters that ever did service, and the gallant General Lyon, under whom they first fought, paid them the compliment of saying that he regarded them as invincible | against twice their numbers The colo nel himself was more than six feet, and tevery man under him met the require ments of Frederick the Great when he recruited his famous grenadiers.
 II was betrothed to the colonel, and though back in Ohio. followed every movement of the regiment as closely as if l were with it. One evening we re- ceived the news of that terrific battle at Pleasant Hill, and two days later came letter from the lieutenant colonel tell ing me that the colonel had been killed while making last stand with revolver and sword against overwhelming odds. There is consolation in the thought that man you love has given his life for his country, fighting to the death for a vindication of his principles, but even that balm cannot assuage the sorrow of heart that has lost what was dearer than all else.
 Am ha1 fo. ,l,,r fa fhox, the loss of a promised husband who was dearer to me than life itself. With in month there was woman from Iowa at the home of the colonel parents claiming to have been his promised bride and showing will in which she was made heir to everything he possess ed For the property cared nothing, but there was the bitterness of death in tho thought that suspicion should be cast upon his loyalty and honor.
 Mot for a moment did 1 entertain the thought that he had been untrue, for that would have been to surrender the one joy left me. When felt equal to it, went to see her. She was brilliant ly beautiful, and, in my prejudiced judgment, had fascination that never goes with saintliness. I could have car ried through the interview with pa tience and decorum had she not dared to condole with me and attack the char acter of the colonel as man unworth, the love of either of us flew to his defense in way that at least attested the sincerity of my love- In my anger I denounced her as an impostor, design ing, unprinoipled and wicked.
 Her answer was heartless laugh ard production of tho will. As far as could judge it was in his handwriting and had been duly probated, and yet was as certain as of my own existence that he had loved only me and that this creature was utterly unworthy of him.
 "You remember Morgan's raid into Ohio. It was time of tho widest OK. citement, bringing war to our very doors and giving us conception of its horrors such as we could never gain ex- cept by actual contact. stood by when the bold raider went through that laugh able farce of surrendering to n township constable and making terms hat would have sent him back unharmed to the south.
 "I even shook hands with the chiv- alrous leader, who told me pleasantly how delighted he was that my lint and medicines were not required. 1 have yet button from his coat, for young men were just as anxious for souvenirs then as now. While we were talking one of his officers rode up, and recog nized in him the brother of an old schoolmate whom had visited in Ken lucky before the war. He had been friend of the colonel's and asked me when Ihad last heard from him. My re- sponse was burst of tears, and then 1 told him the sad story
 "'He was not killed, he hurriedly assured me. 1 myself helped to carry him from the field He recovered in the hospital and is yet prisoner of war. He was an invalid for some IS months, and know that he was sent to Ander sonville some six months ago..
 ''I believe that l should have died had this hope proved false one, but myself went to Washington, and had no sooner told my story to President 
 Lincoln than he moved in the matter, and when 1 returned home the colonel, a mere shadow of his former self, was with me uever intimated to him that there was woman claiming to have supplanted me in his affections, but the night of our return she went away.
 "She surrendered all the colonel's property to the control of the court and disappeared so completely that all effort to trace her was intellectual This dia- mond ring was sent to me 20 years ago from New Orleans, and l am happy in the belief that she sent it as peace of- fering and d token of repentance As for the colonel, he had never seen her and does not know to this day whether she was a forger or employed one to draft the will. We had a boy. before Santia- go, and he, the record tells, was worthy of his soldier father. ''-Detroit Press