Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1903-09-30

and not being a man to sacrifice her
self, she thought 1t her duty to sacrifice
the man she loved, and that was Mar
tin
Martini she said, "it VIII break my
heart, but must let you CO.
go whereT'
"Why, to the war. of course"
But supposing l don't want to go to
the war;
Ethel looked at him for a moment in
blank surprise, then turned and walked
away. saying, ITO think that | have
loved q coward
Martin stood looking at her not only
with astonishlnent, but cut to the heart
this light. He had SO deep q reverence
for the girl he loved that it flashed
upon him her words might be true.
ETHEL. | consider war barbarous
way Of settling q 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 t.
to me just now than the great question
involved in this war;
whats that?" she asked.
"Slavery"
"Why. l thought it was firing on
Fort Sumter"
"W'hat is most to me is your love. l
shall go for your sake.
And so it was that Martin voun-
teered and marched away to the war
Ethel waving him last adieu. tears
streaming down her emotional checks
Four years passed and the war was
ended. One day a man got off 4 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 dclibarat-
Ing. Just then q man drove by in Il
hay wagon. and the stranger asked of
him
"Can you tell me where III find Miss
Ethel Birdsey:''
"Y can't find no sich pussen; she's
married"
"Married?" The stranger started
Yes; she married two years ago"
The stranger stood looking like one
who has taken a journey for a purpose
and found the purpose has no exist
ence.
What Y want with hcr?" asked the
farmer.
"Well. l have message for her
that is, I had 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"
ooh, yes. | remember. Ethel sent
him off to the war She was very pa
triotic in them days. She wanted me
to go. but | told her | thought Id con
tinue to do my ti-htin on the farm
with the army worm and sich var
mints as destroys crops. How's Riggs
gittin' alonG?"
He's dead"
Dead? What a fool he was any
way. How'd he die?"
"Wel. he was All used up. He was
nothing but skin and bone and then
he got sick. and with sickness came
nostalgia. or Inconsistencies. and to
cheer him up | proposed we should
tunnel out We did so and escaped,
but the guard discovered us and shot
at us. He hit Riggs and 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.
"If you ever get out of this and go
north,' he said, see her and tell her
that died in trying to be worthy of
her;'"
The stranger paused for few mo-
ments. then added: There was one
thing more he said, but don't like to
repeat that It's sacred"
I'D like to hear 1t, stranger. won't
tell"
: "3J1m, 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.
"Stranser,' 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 spein' she's married there's no CON
soin' to be done; leastaway none in
the female line, Ethels husband
wouldn't mind little O that sort o
thing P'raps you might make ii 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 Hll about her"