Middletown transcript., 1909-03-20

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litg and sunny brown curls JUS
as ia the days before she Wa.
Richard Heaton's wife. And i
good wife she was too, anC
meant to be always-always.
Dick was the best Of husbands
but when the war broke ont, ol
course, be had to go; Heatons
had fought for centuries back
and their blood flowed through
his veins. He was made captain
Of the village company in which
John Reynolds was a private.
: And at least one woman's prayer
: ful benediction followed both in.
to battle; Reynolds saw her on
the street in the midst of others
watching as they tramped away.
She saw him, too, at the same
moment; that was all. Both.
fwere full sure that they should
never meet again on this side of
the shadoWy border; each sent
up a spontaneous prayer to God
for the keeping Of the other.
What were the feelings of the
other onlookers and soldiers wa
know not, but these three hearts
seemed to beat a death march as
Captain Heaton lead his company
away.
Southern skies were hot, the
marshes sickening and fever
laden. Forced marches, battles, |
retreats, laundering cannon, shot
and shell, sounds, grnans and
death were all about him, yet he
was spared, he who might be bet
ter dead. Why he was not taken
instead Of that brave one falling
at his side, whose last breath was
q prayer for wife and children,
whose death meant another
widow and more fatherless chill.
dren in the world. It was not
until the last day at Gettysburg
that he fell, and strange to say
4
that gallant young captain was
wounded also wounded unto
death.
But in the letter which the
kind young lady wrote to Martha
there was mistake. It told
her that John Reynolds was hope
lessly shattered and could live
but few days at best, and that
Richard Heaton, with serious
but not mortal wound, was close
BY in the same hospital, and a
source of great comfort to him.
Such an easy thing TO do to slip
in one name where the other g
ought to be, when the writer 7
knew not the personality or the .
whereabouts of the other.
1t was at Heaton S request and /,
wholly unknown to Reynolds that b
she wrote and may God forgive u
The pale young wife if when the q
etter came to her New England
cottage, there was single trait. G,
'rous or rebellious thought. Id
spirit, even transitory, other N
han that of rennnciation! She q
lad been loyal to her husband, =, ).
levoted and true, she would re- ID
main SO, faithful for a lifetime. oil
Vas it wrong that she few there th
S fast as trains could take her, 60
uming with unwonted impa- n n
lence at every delay aud OBJ. as
tacle, praying God to spare him ct,
reath until her ARRIVAL What dil
he had renounced for a lifetime 4
nigh she not indulge for a mo- 4,
lent9 Only to place her hand ser
pom the brow, and look into the va
yes she loved once more! Then sta
would be all for ever. =
Small wonder if John Reynolds ii, III
oncluded that he must have Cd,
cen suddenly taken with some pie
ort of illusioning fever, when, as inG
tting with great effort-for his -, sa1
Wn wound was painful enough i
? the cot of Richard Heaton,
'ying to solace him whose life 4
ID all but gone, be discerned has
lVancing the one loved face and - .
rm that was always present Ia M M
lis waking and sleeping dreams. Til.
ould Dick see it, too, and was it mel
vision sent to solace his dying Roc
oment? Could it be that be was ali M
wake and heard Alright when the tbr,
lrss was telling Richard Heaton the
at his wife had arrived and was ouRI
en- waiting outside the door for
e announcement 70 be gradu. ., g
y and gently madey "a
1t was not SO very strange in Seer
r confusion that she kissed two obse
IN instead of one; nc wonder law.
9 wept and smiled and blushed ~
d sighed and wept again, for man
lotions followed swift uponone steps
other, Joy for The one when she tribu
received the very evident mis-. ions
re-. and sincere roncern for the 70