The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-06-23
links Romance
Gv1 W.r Va. TaIs
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-

JluASs SdAO OuS VI q party W S4vA
war veterans to q comrade, whose bald
head shot out q few spears Of white
hair and whose gums always met
when he closed his jaws, "why didn't
you never git marriedY j.
Jinks increased his legs, r~ecrossed
them the other way and said:
There's a romance In my life"
"A romance! You don't mean to say
there's any romance or eve has been
in you! 1t wouldn't be nat'r'l to you.'
II wasn't always like I am now, no
1nore'n you fellers. I was sleek enough
when we was fighting Johnny Rebs."
well, tell us about your romance"
ut began when we was goin' up that
long slant at Fredericksburg. II ever
there was a place particularly calcl'at-
ed to NOW down men and have plenty
Of time to do 1t, that inclined plane
takes the cake. It's nearly fifty year
since we was led up there, and nobody
hain't yit found out who was respon-
sible. Mr.. Lincoln warn't no soldier,
but If he'd e e he'd known it was
a good slaughter pen and nothin' else.
ME and Bob Aker was trudgin'
along side by side, expectin' either one
or t'other would drop. We was bosom
friends. All Of a suddint Bob pitched
forward. dropped out and bent over
him. He just had time before he fell
on t'other side to stretch out a hand
Wifh n Pinp nm n and saw.
"'Take it to Sue and tell her l want
her to marry you intead Of me-
II pulled the ring off his finger, and
he died while 1 was a dom it. Slippin'
the thing on my own finger, I got up
and hurried along to my regiment,
though even in this short time the place
nero we'd been was as wide as q
church door.
Bob had had plenty of time to tell
me all that was necessary, for he'd
told me the rest often before. Laws,
how the boy did talk about that gal!
She was the loveliest thing on earth,
so good, so gentle, so lovin'. Then he
would say: 1T nearly kills me to think
that I may git killed down here and
some other fellerll take my place with
her. If any man does I want you to
be her husband, Bill. If I knew she
was goin' to you it wouldn't seem so
bad He'd often showed me the ring
she'd given him, and he'd given her
one in exchange.
II was powerful affected by all this,
SEEM Bob killed right beside me and
his turnin' the gal he couldn't have
himself over to me. I tell you I was
all broke up"
The old man took out his handker-
chief, blew his nose and incidentally
touched his eyes with the wipe.
ooh, don't get maudlin', Jinks"
81 came out o. that slaughter all
right, and as soon as I'd got Bob a
triae out O. my mind I fell to dreamin'
O. his gal. I'd go over plans to break the
news Of Bob's message and all about
it. I wondered If I could persuade her
to take me instead O. Bob and how
long I'd be a-doin' it. There'd be lots
O. delicacy required, and I didn't know
how a rough chap like me could git
down to it. The only thing I could do
would be to do the best I could. I
kind q thort that a good deal depended
on my gittin' the gal. for I had some
hold on her-Bob had made the re-
quest-and I didn't have q hold on any
other gal and no prospect O. havin'
any other hold.
"The war ended at last, and I'd "a
gone straight to Bob's gal, but I was
mustered out far from her home. and
I didn't have no money to buy a ticket
with. Besides, I vas out at the seat
O. the britches. So I had to 60 to
work to git the cash. OF course when
I got a place I couldn't git my EN-.
ployer to let me 60 OF courtin' a gal
whose heart was like enough buried
down In Virginia. Anyway, I didn't
like to ask him. aud 70 I KEEP a-puttin'
the thing of and putin It of till .
number Of years went by. All THU
time 1 was pinin' for the wife that !
was expectin' to git"
by gum. Jinks. you air sivin' % a
romance. ain't !you:"
ut was ten years before I got round
to goin' to give Bob Akers' message.
II remember mighty well the day ]
went to the town She lived In, q VII
lage in q valley. l found the house. .
little cottage with wistaria"-
.'Oh. cut out them embellishments"
.'There was q man standin' on the
corner, with his hands in his pockets.
5chawin' .tobacesr., I went up to him.
and to open. conversation I asked him
FOR q chaM. NeelsliYel t'sto me. and
then I sxtsf kue~Sf Bobis galf.He
sas3dsh3dEksexa1. her eysfsAneeaAehe
was knee high to q duck. Then I told
him that I was beside Bob Akers
when he was killed and he had sent
a ring and a message by me.
What was the message?' the man
asked.
II kind o. wanted to get somebody
to help me carry this load o romance
that was breakin' me down. 20 I show.
ed him the ring and told him the hull
story. He fist faced me and stood