The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-26

After having watched and listened
for ten minutes at close range without
being any the wiser 1 crept into the
building and Deered about. Presently
I heard the snore of sleeping man,
and a minute later found him cover
ed W in the. hay. His face was ex-
posed, and saw his sandy hair, and
then knew who it was. Six months
previously our nearest neighbor on the
west had enlisted and gone to the front
in the civil war He was not much
thought of as man. being considered
shiftleSS and without ambition. 1t
was the large bounty that had induced
him to enlist. If the man had no
standing in the community, his wife
had. She was an energetic little wo-
man. far too good for such a man, and
was universally respected She lived
quite alone after his enlistment, and
the full crop. such as it was was gath
cred for her by the peighbOrs.- They
had also seen that she had 81 store of
winter fuel / uncovered the. man
without awakening him and found that
he was sure enough Dan Scott. 1 was
about to arouse him when it struck
me as a curious thing that he should
have come to the old barn instead of
going to his own house. I covered
him up again and left the place and
quarter of an hour later was knocking
on his door,
well. John, what is Il? ~ asked the
CHEEKY little woman as I entered.
How long since you heard from
hardly knowing how to get around to
my subject.
''Why.I showed your mother the last
letter. That was three weeks ago.
did he say anything about coming
Goodness, no! He couldn't get a
furlOugh soon as this il was dy-
ingi Have you heard any news? Has
there been another battle? Has Dan
Then 1 told her of my discovery. She.
turned pale and shut her lips and trem-
bled a bit Not a word did she reply
until she had got on her things to go
out Then she said:
"Come-sJohn- We are going to the
barn.
Not a word was spoken between us
on the way. We found the husband
still asleep. and. as she stood and sur
veyed him she flushed with anger.
Then she gave him a smart kick. and
he opened his eyes and sat up.
Tive come home. Jennie" he
said as he recognized her.
Eyes ?''
81 was so homesick to see you that I
just had to come I believe I should
have died if hadn't come"
Then you got furlOugh ?" she ask
ed in a hard, metallic voice. and her
blue eyes looking right through him.
IA sort of furlough-that is, a
good many of the boys were coming
home. You see, It's got so late that
there won't be- any more battles this
fail and there was no use hanging
around the camp. hope you amt mad
about it. Jennie
You came away without leave, did
you?"
"There were others too"
ITO come away without leave makes
you a deserter. You Will be hunted
down and taken back. The papers will
say you deserted. We shall be dis
graced. Not decent person for ten
miles around will speak to u.s.
"Oh, come now" protested Scott as
he reached his feet and brushed away
at the hay clinging to them. You see,
you don't understand. 1 was homesick, |
and 1t was no use for me to stay there
when there was no fighting to be done.
1t was midnight when got along here, |
and so I didn't 90 the house. Let's
go now I'm hungry for breakfast. |
Hello, John! Glad to see you. Come
over tonight, and III tell you some war
stories. Why don't you kiss me Jennie, |
and tell me you are glad to see me? ?"
Mrs Scott was a gentle little woman.
but h er face grew as hard as steel. I
saw her bite her lips until they were
stained with blood. The look she gave |
the man was so full of contempt and /
disgust that he fairly writhed under it. !
She held him for a long minute and I
then reached out and took the shotgun |
away from me. I had been leaning w /
against a beam and saying never |
word She looked to see if the gun
was loaded and then turned to her hus-
band with:
ssThere is no house for deserters to
go to. There is not a family in the I
state that would give one of them a
breakfast. You cannot sit under the
same roof with me. You are going 1
back to the army - /
But, jennie
you are going now
-aSay, now, but you can't mean ft?''
She stepped back and brought the I
gun to her shoulder. and on my life II