The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-07-25
A CRIPPLED
SOLDIER
His Life Was Marred In One
Way. Perfected In Another.

a cloudless blue sky. opening buds, the
piping Of nest building birds. Strolling
down the mall, l met a perambulator,
pushed by q negro boy. in which sat a
young nan of twenty-five or twenty
three years. AS he passed me I no.
ticed a melancholy look on his face
which bespoke some great grief. To
my surprise. he gave me a glance Of
recognition. Besides. his features were
familiar to me. turned. and he look
ed back.
You don't remember me. colonel"
he said.
II admit l can't place you"
"Not remarkable since you have not
seen me since l wore cadet gray. was
clean shaven and had my hair cropped.
You were teaching me the art Of war.
which in my case meant how to make
a wreck Of myself"
"You were Of that class graduated in
advance to take part in the Spanish
war;"
II was; Granger-Ward Granger"
Suddenly 1t all came back to me.
This man had been one Of the promi-
nent men in his class, a cadet captain.
an excellent student. an all round pop
ular man.
my dear boy" l exclaimed, taking
his pro6ered hand. II remember you
perfectly for an honor to your class,
and l know by your war record that
you are an honor to your country"
"a retired honor. with no feet" he
said gloomily.
A picture flashed before me-a "hop"
at West Point. Granger was a grace
full dancer. and ! had noticed him es-
pecially sailing past me in all the
freshness and confidence of youth with
a beautiful girl to whom he wal en-
gagged to be married.
"Let me see." I said musingly. st
seems to me that you and Miss
"Towne?"
"Ies, Miss Towne."
I'VE were engaged when I went to
Cuba. When I was sent back in this
condition. His voice trembled.
Surely she did not
"She showed herself a noble girl. It
was l who would not consent"
"You?"
eyes. l." he went on bitterly. "Do
you suppose I would permit a young
girl of twenty to enter upon the care
of a man condemned to live a cripple.
to witness every day his wrecked
hopes. to see him trundled about like
this. to turn her course at the very be.
ginning into a channel which must
grow darker to the end? Not I. You
never taught me that kind of honor.
colonel"
Though l made no reply. I felt that
he was right
els Miss Towne married." I asked.
"No."
/, sat down On a wooden bench. The
negro went a short distance away. and
. Granger and I talked for an hour.
Then l left him. bidding him goodby.
tor I had been ordered to a southern
post and was to leave the next day.
A year later / received an envelope
by mail from which I took cards an
nouncing the marriage Of Lieutenant
Ward Leighton Granger, U. s. A.. re.
dred. and Helen Airline Towne. By the
i same mail came a letter from the
bride:
Dear Colonel R.-Ward has asked me
to write to you to confess" What he
calls his shameful retreat" from the po-
sttion taken by him at the time he last
saw you. I bear witness that he main
tanned that position for a year. during
which time I resolutely fought to carry It
both by assault and undermining. He
says he gave o his reasons. and 1t only
remains for me to give you mine-vtz. ]
could not live without him.
I laid the letter down with q sigh. !
was sufficiently experienced to under.
stand the burden this woman had tax.
en- on herself and considered her
course and the yielding Of her hus.
band q mistake. I wrote a note Of en-.
couragement, but refrained from ex-
pressing any approval Of the union.
Three years later while exchanging
stations I passed through New York. I
knew I ought to call on Ward Granger
and his wife. but dreaded to do 90. ex-
pecting. even after a few years. to see
the effects Of what I considered an IN
fortunate marriage. Nevertheless
called. I was ushered into the library
and In q few minutes heard the thump
Of crutches above, then Granger com
ing downstairs. Beside him. holding
with one hand to a crutch and with
the other to the balusters. walked q
boy Of two years, c~hattering like a
maybe. Mrs. Granger followed. ad-
montshing her son to be careful and
not get In his fathers way. I ad-
vanced into the hall to meet them and
Mt a glance saw that Granger was no
i longer q mental sufferer. His face
broke into a happy smile. while his
wife. also smiling. exclaimed:
"You thought we'd made a mistake.
colonel. didn't you7"
"I-mistake-I assure you
"a nice letter Of congratulation you
sent us-cold as an icicle!!"
Admit. colonel. said the husband,
that Il you were on Q court martial TO
try me for q diRhOnOrable surrender