Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-03-20
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 tran | !
might have proven under ordinary |
conditions. yet 1t is TO be frankly con
iessed. by one desrous OF writing |
merely the truth. that | generally |
acted more upon impulse than reason |
AS ,tood 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. I
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. we're far from being the
rough banditti had at first imagined.
judging from their faces and language
they we're 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 deIcacy 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 | 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
as my own situation undeniably was,-
and as a soldier | realized all its
dangers.-l gave 1t but little considera.
tion. Usually quick of wit, fertile in
pKpedients. 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 well as the thorough
manner in which | was bound, rend.
cred any such attempt the merest
madness. Realizing this, with the
fataIism of veteran resigned myself
In all patience to what must be.
Then 1t was that other thoughts
came surging upon me in series of
interrogatories, 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-whlch | could not in the least
reconcile with that thought Her ex
IRENE youthfulness made me feel il
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 u.s. How they might be ex
planned | 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? II
their meeting and short intercours,
l had noted several things which tolC
me much-that she feared respected
valued him, and that he was not onl,
swayed by, but intensely jealous o
any rival in, her gooG opinion We
their unexpected meeting was scarcel,
that OF husband and wife. Was h.
the one she sought in her night rid
from one Federal camp to another
II so. was be brother. friend. or bus
band? What was the bond of unio
existing between these two? Ever
word spoken made me fear the las
must be the true solution.
Such we're some of the queries
silently struggled with, and they wer
rendered more acute by that deeper
ing interest which now confessed {
myself | was feeling toward her VIII
inspired them. II may be fashionabl
nowadays to sneer at love, yet certai
1t is. tho rare personality of thi
Edith Brennan had reached and fl
fluenced me IN those few hours "
had been thrown together as that {
40 other woman had ever done Pc
s.bly this was so because the Ion
years in camp and field had kept n
Isolated from all eultuSsd and refine
womanhood. This may, indeed ha'
caused rle to be peculiarly susceptib
60 the beauty and purity of this on
facts. and leave philosophy TO other
My life has ever been one of action,
know not; I en- content to civ
Intense feeling; and there in the roa
hat day, standing bareheaded In Il
SIM. / was clearly conscious of b
one cbangeless fact. that ! loved Ed
brennan with every ttrob of n
htart and that there was enmity' b
ter aud unforgiying. between me al
IN, man within who bore her nam
.Whatsyer he might be to her