Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-06-27

OF ner own free will asked him 10 re-
turn. There is abundant opportunity
for swift changes in the army. What
seems to you absurd will work out in
perfectly practical fashion"
Yes" sand /. i'm fashion perfectly
practical tor the ruin OF her life You
may leave mine out OF the question"
Il do. sir. was his icy reply she
told YOU To your face, and i'll my hear
ing, that you had deceived her. that
you must go"
Yes" | said, duly. Il did deceive
her. and there is no punishment on
earth great enough to give me for that
except to have no word troE herr"
You are to SO at once. / put ii
beyond YOU to understand Rclknap'a
conduct in this matter"
He Is Il gentleman" said, land
fit TO love her think none OF us
needs praise or blame for that"
He choked up. shes my girl" he
said, Yes, all my boys III the army
love her-there isn't one Of them that
wouldn't be proud to marry her On any
terms she would lay down. And there
isn't a man in the army, married or
single that wouldn't challenge you IL
YOU hreathed word Of what has gone
between YOU and her"
1t seemed to me SO unspcakanly sad.
So inCreiihIe that one should be SO
unhellrvably undcreStimated,
Now, finally" resumed Colonel Merit
wether. after Il time. ceaSing his walk
ing up and down, Il must close up
what remains between you and me
My daughter said to ME that you want
ed to SIZE me on some business matter,
OF course you had some reason for
coming out here"
That was my only reason for com
ing. | rejoined, Il wanted to see YOU
upon an important business matter
was sent here by the last message my
father gave any one-by the last words
he spoke in his life He told me |
should come to you."
Well, we'll. II you have any favor
to ask Of me out with it. and let us
end it all at one sitting"
Sir" | said, Il would see you
damned forever before | would ask II
crust or cup of water of YOU. though
were starving and burning. | have
heard enough"
Orderly" he called out "Show this
man to the gate
1t was ut last borne in upon me that
I with fpA
Ellen. She was hedged about by all
the stern and cold machinery of an
arRly post. out of whose calculations
was left as much as though belonged
to different world. l cannot express
what this meant for me. For weeks
now. for months, indeed. we two had
been together each hour of the day.
| had come to expect her greeting in
the morning, to turn to her a thousand
times in the day with some query or
answer had made no plan from
which she was absent. / had come to
an appointed and happy scheme. Now.
In twinkling. all that had been sub
verified.
1t was thus that |. dulled, bereft; |,
having lived, now dead: |, late free,
now bound again, turned away sullen-
ly and began my journey back to the
life | had known before met her
AS | passed east by the Denver stage
| met hurrying throngs always coming
westward. n wavelille migration of
population now even denser than II
had been the preceding spring. They
came on. a vast, continuous stream OF
hope. confidence and youth. l, who
stemmed that current, alone was I'M
like 1t in all ways.
One thing only quickened my lag
gard heart. and that was the all preva-
lent talk Of war.
At last, after weeks of travel across
a disturbed country, | finally reached
the angry hive of political dissension
at Washington. Here ! was near home.
but did not tarry, and passed thence
by stage to Lecsburg, in Virginia, and
so finally came back into our little val
ley and the quiet town of Wallingford
/ had gone away the victim OF misfor-
tune; returned home with broken
word and an unfinished promise and n
shaken heart. That was my return.
got me Il horse at Walllngford
barns and rode out to Cowles' Farms.
At the gate halted and looked in
over the wide lawns. 1t seemed to me
noted "A change in them as in myself.
The grass was unkempt, the flower
beds showed little attention. ! opened
the gate for myself, rode up to the old
stoop and dismounted for the first time
in my life there without boy to take
my horse. | walked slowly up the
steps to the great front door Of the old
house No servant came to meet me
rrinning l. grandson Of the man who
built that house. my fathers home aud
mine. lifted the braZen knocker Of the
door and heard no foOtstep anticipate
my knock. The place sounded empty.
Finally there came shuilllng football
and the door was opened, but there