Year: 1869




a handsome, stalwart German, fresh,
blonde, brave and merry. He was there
three months in all; and being a social
fellow, and favOrite of mine, told me all
his history, in general terms, at first. but
gradually growing more confidential as he
knew me better and became more assured
of my sympathy. l knew what a wild, ad-
yenturOus youth he had been in the dear
fatherland; by what hair-brained scrapes
he had angered his friends; how, at nine
teen years Of age, he had run away and
come to this country; how his parents had
died during the two years in which he had
heard nothing from home, and they moth
ing from him; and how sore his heart was
when he thought of them, and knew what
grief he must have caused them. / knew
about the Van Dorms, with whom he had
boarded two years before he entered the
army, and how the young people were
like brothers and sisters to him, and the
old people like father and mother, and how
Liza Van Dorm wrote to him every week
And here / guessed somewhat more than
/ knew. / guessed from the slight en-
barrassment, the mingled coldness and
kindness with which he spoke Of her, the
unsatisfactory way in which he accounted
for his having entered the army, the faint
shade of annoyance which sometimes
crossed his face when he read her letters,
and his.slowness in answering them, that
Miss Liza was fonder of him than he of
her, and that, may be, he had entered the
army to get rid of her. / had known
cases where nice young men had been
cordially received and fondly cherished in
families where there were marriageable
daughters, and where, in spite of them
selves, the force of circumstances had
obliged them to assume ties which they
took reluctantly


/ like to see men do their own wOoing,
and always respect man who flies from a
wOoing moman. So my guesses made me
like this young soldier all the better. He
had made his will before entering the
army, he told me, and left everything he
had, among the rest life insurance of
five thousand, to the Van Dorms He ex-
aggerated his causes of gratitude to them
He had no one else in the world who cared
for him; and beside their general friendli-
ness, they had nursed him through a severe
sickness. and refused to take any extra
pay for it.


They are the only ones in the world
who would mourn, if / should happen to
get bullet through me" ne said, with q
touch OF bitterness in his voice which
showed that there was something yet un-
told in his history.


Later, one evening, when was sitting
by him to soothe and quiet him, after the
tormenting pain Of having his wounded
foot dressed, | got the rest of the story.
He was feeling unusually depressed that
night, and seemed to wish for cOnfidant.
1t was then that l first heard Helen Ayre's
name. She was a little yellow haired
schOolmistress who had boarded at Mrs.
Van Dorm's, had, indeed, known them
longer than he had. / could see how he
had loved her from the tone of unwilling,
yearning, angry tenderness with which
he spoke her name. / could see more
than that, what he, like fool, as men al
ways are, in such circumstances could
not see, the angry jealousy OF the Van
DOrms, their insinuationS, the seeds of
distrust which they slyly sowed; how,
while he had not dared to speak of love
to the girl, they had made him believe
that she had boasted of her power over
him; how he had been made TO think her
a cOquette and mercenary, careful not to
give him too much encouragement till she
should know how much money he had.
When he spoke Of her capricious treat
ment and growing coldness toward him, 1
could see that they were but reflections of
his own distrust of her, and the effect of
their misunderstanding. l hinted this to
him, but he would not hear to it. Oh, the
Van DOrms were the salt of the earth, and
his best friends, and they were incapable
of deceit.


"But maybe they wanted you for Miss
Liza" / ventured.


He dropped his eyes.


ha
not use dishones. means to bring it about
/ ought to consider that a new proof OF
their friendship for and confidence in me,
even though should be unwilling to graf
ify their wishes"


liked his reserve and his trust They
were honorable.


AT last, she LEFT the house and went
somewhere else to board" he said 81
think they had been little cool with her
for treating me so, and she didn't want to
stay Besides, | suppose she hated the
sight Of me. When she went out of the
door the last time, | came from the parlor
to bid her good-by, and she turned her
head away"


Did you ever have any talk, or attempt
any explanation with her ?" / asked.


"No. We never had anything on the
subject, either understanding or misun-
derstanding"


Master Heine," l said, emphatically,
:" it IS my private opinion that you have
been made dupe Off


He smiled family as he shook his head


"Oh, if you knew them, you wouldn'i
say So"


"Have you ever heard from her since
you came here?" 1 asked.


Not a word"


was silent moment, wondering if the
poor little yellow haired schOolmistress
might not have been breaking he, heart
slowly during the last year, and if she
could know just where / was at the mo-
ment, if she would not consider me the
most enviable woman in the world.


wonder none of the Van Dorns came
out to see you" | said presently.


"Oh, they wanted to come" was his
quick reply; "but Mrs. Van Dorm has
been sick, and there was no one else who
could leave. Liza had to take care of hel
mother. The boys and their father are
driven with business. Besides / wrote
them that l was only slightly hurt; ant
you know am going to have furlougf
in few weeks"


Our conversation was interrupted here
for more sick and wounded were brOugh
In, anu Il nau I'D atlenu IO tnem- Int
ward already seemed nearly full; bu
many were convalescent, and those W,
wished banished to the convalescent'
room, and crowded all the beds we coult
get into the ward The next morning
the man in the bed next to Heins's died
As the custom was, as soon as he died, th'
card containing his name, age, place o
birth, regiment, company, rank and dis
ease, was taken down from the wall a
the head of his bed, and carried to th'
office to be recorded, and reported Th,
weather was cool, and his funeral was pu
off till the next afternoon.


The next day, just after funeral time,
1 sat in the ward taking few minutes
rest, after giving the three o'clock medi
cines, | glanced toward the door, and saw
two spectrss there. To be sure, they wer