Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-10-07

anu, not DelnR a man 10 Sacrlnce ner-
self. she thought itIher duty to sacrifice
the man she loved, and that was Mar
tin.
Martin, 'lshe said, at will break my
heart, but Unjust let you CO."
go where?"
''Why, to the war. of course"
"But supposing 1 don't want to go to
the WARP"
Ethel lookedtat him for a moment in
blank surprise, kthen turned andIwalked
away, saying, ITO think thatiI have
loved coward
Martin stood looking at her9not only
with establishment, but cut tO;the heart.
He had not considered the gmatter in
this light. He had so deep a reverence
for the girl he loved that it flashed
upon him her words might be true.
ETHEL, 1 consider war a barbarous
way OF Settings question"
"But think of the heroism."
1.-THE generals get all that"
WELL she said, turning,away again,
1--WE don't seem to think alike in the
matter, SO there's an end on IT,
But, Ethel, there is something more
to me just now than the great question
involved in thistwar."
whats that?" she'asked.
slavery"
"Why. 1 thought it was firing on
Fort Sumter"
"What is mOstlto me is your love. 1
shall go for your sake"
And so it was that Martin volun-
teered and marched away to the war,
Ethel waving him a last adieu. tears
streaming down her emotional cheeks.
Four years passed and the war was
ended. One day a man got off a train
at the town from which Martin Riggs
had volunteered and walked up the
main street. Passing through the vii
lage, he struck a road leading to the
right and the left and stood deliberat-
Ing. Just then a man drove by in a
hay wagon, and the stranger asked of
him:
Can you tell me where I'll find Miss
Ethel Birdsey?' .,~r .,,,s ur
"Y' can't find no SIGH pussen; she's
married.
"Married?" The stranger started.
Eyes; she married two yearsjago."
The stranger stood looking like one
who has"taken journey fora purpose
ence.
what y want with herr" asked the
farmer.
"WeIl, 1 have a message for her
that is, had q message for her, but
so long as she's married.
"Who was it from?''
"a soldier of the late war. We met
in Andersonville stOckade."
what was his name?"
Martin Riggs"
"Oh, yes, 1 remember. Ethel sent
| him off to the war. She was very pa
triotic in them days. She wanted me
to go. but 1 told her thought I'd con-
tinue to do my fightin' on the farm
with the army worm and SIGH var
mints as destroys crops. Hows Riggs
gittin' along?"
Hes dead"
Dead? What a fool he was any
way. How'd he dieY'
''Well, he was all used ND. He was
nothing but skin and bone, and then
| he got sick, and with sickness came
nostalgia. or inconsistencies, and to
cheer him up 1 proposed we should
tunnel out. We did so and escaped,
but the guard discovered us and shot
at us. He hit Riggs and 1 carried him
on my shoulder to hiding place, where
he died. Just before the end he told
me that he had been fighting for the
love of Ethel Birdsey.
eff you ever get out of this and GO
NORTH he said, see her and tell her
that 1 died in trying to be worthy of
her."
The stranger paused for a few mo-
ments, then added: There was one
thing more he said, but 1 don't like to
repeat that. It's sacred."'
I'D like to hear it, stranger. 1 won't
tell"
"'Jim,' he whispered, make the dear
girl happy. Take my place."
The farmer sat silent with the loose
reins in his hand. He. seemed to be
thinking hard.
stranger" he said presently, "ef
| you'd "a come here and found Ethel
single she'd "a been jist the gal to cry
over Riggs and be consoled by you.
But SEEM she's married there's no con-
sOlin' to be done; leastaway none in
| the female line. EthePs husband
wouldn't mind n little o. that sort O.
thing P'r'aps you might make deal
with him to leave the field open to you
and see how she'd take the message
and Riggs plan o. maxim her happy.
Her mans been tryin' to do t for nigh
on to three years. and the more he's
tried the more mIs'able he's made her"
You seem to know all about her"
'Why shouldn't 1, stranger, SEEM s
I'm her husband?"
The farmer gave the reins a melan-
choly shake and drove on. The
stranger turned and took the next de-
parting train. JOSEPH. n. KING.