Page:The woman in battle .djvu/369

Rh "O, that was easy enough. After her husband's death, we had some correspondence about the settlement' of his affairs, and we kept on writing to each other after these were arranged. I always had a great liking for her, as I thought that she was a first-rate woman, of the kind that you don't meet every day; and, consequently, after about six months, I asked her to marry me. She was a sound, sensible, patriotic woman, who admired me for going to the front more than she would have done had I remained at home to court her, and she accepted me without hesitation." "I understand the situation now, and I hope you have secured a prize. It seems to me, however, that it would be pleasant for both parties if you could do a little courting in person before you get married ; and if I were you, I would try and go to her."

"I intend to go to her just as soon as I have health and strength to travel, for I feel that I must see her."

"Yes," said I, " you ought to go for your own sake as well as for that of the lady. You have done enough hard fighting for the present, and you are entitled to take a rest."

"I don't intend to leave the army permanently unless I am obliged to; but, as you say, I need a rest, and I am determined that I will go home and get married if it costs me my commission. I am now improving rapidly, and I trust that God will restore me to perfect health soon."

"What would you give," and my voice was so choked with emotion that I could scarcely utter these words, "What would you give if you could see your lady now?"

"O," said he, and his eye sparkled, and the color flushed into his cheeks as he spoke, " I would almost give my existence in heaven."

I could not bear to hear any more ; but dreading lest he should notice my agitation, and inquire the cause of it, I made a hasty excuse for concluding the interview, and saying goodby, left the room so abruptly that he must have seen there was something the matter with me.

It would be foolish in me, in attempting to tell this story of the culmination of my strange courtship, to make a secret of the emotions that filled my breast at the results of this interview with Captain De Caulp. I felt that I loved him