The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-11-02

reconcile with that thought. Her ex-
treme youthfulness made me feel IL
improbable, and the impression re-
make some explanation Of her words,
when the coming Of Bungay inter
rupted us. How they might be ex-
planned l could not imagine; | merely
struggled against accepting what
longed to believe untrue. And this
man? this Federal major, bearing the
same name, whom she called Frank,
who was he? What manner of rela-
tionship existed between them? In
their meeting and short intercourse
l had noted several things which told
me much--that she feared, respected,
valued him, and that he was not only
swayed by, but intensely Jealous of
any rival in. her good opinion. Yet
their unexpected meeting was scarcely
that of husband and wife. Was he
the one she sought in her night ride
from one Federal camp to another?
II so, was he brother, friend, or hus-
band? What was the bond of union
existing between these two7 Every
word spoken made me fear the last
must be the true solution.
Such we're some of the queries |
silently struggled with, and they were
rendered more acute by that deepen
ing interest which now confessed to
myself was feeling toward her who
inspired them. II may be fashionable
nowadays to sneer at love, yet certain
it is, the rare personality Of this
Edith Brennan had reached and in
fluenced me in those few hours we
had been thrown together as that of
no other woman had ever done. Pos
sibly this was so because the long
years in camp and field had kept me
isolated from all cultured and refined
womanhood. This may, indeed, have
caused me to be peculiarly susceptible
to the beauty and purity Of this one.
| know not; ! am content to give
facts, and leave philosophy to others.
My life has ever been one OF action, OF
intense feeling; and there in the road
that day, standing bareheaded in the
sun, / was clearly conscious of but
one changeless fact, that loved Edith
Brennan with every throb OF my
heart, and that there was enmity, bit
ter and unforgiving, between me and
the man within who bore her name.
Whatever he might be to her / re-
joiced to know that he hated me with
all the unreasoning hatred of jealousy.
had read II in his eyes. In his words,
In his manner; and the memory of Its
open manifestation caused me to
smile, as hoped for an hour when
we should meet alone and face to
face. How she regarded him / was
unable as yet to tell, but his love for
her was plainly apparent in every
glance and word. .,--'os@-..''
AS l was thus thinking, half in
despair and half In hope, the two
came out from the house together;
and II pleased me to note how imme-
diately her eyes sought for me, and
how she lifted her hand to shade them
from the glare of the sun, so that
she might see more clearly. Her COM
panion appeared to ignore my pres
ence utterly, and gazed anxiously up
and down the road as though search
ing for something.
Peters," he asked sharply Of the
fellow on guard, where are Sergeant
Steele and the rest of the squad?"
The soldier addressed saluted in a
manner that convinced me he was of
the regular service.
"They are resting out of the sun
in that clump of bushes down the hill,
SIR"
Brennan glanced in the direction in
dicated. --------,.----.,------>-
Very WE'LL" he said. Take your
prisoner down there, and tell the
Sergeant to press on at once toward
the lower road. We shall follow you,
and the lady will ride his horse"
The man turned, and with peremr-
tory gesture ordered me forward. AS
/ drew closer to where the two waited
beside the open door, lifted my head
proudly, determined that neither
should perceive how deeply felt the
humiliation of my position. AS / thus
passed them, my eyes fixed upon the
shining road ahead, my ears caught
a word or two of indignant expostula-
tion from her lips.
"But, Frank, 1t is positively shame
full in this sun"
He laughed lightly, yet his answer
came to me in all clearness OF ut
terance. l believed he wished me to
overhear the words. "Oh, 1t will only
prove of benefit to his brains, II by
rare chance he possesses any"
glanced aside, and saw her turn
instantly and face him, her eyes
aflame with Indignation. "Then
will"
AS she spoke, her voice fairly trem-
bling with intense feeling, she stepped
backward out of sight into the house.
Another instant and she reappeared,
sweeping past him without so much as
word, and bearing In her hand my
old campaign hat, came directly up to
us.