The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1902-05-29

and was shaking with emotion. Kits
voice from the other room called feebly
to know what the matter was. Mrs. Bell.
her mother, had gone home for n few
hours. taking the little boys with her.
Springing up again. Mark opened wide
the middle door. saying: 1T is Neil, Kit
tie. and he offers to be my substitute.
Come in here, brother, do"
Haven't time this morning, Mark.
Give my respects to Mrs. Weidman.
may be in again before leaving" His
hand was ON the latch.
please, Neil, come here"
1t was Kits pleading tones, and before
he realized what he was doing the youns,
man stood by the bedside looking down
into the face of the one woman he had
loved. 1t was five years since she had
told him she was going to marry Marx.
and in all that time they had never spok-
cn-had rarely met.
''Oh, Neil. you are too good-you can
not mean it,"
Il mean it," he said, coldly.
Through it all he had never suffered
as he did now, to see how willing she was
to have him sacrifice himself for Marx.
1t was a moment Of supreme bitterness,
Yet in spite Of himself he fingered to
gaze for perhaps the last time into the
sweet face.
Her eyes were full of tears, and catch
ing his hand she passed it to her lips,
sobbing:
You are so good, so noble! II it were
not for the children We could not consent
to your going.
IF only We could raise the money, but
We have little to sell and there is NO Une
to buy what we have"
Il have made up my mind and should
go anyway, now. There is nothing to
keep me-"
But, Neil, this is too much," said
Mark. who had now sufficiently recovered
himself to comprehend the situation. Il
cannot let you go, but il you could look
after things here some and see that Kit
did not suffer. l could go easier. There
is only Joe to do anything"
"No use talking. Mark, am going; and
now, good-by all"
He almost snatched his hand from
Kits clasp, and was gone.
'Mollie, am going to the war;
Coin to the war, Neil? Why, l
thought you'd sent on the money"
"Yes, SO did; but Mark was on the
draft, too. md we couldn't nOhow raise
another three hundred, nd he can't be
spared from home at this time o. year;
SO I'm going in"
''In his placer interrupted Mollie, ex-
citedly.
Neil nodded.
"Well, if l ever s'posed I'd live to see
you give your life for Mark, after he cut
you with"
There, there, Mollie! Now, about
things here ON the place."
why, am sure don't know: s'pose
Dick and me can manage, though I shall
have the most of it to do. II Dick is my
husband, l must say as I've said before,
the Moselys are mighty poor managers;
but, Neil, bate awfully to have you 60"
They talked a long while, but Mollie
never dreamed of the terrible battle her
November day.
She never knew how tempted he had
been to let his brother-the man who had
robbed him Of his life's happiness-look
out for himself
The tempter whispered, "Let him go.
and if anything happens you are not to
blame; then Kit will be a." But, of
course, he turned his back at this juno
ture each time; but the struggle had been
a desperate one.
He was with Grant in the Wilderness
and all through the disastrous overland
campaign. He was with him until sent
was severely wounded, but to him there
was never such another battle as the one
fought with himself during that mad
walk under the gray November skies.
''Neil is wounded and I must go to
him." Mark exclaimed in deepest anguish
as he read the name. ''Oh, Kittie, what
il he dies! 1 never can stand it."
Before the sun went down that day he
had kissed his wife, boys and infant
daughter Nellie good-by and was on his
way to his brothers side.
The meeting between them was affect
ing in the extreme, but Neil was by Ear
most composed Of the two.
1--WE got to so. Mark, but it is no mat
ter. l am SO glad that it is not you."
Before the end came, he seemed to real
ize that he was not unloved and that his
heroic sacrifice had been appreciated.
Toward the last the wounded soldier
became delirious, and it was from his
rawlings that his brother learned Of his
great temptation and the mastery gained
over self that eventful day. He talked,
too, of ''Kit" until tears bathed the face
Of the agonized watcher.
When all was over. Mark Weidman
went back home with the remains of his
substitute" and last Memorial Day, sit
ting by the fower-decked mound with
Kit-now an elderly woman-and Nellie
"a lovely young matron-I heard this lit
tie story.
On the marble slab at the head Is the
inscription:
Greater love hath no man than this.
that a man lay down his life for his
friends"