The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-11-16
CHAPTER x.
A Woman,s tenderness

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 desIrous 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 lazily
upon his gun and watched us, |
thought somewhat deeply over the sit
uation and those peculiar circum-
stances leading up to 1t.
Under other conditions might have
f0It tempted to enter into conversa-
tion 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 l had often found in
the ranks Of the Federal army. But
[ realized they could aid me little,
IL any, in the one thing l most de-
sired to know, and even If they could,
a sense Of delicacy would have caused
me to hesitate in asking those per-
:sonal questions that burned upon my
lips. Ny 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 a 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
az my own situation undeniably was,-
and as a soldier ! realized all its
dangers,-I gave 1t but little considera-
ton. Usually quick of wit, fertile in
expedients, 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
the guard, as we'll as the thorough
manner in which l 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 1t was that other thoughts
came surging upon me in series of
anterrogatories, 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 in the least
reconcile with that thought. Her ex.
treme youthfulness made me feel II
improbable, and the impression re.
manned with me that she intended to
make some explanation of her words,
when the coming OF Bungay inter.
rupted us. How they might be ex.
planned | could not Imagine; l merely
struggled against accepting what
tonged 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? Ii
their meeting and short intercourse
had noted several things which tolC
me much-that she feared, respected
valued him, and that he was not only
swayed by, but intensely jealous ol
any rival in, her gooG 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
If so, was he brother. friend, or hus
band? What was The bond of unioI
existing between these two? EVery
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
ang interest which 7 now confessed Il
myself ! was feeling toward her whit
inspired them. It may be fashionabl,
nowadays to sneer at love, yet certail
it is, tho rare personality of thi
Edith Brennan had reached and in
huenced me In those few hours W,
had been thrown together as that o
no other woman had ever done Pos
sibIy this was so because the loni
years In camp and field had kept MI
isolated from all cultured and refine,
womanhGod. This may. indeed. hav
caused lie to be peculiarly susceptible
to the beauty and purity of this one
facts, and leave philosophy TO Others
MY life has ever been one of action, Q
know not; am content to Civ
intense feeling; and there in the roa'
that day, standing bareheaded in tn
sun, was clearly conscious of bu
Ore changeless fact. that loved Edit
Brennan with every throb Of M
heart, and that there was enmity, BIZ
rtmr and unforgiylng. between me am
Glax man witLin who bore her name
Whatever hs might bs 10 heF ] ~
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