Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
On the Verge.
IOrfginal.1

]
mortal sea" which the poet has made
| typical of another existence. 1 know
not if the dead ever visit those on
earth, but this l believe if it is posi-
BILE for Il spirit To come back to any
mortal it would come to the young
girl who gave me this strange expert
ence.
We had taken carriages at Rich
mond early in the morning to ride over
the fields OF the memorable seven
days buttles. We began ut Mechanics
Vile and ended at Seven Pines. 1t
was late in the afternoon when we
reached the last named field. Indeed
full moon was beginning to dispute
the day with the twilight. a guide
who had been with the Confederates
in the fight led US ON foot to the vari-
Gus points of interest. The field has
not been disturbed since the battle. A
part was then II corntieid, and nearly
all had been open ground. Now a
thick grove of pines, some of them
seventy feet high, shields from the
rays of the southern sun this resting
place of those who still lie where they
/ fell.
There" said the guide, pointing TO
protuberance in the fat soil, ''lie a
hundred and fifty dead in one trench.
From that hole only last week / re-
moved the few bones that We're left
of n soldier and buried them in the
cemetery. l identified him by this,
which L found among them" He
showed them small silver coin on
which had been scratched Corporal
-, -th New York. There is the
breastwork thrown up by the Union
troops the night before the battle"
We mounted il and walked along it's
crest till we came TO "A small redoubt
See" said the guide. the ruts of the
gun carriage wheels" There, true
enough. Were the indentations, faint,
but easily distinguished.
How 1 came to get separated from
the party do not know unless L was
so deep in dreamland that / neither
knew nor cared when they went on. l
was in the midst of the battle / ran
my eye along the earthworll and saw
thousands of rifles leveled over its
hind each rifle man. his eyes intent
on the advancing Confederates. who
were pouring volley after volley as
they came. Then heard Il burst OF
musketry rolling from where | stood
far down the works. mingled with the
roar of cannon. Gums doomed beside
me: guns doomed mt Il distance All
was confused roar of firing. shouting.
Suddenly | came to myself. l was
alone on the rcdouht. The daylight
had faded. and the moon was casting
serene shafts OF light through the
trees, giving the scene peaceful yet
melancholy contrast with the battle of
which had been dreaming. 1t was
like passing from the din of dcstruc-
ton to the quiet of death. Startled ut
finding myself alone, / was about to
hurry after the party when l saw
figure sitting on the opposite angle of
the redoubt. My first impulse was re-
lief, my secoSd surprise. for ut the mo-
ment, by the Tight OF the moon shining
directly upon him, | recognized in his
apparel the uniform of an officer,
Lieutenant of '6f. And, oh, how beau
tiful he was, slender and graceful as
the Apollo Belvcderc, while his face
was that of Il celestial being!
As l looked he arose and descended
the breaStwork on the inner side di-
rectly in rear of one of the rutS. There
he stood looking out at-what? Was IL
the pines standing mOtionless in the
moonlight and silent save for the wind
which passed through them with
faint rustic? Was it an army of the
dead? Then he seemed to be pointing
gun. stepping aside when satisfied
and pulling an invisible cord. Sudden
" he shivered, placed his hand to his
breast and, staggering back. sat down
on the ground. He looked up at the
moon, and l saw that his face was a
CHASTITY white.
Who or what he was, flesh or spirit,
he was real to me. Rising. i hurried
down and knelt before him. He looked
into my eyes with the same beautiful
expression. but he did not speak, nor
did /. l dared not lest profane the
silence. He put out his arms and drew
me to him, while the love he looked
thrilled me with n holy Immortality.
wished only to kneel there forever
i'm the moonlight under the requiem
signing pines with my young soldier.
Withdrawing one hand, he placed 1t
on his breast, then tore open his coat.
Oh. the sight! Will 1t never leave
me? Will it never grow less a horror?
From Il wound in his breast rushed
a torrent of blood.
Suddenly l awoke as from deep |
sleep. 1 was in q room on a bed. On
the wall was portrait of General Lee,
another of Jefferson Davis. Beside me |
were fiowers-their perfume can smell |
to this day-and in another moment |
the face of Il woman clad in the uni !
form of a trained nurse bent over me.
1 had not been missed till the party |
had ridden half the distance to Rich |
mond rTheu driving back they hur- |