The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-04-12


her girlish dreams: Richard Somers as
She had seen him face to face one night
under the burning match, his voice
ringing strong and true and tender
upon her hearing. Before him, shut
ting him into the sanctity of her room,
she had dropped a veil of iridescent
gossamer, and within that room, seen
only through the veil, the man lived
and reigned and had his kingdom.
Through this veil, too, stirred by the
breath of the suffering and the dying
Of his own country, he spoke gently,
tenderly to her in the lonely hours of
her vigis. The other Richard had
been dismissed, not harshly or hastily,
not in anger, but sad.y-a man UNI
worthy; a man at war with the truth
and nobleness of her nature and at war
with her people. No one knows how
such fictions come about, but the
hearts OF most women carry them.
And time had helped Frances, for
looking back she re-established' many
vital facts that lessened the sadness of
memory; the man must once have been
noble-his deeds of mercy and gentle
ness proved that; innately noble he
must have been when she met him, for
in the face of great temptation he
had kept his promise to his friend, even
to the extent of shutting his eyes
against the girl whose arms had been
about him, whose lips breathed love for
him. And somewhere, despite all the
trickery, there was still nobility, for
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 receptions, 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 it 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 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 a 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 o
1862, when the great federal movement
against Richmond was beginning anC
when every train was bringing in {
bloody harvest, she leaned above I
wounded enemy. The question so otter
asked, TO what command do you be
T. long?" drew forth an answer tina
filled her with excitement. She fel
her heart begin to beat madly and he
limbs yielding to a sudden excitement
Your captain! What is his name?'
Richard Somers, miss!" How
strangely thrilling sounded the nam
that morning! 1t was the first tim
she had heard it spoken since its bear
er had said among the Pickering shad
oWs of her room: IF to carry in mem
DRY the living record of one face vii
. help you, take mine, and with it. RICH
or wrong the love of Richard Somers.
The scene, never dimmed in ali tn
, months that had passed, stood fort
again, illumined like some strong pic
. ture under the swift magic of the light
ming. The wounded man saw in he
, face the glow of its reflection. TT
, umph shone in her eloquent eyes,
sudden agitation locked the soft whit
hands.
DO you know him, miss?"
81? Yes, yes! Is he WELLS he safe
The man read more thaa she suspected
, and turned his eyes away embarrassed
;, He was singularly helpless from h
: wounds, and she had his face at he
, mercy. Her womans instinct dis
D.. cerned his thought; her lips move
I without sound, but her soul was in tn
= appealing look riveted upon him.
= Il think-not," he said, reluctantly
e at last. in fact, l know that he
= wounded"
r "Dead!-vou meant" she gasped i
f.. the struggle to conceal her anguish.
. No, miSs-not exactly that; but bat
r ly wounded-very badly, am afraid
e Where is he?" She made no effol
i then to conceal the truth. She was G
. her knees. her eyes close to his. Il
!. Gods name, my friend, tell me-te
n ne all! Cant you see? cant you see,
u She covered her face. unable to co
r tinue.
It Il can only tell you what l kno'
IS miss. He was not dead when ! saw hi
II last. Our guns were in the line VIII,
ID the charge came. The line was brckt
r at both TANKS, and the yelling confe
4 crates were swarming about Us. Eve
le horse We b wa, down. when woI
M came for Us TO look out for ourselv,
50 and back we went 10 escape capture
~ what was left of us. Well. miss. son
e. body said then that No. had be
Of left loaded-double-sho with ca
n lister; the man at the lanyard had ia
RS en- Gesd just as he lifted his hand
r. pull. And so the gun stood. ready
nd be turned upon US. Then Capt. Some
nd halted and looked about for some o