The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-08-29
MAMMA, LET NE PRESENT You TO
LIEUT.. THORPE. OF THE 4TH lHlO.


LIEUT.. THORPE. OF THE 4TH lHlO.
But, mother, he is innocent, even if it
was'-she began, with deep, earnest
sobs.
He is Thorpe, he is Thorpe, and it
was his father whose hands were red
dened with the blood of my parent.
have tried to forgive, but God knows
cannot"
With a heart almost breaking she left
her mother PROSTATE from the shock, and
went to apologize TO the officers for her
strange and abrupt departure. After ex-
planning to the officers, she found Lieut..
/ Thorpe standing alone in an alcOye,
stunned and bewildered. He turned his
inquiring eyes upon her as she asked:
Was your father a soldierF
He was"
What rank did he hold?"
Captain"
In the - Ohio regiment?"
He was"
WAS there any other Capt. Thorpe in
the regiment?' she asked.
He answered in the negative, and she
sob arose in her throat. He seized her
hand and with his hot breath on her
| cheek, and all his pleading soul in his
face, Stammered:
"EIsie-Elsie, for Gods sake, tell me,
what does all this mean? oh, speak to
me, EiSie-I 20 AWAY JOInOffOW. ana
before | go | want to tell you how / love
you. l may never return-I may never
see you again; but | could not depart
without telling you | love you. Even
though | never return, even though | fail
upon the battlefield, it wOuid be a COIN
fort to me 10 know that my love was
returned"
she aYerted her head and tried to with
draw the little hand which he still held
captive.
Speak to me, Elsie, in Heavens name,
l pray you, speak. Have ! done aught to
offend either you or your mother"
She shook her head, but did not venture
to speak.
Then why this change? Oh, Elsie,
pray you, in Gods name, explain this
maddening mystery"
He chung frantically to her, while she
shrunk from him.
Il can't can'tw she finally sobbed;
then added: ASK your father; he can
tell you all. | am miserable; let me go,
let me goi''
He released her and she ran to her
mothers apartment.
Like one in a dream Arthur Thorpe
went to his room, and with a groan cast
himself upon the bed, while in trumpet
tones rang the answer, ASK your father;
he will tell you all.
Seized with a sudden impulse, he rang
for papers, pen and ink, and seating him
self at the table wrote the whole incident
to his father, asking him if be could give
any explanation, and posted the letter
that very night.
Next day the transports steamed out Of
Norfolk bearing among other passengers
Lieut.. Arthur Thorpe. His regiment was
hurried TO Porto Rico and took an active
part in the lively campaign that followed.
Lieut.. Thorpe a month later was among
the dangerously wounded sent back to
Ponce. His wound was greatly aggravated
by the malarial fever that set in soon af-
| ter his arrival at the hospital. He was
partially delirious for days, during which
time he thought he heard something said
about Red Cross nurses coming to the hos
pital. He rayed for one person who dwelt
continually in his mind. Every Surgeon,
every nurse, had grown familiar with the
name Of Elsie long before the little, meek,
brown-eyed Red Cross nurse came to take
her place at his side. She was a very
quiet little creature, who seemed 10 have
! the interest of her patient wholly ut
heart. No one knew her name, but those
/ soft brown eyes, which grew moist ut
/ sight of the emaciated form of the sick
! soldier, soon won the hearts OF all who
saw her. When he plead so earnestly for
/ Elsie, she was seen to weep, rs she lis
pered something soothing in his ear.
! "He has something worse than a Maui
ser bullet and fever to contend against"
] Sblu lue plu SIhy-ubiTtO surgeon SEdNeiy.
1T is some shock-it is his mind-his
heart"
viii he recover, DoctorF'
He shook his gray head, and answer
ing, said:
lit all depends on you. Good nursing
| alone can save him"
He shall have that"
And night and day she sat at his side
until fever and decisions were dispelled
by the sunlight of returning conscious
ness, and the derk-blue eyes opened in
reason once more. Long he lay gazing
into her face. then feebly whispered:
"Elsiew
"Arthur-Arthur, ! have come" she an
swered; Il heard your cry from across
the water, and came to nurse you back
to health. You must not, shall not die
1t was Elsie. He was still bewildered
and IL was days before ha was permitted
to read the letter from his father which
had come during his illness. The letter
Explained what had darkened that fathers
life. He told how, while commanding a
battalion, he mad charged an enemy's out
post, and in the heat and excitement OF
battle run Confederate Colonel through
the body. To his horror he afterward dis
covered that his wife and child were neal
and had witnessed the awful deed. The
Colone's name was Roy GoOdsell"
Looking up from the letter, he asked
!. Was Col. Roy Goodsell your materna
grandfatherT'
Yes" was the answer.
He turned his face to the wall to hide