The daily Alaskan., 1907-05-15
IDENTIFIED
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 ped over to visit the historic capital of the short lived Confederate States of America. There were. two very pretty young girls, Bessie and Marge Hicks, under the care Of their aunt, a spinster Miss Reyes. 4 couple of young fellows had attached themselves to the Misses Hicks. and the chapcron had all she could do to keep the young people with Tn conventional bounds.
 Aunt Lcnie," protested Bess when taken to task for some mild indlscre- ton. ''why can't you remember that you were once young yourself: You act as # you'd never had 8 young man attentive Co you. I don't believe you ever had or you would know how to sympathIze with girl
 We visited the museum in the presi. dents mansion. the site of Libby prls- on. and oae morning drove over the fields of the battles which had resulted in the driving back of McCleIlan's army from the euvIrOns of the city. It was a. sunny morning, and the lays and girls were in d merry mood. One would not suppose that they were wis. ltlug scenes n which a generation be- fore laughter would have been liSCOrd- ant. in which at every yolIey of mus keuy. every discharge of cannon, poor fellows were laid low and those who loved them were made to mourn.
 At one of the battleGelLs the guide who conducted Us was very garrulous. He had been born on the ground and taken part in the fight After it was over he had helped bury the dead, and years later had been in the employ of the United States cNhumiug and ident- flying the bodies which now lie In the little cemetery near by.
 There" he said, pointing, "was a trench in which were dtty-tve bodies. From under that tree I took up the body of a young man and have got the triuke.s l took out of hIs pocket yet, hoping that ! might identify him by them. There were a pocketkuife with bone handle. a little comb and silver heart"
 By this time th, boys and girls had uuleted under the guides pictures. all the more affective since he had seen them with his own eyes. Aunt Lenie seemed to be living again ln those days when thousands at home were scanning long lists of killed and wound rd. threading to see what they looked for l was looking at her when the guide was naming the articles he had taken from tue soldiers pocket, and when he mentioned the silver heart l saw the blood leave her checks as lt taken out at the first stroke Of an air pump.
 Sometimes" continued the guide, "I took things oT the bodies that had something on 'cm to identify the own CT. such as initials of regiment and company. This silver heart spoke of had initials on both sides and a date but no corps"
 "Where do you keep such things?" asked
 At the house usually. This one I've made a pocket piece of."
 He drew a lat silver heart from his pocket and held it up for us to see. I happened to glance at Aunt Lenie. There are no words to describe her eE- Dressiou. but l knew by 1t that the bit of silver was a connecting link between her and a dead past In a moment she had regalned her self control and cast a quick glance at her uieces to see if they had noticed her emotion.
 "On this side" the guide went on, are the letters J. R' and on this T.. K. Sept 10. IS6I'"
 A silence faU Ou Us alL We were standing among the pines that had sprung up since thirty years before to shade the graves of those who still slept there. We crowded around the guide to read the letters and the date. Aunt Leule was standing back.
 We were startled by a sob.
 As We turned to look Aunt Lenle turned also. so that We could not sec her face. but We knew the sob had come from her In a moment she was herself again.
 "The grave" she said where Is the CruvtE'
 The guide led us to the little plot with It's uniform white headstones and stopped before one marked "Un. known" Aunt Leuie kuelt beside it. We men uncovered. and the girls, gO- ing to their aunt. Enelt one ou each side of her. with an arm about hes waist
 MouOuing to the men of the party to come, ] moved away. and they fol- lowed me. Tbought the articles found on the dead soldier of the guide He offered them without price, but I thought that Miss Reyes, for whom [ Intended them would prefer to pay.
 Later I learned the story-a story as old as the peninsula on which these men fought and as fresh as the tiny wild flower that springs up over the soldiers graves. Tom Ray, a young ster of twenty. loved Leouore Reyes, a girl of nineteen. He enlisted in the Union army. and shortly before he marched south they plIghted their tro+h Taouorp had treasured from