Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-13
CHAPTER VIII.
Weary Weeks Of WAITING.

getting the recruits uniformed acted on
me Ike tonic. cea sed 10 brood over
my disappointment, and. while my love
for Miss Ellen was az great as ever,
yet felt that had regained my man
hood, and the war spirit, once aroused
IN me, drove me Ike a master. The
day Of quitting the state was a sad one
for many, but II was not so for me
Ny heart bounded with Joy when the
order for our movement was read at
headquarters. or all the officers I
think | was the only one whose de-
parture was not blessed with tears OF
mother, sister or sweetheart. My ia
Their, now old and feeble. came TO see
me, and his eyes became wet as he
beheld me for the first time in my uni
form and folded me in his arms. Ny
mother had long been dead-in fact. l
could scarcely remember her at all
Before saying goodby to my father /
gave him a letter and made him prom
Use that should anything happen TO me
he would send 1t to the address on the
envelope
lie looked at me sadly for 3 moment
and said:
Does she live in the south. Howard.
and is that why you have stayed away
so long"
told him yes and turned away my
head that he might not see what it had
cost me 10 speak Of her. He laid his
hand gently on my shoulder and said,
I'VE Palmers have never been lucky
I
stood many little things in his life and
knew then why he never had anything
but what was kind TO say OF that south
ern country when he heard It under
discussion. ] grasped his hand and
held IL for n moment
MAY God protect you and bring
you safe TO me again" was all he said
and left me.
Our regiment WAS only ordered 10
Camp Meade. but II was a start. The
days there were dreary ones, and
shall never forget the shout our boys
put up when the order which turned
our face 10 Camp Thomas. at Chicka-
manga. was read TO them. II set our
blood on fire. and / cannot repress my
feelings Of state pride even now when
! Hrcall the happy faces OF those Bay
ate fellows as they prepared to
shoulder their muskets and start for
the south A majority OF the regiment
wanted 20 be- brigaded with other rcgl-
ments from Massachusetts. but with
wisdom and foresight the chief execu-
tive commanded that the troops from
the north should be brigaded with
those from the south ard west. II
was q wise policy that threw the men
from Michigan with those from Texas,
aud those from California with those
from Maine and Vermont. and the men
from Massachusetts with the honest
fellows from Georgia. The spirit OF
friendship which had been growing for
over thirty years was TO be Cemented
by an alliance against a common enc
my This was how we found ourselves
IN the same brigade with a Georgia
regiment and with another from Ken
lucky
We mingled with one another from
ebc FIRST on friendly terms: we shared
one uuother's ratiOns ana nursed one
auothers sick. | met every Georgian
with an outstretched hand. for ! felt
somehow that they had claims on me
which the others did not possess. The
individual was lost in that great.
crowded camp. and those with whom
talked OF the Turpins did not seem
20 know them. But l was destined 10
hear news Of my friends much sooner
than | thought
had been sent TO division headquar-
tiers one day with a message from my
colonel AS l stepped under the avn
ing of the tent | saw an officer In a
majors uniform sitting at a table read
ing some reports The face was par
TALLY In shadow. but | saw at once
that il was BUD
How much be knew / did not know.
was eager 10 learn. He saw me be
fore / spoke. and, not waiting. as ! had
done. he leaped from the table. scat
tering the contents over the door. and
rushed TO me with arms outstretched.
Impulsively he threw one arm around
my neck and with the other grasped
my hand. He saw how deep my feel
ing was and did not speak at once.
Bud" | asked finally. how are all
at the Pines II was the question
which was most natural 10 my lips.
for ! had been hungeriug. yet dread.
ing. TO hear news OF them.
About the same Nothing ever
changes there" he said.
"Your father and mother?'' asked.
Roth are well. thank Godr'
"And Miss Elem ventured.
For q moment his face clouds,
when he told me she was not Liz,
what she used 10 be. Then suddenly
as II some idea had shot across h.
mind for the tirst time he droppsd MI
hand and. looking NE AGuarelx IN tn,
Ease, said:
ssh, las never been The same sine,
you We're there He seemed suddenly
To siiGsn with dignity as be added
Palmer, II l thought your visit Their,
had wrought this change heaven only
knows What 1-N0DId Ga- =EefoLs Lax