Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-07-10
CHAPTER VII.
4 Lieutenant of Volunteers.

~ manned within the state, hop
ing vainly 10 get some word OF for
giVeDess from Miss Ellen. In my
caimer moments ! reviewed my visit
to the Turpins. and the letter which
she so condemned seemed TO me TO be
my least offense. Though / under
stood her resentment and appreciated
the position she had taken, felt, how
ever. .hat ! had made a mistake in
Obeyiug her and now wished that i
had remained at the Pines and CON
fessed everything TO Bud. l believed
then, a. ! do now. that be would have
understood me better than Miss Ellen
had done and would have pleaded my
cause for me. though / doubt whether
he or any one else at that time could
have shaken her determination not TO
admit me TO her friendship again.
would wake up each morning re-
solved to quit the state that day, but
before noon ! would change my mind,
as / seemed utterly incapable Of tear
ing myself from the neighborhood Of
the Pines. ever looked and longnd
for some change OF feeling which
might blunt the edge OF my grief, but
none came anu my rove brcmc0 70
grow stronger each succeeding day.
IL was maddening to think that had
lost her. and what gave this sorrow a
keener edge was the knowledge that
had forever put II out OF my power TO
bee Of any service to her or to lend as
sistauCe TO those she loved. | would
become q prey at times TO the keenest
pangs Of jealousy. / had no doubt
that the squire would renew bis suit
and ! feared that she might be led in
her bitter resentment toward me TO
accept his hand in marriage. l wrote
her several letters begging for her for
giveness and II she could not grant
me that to try at least TO understand
the feelings which had prompted me
to write the letters which had been the
means OF separating us. l told her Of
the hopeless state Of mind into which
I had fallen and that / believed that
my life would be Almless unless she
would touch the magic spring which
would set my blood aglow once more
and arouse the dormant ambition with
I'm me 10 accomplish something in the
world.
/ wrote on and on / exhausted my
logic and mental powers TO make her
understand reviewed my visit 10
the Pines at length. from the moment
! had met Colonel Turpin 90 the last
interview ! had had with her. Ny first
mistake. | told her, had been In letting
my introduction 10 her and her mother
as a relative OF the Kentucky Palmers
I I
believed myself 10 have been merely a
boarder and the almost fatal mistake
] had made in speaking 10 the colonel
on the subject
Such hospitality was unaecustom-
ed 20. nor do | now fully understan nd
the pronptings Of that kind old heart
when he invited me TO the Pines. /
told her OF my life and OF my work;
how | had come into her section with
che bitterest feelings against It. Ny
one ambition. told her. was TO arouse
hostile sentiment in New England
against the political party then IN pow
or I'm nearly all the southern states.
did not conceal from her the satisfac-
ton ! had felt when this assignment
had been given me nor my dissppoint-
ment when / learned afterward that
was not 20 touch on politics in my
letters / told her Of my resolution to
leave the Pines on the day after | had
arrived there. but how that resolve
melted as snow before the sun when
had seen her and looked into her eyes
how step by step she had led me TO
look upon life with a broader and a
kiudler view and had brought me
finally 20 full understanding OF her
section and her people. and how she
had mnde me know for the hrst time
what my father meant when be was
wont TO say that all the two great sec
tons % the country needed was TO get
acquainted.
The letter which bad so offended her.
said. would he the means Of bringing
thousands Of persons 10 a proper APP
probation Of her home land and the
southern character. just as the facts
embodied In It had caused me TO
change the opinions I had held once.
did not believe my o6ense was past
forgiveness. and begged her that in
spirit OF fairness she would try TO
appreciate the impulses Of one whose
instincts seemed 20 be 10 write OF
things as they are and whose training
had led him always TO seek out those
things 20 describe which were novel
md ~ interest. / followed this letter
with another. hut with no better result.
wearied the postal officials with cues.
lions aud got them TO 60 through the
general delivery half dozen times a
day.
/ do not know how Il would have
ended had the thought not come TO me
as II by inspiration. that I could al
least be OF some small service to her
-, sccp my identity In the back
rrraJ. After waiting IN Augusta one
risre week in anxious hope that each
day might bring letter from her
took the train for Atlanta and ther'
ta-an a search for the holders OF th,
Llv.ssage on the Pines With EQoC