Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-05-25

| send some government man TO ask about
| it?"
81 ST. uldn't wonder" said Fred, pock-
| citing his book. They certainly ought
to-"
Pm goin' away on n long visit. so he
| won't find me If he does come. Anyway.
/ never said bit more than the rest of
| the folks around here, ST. they'll have
to stand it. I'd just like to >ee old Mrs.
Lee in trouble. She's the ono that start
ed the story about poor Joe. He was one
of the incest. brightest boys in this part
Of the country before the war. and
can't think he would run away like a
| coward"'
The government will be glad TO look
up the matter, and they won't hesitate
TO call on you whether you are at home
or not" To himself Fred said, ''I'll give
you one good scare. Maybe it will do
you good" Then .loud he said, Il am
very much obliged to you for your in
formation. Mrs, Green. Good day"
In the weeks that followed Addie for
got al about Joe Richards. True to her
word, Mrs. Green went away for her
visit. taking care to keep her destination
a secret. Fred Forbes was back in the
city working as only busy reporters do,
and his brief letters TO his cousin did not
mention the story. Day after day John
Richards carried flowers to his sons
grave. dividing his time between this task
and the garden where he raised the bios
SONS at home.
The young people were decorating the
church for memorial services one day
late in May. when the postmaster came
in all out of breath with a special de-
| livery letter for Miss Adeline Forbes.
| Special delivery letters were rare at this
little country office. so the obliGing official
closed up shop and hurried out to find
the owner. Il lowed something must be
| wrong. so I brought it right away" he
said, tanning himself after his hasty
walk.
Just listen to this" exclaimed Addie,
after reading the letter. Everybody
gathered around to hear it.
MY Dear Cousin-Do you remember
your story about the deserter's grave in
the old cemetery that Mrs. Green told
you? Before writing it up for the paper
| sent Joe Richards name and regiment
to the War Department. and asked them
for his record in the army. l send you
the reply got. and hope you will give it
wide circulation without letting it come
to the ears OF his sensitive father.
1T seems that Joe was detailed to look
after a lot of sick and wounded soldiers
| in an old farm house down in Georgia
and the sight of the suffering turned his
brain. He did everything for the poor
mangled sufferers that he could. but lost
his reason. He and his comrades We're
captured by the rebels, and in the trou-
| blous times that followed Joe's identity
was completely lost. After the war he
was confined in an insane asylum, and
| only when death came to release him
was he able to tell about his former life
His poor old father was heart-broken
at the thought of his son suffering all
those years among strangers, and never
spoke of it to any one.
81 will never print the story. 1t is too
pathetic and too sacred; but | hope you
| will see. Addie, that the poor fellow has
justice in the minds of his neighbors and
one-time friends at last. had hoped
to come back and bring the letter myself
but cannot get off. | am sure you will