Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-02-07

mended IT. Dinner time was then at
hand. end the guest remained. Mrs.
Gorton's face was serious. MabePs
was more than serious as they thought
of the parting at hand; but the guest
fingered. He talked To them of his
duty. Of how glad and surprised the
boys would be when they saw him
come back unframed; but he made no
motion TO so. The hearts of the two
women We're gladdened as be stayed.
This branch OF his story need not be
prolonged, For week he fought out
love and duty-an then he yielded
Mabel burned up his Uniform in the
Kitchen stove; the widow. with her
own hands. altered over the dead hus-
bands clothes fer him; to the few
and scattered neighhors Of that see
ton who remarked his presence Il was
given out that Lee WAS the son of n
Kentucky cousin and in fortnight
from the day when he entered this
house as n fugitive from the battle
the soldier and Mabel were united in
marriage.
For the next year unceaSing tor
ments of soul were his.
Dearly rs he loved his young wife.
the reproachts of duty were ever in his
ears. He heard them. waking and
sleeping. lie worked the little patch
of ground about the house. and mar
/ keted its produce with mule and
cart in the city; the theater of war in
this State was now far removed from
this vicinity; there was nothing but
conscience and memory. ana the fire.
quent Nashville papers that he read.
to remind him of the war and of the
part that he ought to be playing in il.
In silence he suffered. ever maintain
| ing To Mabel and her mother n cheer
ful. satisfied demcanor. They never
know, never suspected the stingS of
| disregarded duty born in silence by
the ardent Northern volunteer. and
when Mabel gave him an infant son
she and her mother deemed that his
allegiance to his humble home was
fixed beyond change.
And so 1t might have been. hut for
one of those incidents, suddenly occur
ring, with which the war was filled.
One of General Morgan's Confeder-
ate cavalry raids was threatening the
railroads in this part of the State; an
infantry brigade from the Union front
! was hurried back 10 the exposed pniut.
1t so happened that it embraced the
regiment of the fugitive soldier. bis
| cmharking from the cars at n point
| several miles down the road on which
| Mrs. Gorton's house was situated. the
| brigade marched past il on its way in
| the threatened point.
In the back yard. SO close to the
house that he had seen nothing of this,
our fugitive heard the crash OF brass
music. His wife, pale and agitated,
hccloned him in.
They are Federal soldiers" she
| said. Don't let them see YOU"
| He went into the front room and
pecred through the blinds With
wildly throbhing heart he recognized
| his lost comrades He saw the dusty
ranks marching Ivy with company
front, each stalwart soldier whom he
had known and loved with muskei
on his shoulder. His face was white
Mabel, it's my brigade, my regi.
ment!' he cried. Let me go / must
| Join them"
For answer, she placed his baby in
| his arms Tho chubby hnuHg tattcd
his cheeks and played with bis hair
The soldiers head dropped on the win.
! dow sill.
Fetch some water. Mabel" SAID
| Mrs Gortou lie is faint
lie was drad!-Amcrican Tribune.