She hoped that he had freed himself at last from evil associates. She
couldn't be sure--there were ugly rumors flying about the hospital of
the use of whiskey in the army. These rumors were particularly busy with
Hooker's name.
Seated alone in the quiet moonlight before the field hospital, the balmy
air of the South which she drew in deep breaths was bringing back the
memory of another now. The pickets had been at their usual friendly
tricks of trading tobacco and coffee and exchanging newspapers. From a
Richmond paper she had just learned that Ned Vaughan had fought in Lee's
army at Chancellorsville. Somewhere beyond the silver mirror of the
Rappahannock he was with the men in grey to-night. Her heart in its
loneliness went out to him in a wave of tender sympathy. Again she lived
over the tragic hours when she had fought the battle for his life and
won at last at the risk of her own.
A soldier saluted and handed her a piece of brown wrapping paper, neatly
folded. Its corner was turned down in the old-fashioned way of a
schoolboy's note to his sweetheart.
She went to the light and saw with a start it was in Ned Vaughan's
handwriting. She read, with eager, sparkling eyes.
"DEAREST: I've just seen in a Washington paper which our boys
traded for that you are here. I must see you, and to-night.
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