Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-06-20

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silently he had ridden away, faithful
to his friend. He had lain under her
hands wounded by the pistol shot and
no woman ever hated helpless, suffer
| ing man. AS for his deceptions, his
plots, some fearful necessity must have
compelled him. The other woman?
! She had been too base for him-she had
! been at heart murderess. She il was
who had dragged him down. And was
he not caring for the child? Frances
would not have admitted it to herself
! had she realized it, but in the depths
of that heart she had forgiven Richard
Somers. Her heart was big enough to
hold him and all his weakness. Was
there a loss of something from her ma
ture? Or was there gain?
No message had ever come to her
from Somers, no good or evil report.
None? Yes, just scrap soon after the
war began. From some one, Brodnar,
probably, since his name was upon it,
she had received northern paper Civ
ing in its war gossip information that
Richard Somers had been reinstated in
the army and promoted to be captain
of artillery.
But one day early in the spring of
1862, when the great federal movement
against Richmond was beginning and
when every train was bringing in
| bloody harvest she leaned above a
wounded enemy The question so often
asked, ITO what command do YOU be-
long?" drew forth an answer that
filled her with excitement. She felt
her heart begin to beat madly and her
limbs yielding to a sudden excitement.
"Your captain! What is his name ?"
"Richard Somers, missi" How
strangely thrilling sounded the name
that morning! 1t was the first time
she had heard it spoken since its bear
er had said among the Pickering shad-
ows of her room: "If to carry in mem
ory the living record of one face will
help you, take mine, and with it. right
or wrong. the love of Richard Somers." :"
The scene. never dimmed in all the
months that had passed, stood forth
again. illumined like some strong pie
ture under the swift magic of the light
ming. The wounded man saw in her
face the glow of its reflection. Tri-
umph shone in her eloquent eyes. a
sudden agitation locked the soft white
hands
do you know him. miss?"
a? Yes, yes! Is he Wells he safe ?"
The man read more than she suspected.
and turned his eyes away embarrassed
He was singularly helpless from his
wounds, and she had his face at her
mercy. Her womans instinct dis
cerned his thought; her lips moved
without sound. but her soul was in the
appealing look riveted upon him.
Il think-not," he said, reluctantly,
at last. ''In fact, know that he's
wounded"
"Dead!-you meant" she gasped in
the struggle to conceal her anguish.
mo. miss-not exactly that; but bad
ly wounded-very badly, am afraid y
"Where is hep" She made no effort
then to conceal the truth. She was on
her knees. her eyes close to his. I'm
Gods name. my friend, tell me-tell
me all! Can't you see? can't you see? ?"
She covered her face, unable to con-
tinue.
81 can only tell you what I know
last. Our guns were in the line when
the charge came. The line was broken
at both fanks, and the yelling confed-
crates were swarming about us. Every
horse we had was down, when word
came for us to look out for ourselves,
| and back we went to escape capture
what was left of us. Well. miss. some
body said then that No. had been
left loaded-double-sho with can
lister; the man "a the lanyard had fall
en- dead Just as he lifted his hand to
pull. And so the gun stood, ready to
be turned upon US. Then Capt. Somers
halted and looked about for some one
t. send back; but | think, miss, he
II uSt have seen that the chance was
d .sperate. 1t was only an instant, and
b! wouldn't order any man to go; he
L ished forward over the so yards.
reached the gun and seized the cord.
He was my captain, and | couldn't leave
him there, you know, so had followed
him, too. Then up in front an army of
gray seemed to rise as from the ground,
and they fired a voley as he pulled on
the lanyard. l threw myself on my
law anu OSSdlSN' w iiNi lOChCd u 4
the crowd akead was disordered and
torn. but still coming on; and the cap
tain lay by his gun. l crawled over
and laid my hand upon him.
TON he said, cool as I am right
now, I'm gone, but if you get out take
the papers in my pocket and my wa Itch
to my mother! / took them as he told
me. He tainted, l think, and l was
afraid he was dead, but he breathed
again. And then, miss-I hadn't tried
it since | was a boy-he was lying upon
his face, and rolling over, lay upon
him, back to back, locking my arms
through his. Turning over suddenly 1
had him on me dead weight, and then,
somehow, | got up. The whole thing
was not a minute long. The confed-
crates gave me cheer instead of vol
ley till the boys rushed back to meet us.