9 2 



RECREATION. 



she loved. Blindly the old Captain 

 dealt the blow. " Willis was killed 

 during the charge. The command has 

 joined Taylor and they've gone for a 

 long campaign." 



Every woman turned and looked at 

 Helen, who sat staring at the letter in 

 her hand. It, too, had come by the 

 courier and was from her father who 

 had hoped to tell her, gently, the sad 

 news ; but it lay unopened. 



Ethel's soft young arms enfolded 

 her as the child knelt by her chair. 

 " Helen," she said, " God knew." They 

 moved away, those men and women, 

 and left the sisters alone with their 

 sacred grief. Yes, God knew. He 

 knew how bravely Jack Willis met his 

 fate with Helen's name on his lips. 



" It was a small affair," the eastern 

 papers said. u One officer and several 

 men." Yet those bullets, sent by fiend- 

 ish Indians, pierced one, two or three 

 hearts each time, hearts far away from 

 the battle field. No honor or glory in 



Indian fighting ? 

 knows that, too. 

 The letter to 

 must be letters 

 field;" but it 

 Raymond knew 

 break. He wrote 

 the night before, 



Is it true. Av, God 



Helen was brief, as 



from soldiers " in the 



was tender. Captain 



that her heart would 



"I told him, Helen, 



as we lay on our 



blankets, with the starry sky above us, 

 and talked of home and of you. 



" I said, ' Jack, Helen gave me a 

 message for you. She said, tell him I 

 love him.' He reached across in the 

 darkness and grasped my hand. 'Thank 



God, and Helen, and you, for that,' he 

 answered, fervently ; ' and Raymond,' 

 he added, ' I am thinking so much of 

 Helen and mother to-night. I guess 

 I'll have to pass in my checks this trip. 



"THANK GOD, AND HELEN AND YOU FOR 

 THAT ! " 



I seem to feel it so keenly ; and if I do, 

 ask Helen to go to mother, who has so 

 longed to know her ; and ask her to 

 wear our little ring always.' That was 

 all we said. Next morning we ran across 

 the devils and Willis paid his life. Be 

 brave, my girl, be brave." 



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