The Washington times., 1913-08-31

I ooutn, GrdIIpn ulo not kno" "ual "
do. Help came to him presently, how
| ever.
| The women of a neighborlng house
| had seen a ragged soldier cross the
lawn-comfnon sight enough. When
they had looked Ssain they noticed
that he was sitting on the porch, his
head In his hands, in deep detection.
They realized then that this was no
| ordinary visitor or messenger, and one
of them left the house. and crossed the
lawn toward him to md out what was
the matter and to see If anything
| could be done for nim. A returned
| Confederate soldier in trouble was al
i ways an object of attention to the peo-
pie of Richmond in those days. A wo-
mans voice broke the silence of his
wretched reverie.
rs there anything l can do for you.
sir? ! noticed you sitting here and
| Madam" said Grafton, rising, can
| you tell me anything about the people
Of this house?"
Haven't you heard?" asked the wo-
man. who was very young and very
pretty.
"I have heard nothing. / was wound
oner IN the North until today. My
name is Grafton
Mr.. Grafton" said the woman,
smiling Il am Mrs. George Pickett,
| the wife OF your commander"
"I am honored in meeting you as he
is honored in the relationship" an
swered Grafton, amazed at the youth of
his beloved generals wife.
Nay. / am honored,'' said the young
| woman, -ho was scarcely more than a
\ girl herself, and l am always glad to
meet one Of my husbands brave men"
She stretched out her hand and Graf
| ton took II. bending low over 1t.
Can you tell me-forgive my impor-
tunity, but / have not heard a word
from my wife since that battle. She
lived here"
Il have met her." said Mrs Pickett,
gravely, and Mrs. Galloway also. Mrs.
Galloway Is dead. She died of fever
contracted in the hospitals some four
months ago."
"And-ny wife?" questioned Grafton,
fearful that he should hear like tidings
| of her. At another time he would have
given more thought to the death of his
kinswoman and friend, but now he
/ could think only OF Ariadne.
WAS very well when l saw her last"
quickly replied Mrs. Pickett, noticing
| the agony in the mans face. The Dy-
| lets-with whom l am staying-have the
key to the house in their possession.
Mrs. Grafton gave II to them when she
| left They told me she had arrived
from the North, where she had been
! endeavoring to find her husband-didn't
you see her? Grafton shook his head
'.tust before Mrs. Galloway's death.
She and her two servants left immedi-
Where did they go?"
| Il don't know. Perhaps Mrs. Oakley
can tell you more. You know Mamie
Dylett married John Oakley" ..
He fell at my side at Gettysburg"
said Grafton. Il believe / must have
been in command of the regiment when
we crossed the stone wall. though only
! a sergeant"
Come over and tell Mrs. Oakley
about her husband and she will give
Il NFn "a kaN cha szNN
| perhaps YOU can find something to in
dicste where your wife has gone IN
the house"
Grafton was burning to go into the
house at once. but there was a duty
he could not shirk. He followed Mrs.
Pickett across the yard and told the
meager tale to the young woman who
mourned the loss Of her gallant hus-
band. Mrs. Oakley could add nothing
to Mrs Pfckett's account She gave
| him the key to the house, which his
I wife had directed was to be given to
no one but him, and bade him god
speed in his quest
j There is something depressing in a
lonely house at any time. II Is more
depressing when the loneliness Is un-
expected. Grafton had hard work to
keep himself from breaking down as
| he entered. Everything was just as II
| had been left, in beautiful order,
although covered with that impalpable
4 uuSl "IlIh uOl CNCi the bBhlcSl ClO-
sure can keep out. After one glance
along the hall Frafton hurriedly ran
upstairs and opened the Goor to his
wife's apartments. g.
] They were stripped bare. The book
| shelves were empty, the pictures were
| away; there was nothing left. He
crossed the room, his football on the
uncarpeted floor making a painful
echo in his heart, to her bed chamber,
that virginia. white chamber that had
made so sweet nest for his child
wife. 1t was empty like the other
room. No, there was a little table near
the shuttered window. On IT lay i
small blank book. A piece of paper
was thrust between its leaves. AS lie
picked up the book the paper fiuttered
TO the floor. He stopped for it and
read these words:
For Philip, my husband, when he
comes back. Farewell
| He opened the book. 1t was a daily
record of Ariadne's thoughts and feel
irgs. It began the day he left for the
war. 1t ended abruptly. the day she
had received the news that he was
among the missing after that fatal
| charge. Evidently when she had re-
| turned after the visitation to that Penn
sylvania farm she had not thought it
| Nor was it. She had written enough.
He bad thought that he had known her
| heart. but this was a revelation such
as IT is vouchsafed few men to see. It
was all about him. There was nothing
but her husband and her love for him
] on every page. That was her life, that
had been her life until-what was her
| life now?
! Grafton read and read. His had been
the treasure of that affection so rich, so
| IuIl and SO tender; blind, he had never
appreciated IL. II had never moved him.
| Now IL was gone from him.
He closed the book. He lifted il soft
~ again and again. He lifted II to'
heaven and swore that he would find
! her and tell her that he loved her-that
| he loved her only, that he had never
| loved but her. He knew il now. His
| other passion had been as moonlight
unto sunlight compared to this. He
! would find her although the North and
the South should unite to keep him
| from her.
| There was not the slightest indication
| where she had gone, no woEd, no trace
fThere was no clue in the whole house,
| although Grafton made complete
| search from top to bottom. There was
nothing but that journal speaking 10
him like voice from the dead. Never
mind, ne would find her. God did not
! intend to keep two who so loved each
! other apart. He would find her wher-
| ever she was. He would live to tell her
| that he loved her
He was standing in the hallway when