Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-12-27
CHAPTER X.
A Woman's Tenderness

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 MEASURE;
rendered me more thoughtful than
might have proven under ordinary
conditions, yet 1t is to be frankly con-
fessed. by one des,rous of writing
merely the truth. that generally
acted more upon impulse than reason.
AS l 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 la2ily
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 conversa-
ton with my guards. who as l now
perceived, were far from being the
rough banditu 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 I most de-
sired to know, and even II they could,
a stnse Of delicacy would have caused
me to hesitate In asking those per-
sonal questions that burned upon my
lips. My deep and abiding respect for
this woman whom had so STRANGELY
met, and with whom l 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 revolted at such q 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 a soldier / realized all its
dangers,-1 gave it but little considera.
ton. Usually quick of wit, fertile in
expedients. ever ready to take ad-
vantage of each opportunity, l had
taken stock of all my surroundings.
yet discovered nowhere the slightest
opening for escape. The vigilance of
the guard, as we'll as the thorough
manner In which was bound, rend-
cred any such attempt the merest
madness. Realizing this, with the
'atalism of veteran resigned myself
in all patience to what must be.
Then 1t was that other thoughts
game surging upon me in q series of
tnterrogatories, which no KNOWLEDGE I
possessed could possibly answer. Who
was this proud. womanly woman who
called herself Edith Brennan? She
aad been at some pains to inform me
hat she was married. yet there was
hat about her-her bearing. her man.
ner-which l could not in the least
reconcile with that thought. Her ex-
treme youthfulness made me feel II
improbable, and the impression re-
NAMED with me that she intended to
make some explanation of her words.
when the coming Of Bungay inter.
:upted US. How they might be ex-
-plained ! could not imagine; l merely
struggled against accepting what I
onged to believe untrue. And this
man? this Federal major, bearing tho
same name, whom she called Frank.
Who was he? What manner Of rela-
:ionship existed between them! In
their meeting and short intercourse
- had noted several things which told
ne much-that she feared, respected.
valued him. and that he was not only
swayed by. but intensely jealous of
~ rival In. her good opinion Yet
cir unexpected meeting was scarcely
at Of husband and wife. Was he
one she sought in her night ride
I'M one Federal camp to another!
so. was he brother. friend. or hus.
nd? What was the bond of union
listing between these two? Every
ord spoken made mo fear the last
,usts be the true solution.
Such were some of the queries
dlently struggled with, and they were
rs rendered more acute by that deepen.
Ing interest which now confessed ia
myself l was feeling toward her who
inspired them. It may be fashionable
nowadays to sheer at love, yet certain
It Is, tho rare personality OF thia
Edith Brennan had reached and in
fluenced me In those few hours va
= had been thrown together as thatao1
no o.her woman had ever done. fos
sibly this was so because the Ions
years in camp and field had kept me
isolated from all cultured and refined
womanhood. This may, indeed. have
caused Iae to DO peculiarly susceptible
to the beauty and purity Of this one
-~ facts, and leave philosophy to others
My life has ev.r been one of action, o1
! know not: am content to give
Intense feeling; and there in the road
that day, standing bareheaded In the
sun. I was clearly conscious of blu,
: one changeless fact, that l loved Edith
Brennan with every throb Of my
heart, and that there was enmity. bit
ter and unforgtving, between me ~ant
the man within who bore her name
ha&avae he night b 70 her l re