The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-29

until the hand ceased 20 battle his fore
head. II was early In the afternoon,
he knew. because the suns rays ehone
In neither the eastern nor the western
windows. Thereafter he always kept
awake at that time, although he never
opened his eyes. And then the sur
geon shook his head, and decided that
Bill was not improvlng-he slept too
much-but Bin knew.
"When l get we'll" he told himself. |
"she won't come any more. don't
know but I'd just as lief die" But the
next time he heard the familiar rust
ling Of the Gress he opened his eyes
and found a sweet-faced woman stand
Ing near his cot and she blushed and
turned away when she saw him look.
ing at her. And then Bill wished he
had kept his eyes closed He began to
feel very funny about It all.
There was something about her face
that puzzled him. AS one pauses and
listens to the strains of some old for
gotten melody, wonders where he heard
1t before, remembers and then recalls
the associations with which 1t is linked
so Bill gazed at that gentle, peaceful
face, the faded blue eyes with the
crowsfeet in the corners and thought
of a girl he used to know In a little
town in the hills Bill had loved that
girl. That was why he went into the
army. It was all so long ago that it
seemed like a dream, and yet the light
which still fingered in the eyes of that
kindly woman illumined his dream to
q semblance of reality and in mind he
followed the light down the devious
grooves of change until the face Of his
old love shone vividly through the veil
of years. Bill was puzzled to know
why that should be.
She came back the next afternoon
bringing with her long pipe and sew
eral bags of tobacco. The doctor says
you may smoke tomorrow, and maybe
I'll come and read to you"
Thanks, lady," said Bill, who felt
as one must feel to whom an angel has
stopped
And she did come, and she came the
day after, and although she visited
many soldiers it was Bill to whom she
used to read of the doings at MOntauk
Point, or listened while Bill in his sim
pie way told the story Of his cam
paigns. Once she told Bill Of her little
home in the hills, where she hired a
girl to milk the cows and man to do
chores and help raise garden truck for
the market ever since her husband had
died, And when she told him this the
| light Of Bills dream became light in
deed. He knew now why she had been
kind to him. Strange thoughts began
to fill his mind, and oftentimes he
blushed behind his grizzled whiskers.
The woman began to be known as
BilPs widow, and they made mild SEN
timental jests at his expense, but Bill
smiled.
Il used to know her when she was a
girl" was his only reply.
But there was one thing of which
Bills bunkies were certain, and that
was If her kindness to him was due to
the fact that he had known her when
she was a girl, the same explanation
could not be applied to her kindness tC
the youngest soldier in the ward
Merely a boy he was, and he had blue
eyes, too, much like the Widows. A
shell had taken off his foot at the ankle
and he spent most Of his time talking
of the pension and the two cork legs 1
year that Uncle Sam was to give him
He had been brought into Ward Il
/ only recently. But he had not beer
there a day before every one knew tina
Bill had a rival. There were some wht
, had seen her cry and kiss the DO!
when she first saw him, and some hat
} it that the boy cried. too, although
this was not generally believed.
5 0neaday she sat beside the boy, talk
4 ing earnestly the whole time, for neal
: ly an hour, and she stayed with Bill
only ten minutes For she was in
S hurry, she said. Then it was that Bill
e realized, as had his comrades long be
: fore him. And then he blushed agai
a and felt very foolish. Just a little biz
d ter, too, he felt, and in a dull way j
e struck him that this was not the frs
S time she had made him feel this way
It But the first time was many, man
e long years ago. The next time sh
# called BIZ made believe that he wa
e asleep, and so he did the next time a
e ter that. It was hard, though, and a
It ter she had gone a tear trickled dow
= Bills furrowed cheek. But the thir
% time he pretended to be asleep agaii
This time, however, the steps lingere
', by his cot, he felt warm breath againi
l. his cheek, but he kept his eyes closei
S. Then came a softly whispered SCI
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