Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-11-29
CHAPTER x.
a woman's Tenderness

Youth is never largely given to re
Election. which is the gift OF years
and although my life had in a measurt
rendered me more thoughtful than
might have proven usdeI ordinary
conditions. Jet II is to be frankly con
! fesEed, by one des,rous. Of writing
merely the truth. that generally
acted more upon impulse than reason
As ] stood forth IN the sunlight Of
that lonely mountain road. my hands
securely bound behind my back, the
end Of the rope held by one Of my
captors, while his fellow leaned lazilJ
upon his gun and watched us,
thought somewhat deeply over the SIT
uation and those peculiar circum
stances leading up to It.
Under other conditions might have
felt tempted TO enter into converse
ton with my guards, who. as ! now
perceived, were far from being the
rough banditti had at first imagined
Judging from their faces and language
they were intelligent enough young
fellows. such as | had often found in
the ranks of the Federal army. But
! realized they could aid me little
II any. In the one thing most de
sired to know. and even II they could
sense OF dellcacy would have caused
mo TO hesitate In asking Those per
sonal questions that burned upon my
lips. My deep and abiding respect for
this woman whom ! had 80 strangely
met. and with whom had attained
some degree OF intimacy, would never
permit Of my discussing her, even In
directly. with private soldiers behind
the back of their officer. Every sense
Of honor reyolted at such n thought
Not through any curiosity OF mine
however justified by the depth of my
own feeling. should she be made the
subject of idle gossip about the camp.
fire.
For, in truth. at this time. unhappy
as my own situation undeniably was,--
and as soldier | realized all its
dangers,--i gave It but little considera.
ton. Usually quick of wit, fertile In
cxpecients. ever ready to take ad.
vantage OF each opportunity. had
taken stock OF all my surroundings,
yet discovered nowhere the slightest
opening for escape. The vigilance OF
tho guard. as we'll as the thorough
manner In which was bound. rend
cred any such attempt the merest
madness. Realizing this. with the
fatalism of veteran resigned myself
in all patience to what must be.
Then It was that other thoughts
came surging upon me In a series OF
'rt""eogatories. which no knowledge
possessed could possibly answer Who
was this proud. womanly woman who
called herself Edith Brennan? She
had been at some pains to inform me
that she was married. yet there was
that about her--her bearing. her man
ner-which could not ia the least
reconcile with that thought Her ex
IRENE youthfulness made me feel II
improbable. and the impression re
manned with me that she intended tc
make some explanation of her words
when the coming OF Bungay inter
rupted us. How they might be ex
planned ! could not imagine; | merely
struggled against accepting what
longed to believe untrua Aud this
man? this Federal major. bearing the
same name, whom she called Frank
who was her What manner OF rela
| tionship existed between them? IL
| their meeting and short intercours,
/ had noted several things which told
me much---that she feared. respected
valued him. and that he was not aaly
| swayed by, but intensely jealous O
any rival In, her gooG opinion We
/ their unexpected meeting was scarcell
that OF husband and wife Was b,
the one she sought IN her night rid,
from one Federal camp to another
II so. was he brother. friend. or hus
bandg What was the bond of uniol
existing between these twoG Ever,
/ word spoken made me fear the las
must be the true solution
Such were some of the queries
silently struggled with. and they wer
rendered more acute by that deepen
lhtk AANNA cot " hiNM AhW NQbAESSEQ
myself | was feeling toward her VIII
inspired them. II rpay be fashionahl
nowadays 90 sneer at love. yet certal
IL Is. tho rare personality Of tht
Edith Brennan had reached and II
fluenced me in those few hours "
had been thrown together as that {
no other woman had ever done Pc;
sibly this was so because the ion
years IN camp and field had kept NJ
Isolated from all cultured and refine
womanhood. This may. indeed. hav
caused lie TO be peculiarly susceptible
TO the beauty and purity Of this on
facts. and leave philosophy TO other
My life has ever been one OF action. (
know not; am content TO giy
: intense feeling; and there in the roa
that day, standing bsrehesded In n
sun. was clearly conscious OF OF
one chsageless fact. that loved Edii
Brennan wich every throb Of n
heart. and that there was enmity. bi
Ter and unforgiving, between me ar
Et man within who bore her nam
! Ahateves be misht be 20 her :