Page:War; or, What happens when one loves one's enemy, John Luther Long, 1913.djvu/180

WAR

After a while Evelyn joined, like she was saying the same thing. Jon turned and looked that way, just once. It was the same song he had sung to her—but different. Dave made it gay. And Evelyn was joining in. I saw his face. He was trying to smile at their happiness, but his own suffering came through—and there it was: joy and sorrow in one smile. And on such a face as Jon's—which told everything!

Said I, to take him away from it:

"Now the coal-oil torches those boys carried for the band has spoiled the air. Suppose we go in, Jonthy?"

But Jon didn't move. I think he didn't hear me. Finally he said:

"They were right!"

"Who," says I, "who was right?"

"The Union soldiers. Everybody but us. One of us ought to go. One of us must. Then the others won't have to. It's hard, but necessary. There's not a family in Maryland with 164