He
understood now--these were not soldiers obeying orders--they were
fathers and brothers and playmates, killing and maiming and tearing each
other to pieces.
Lord God of Love and Mercy, the pity and horror of it all!
It was one o'clock before Julius, searching the field with a lantern,
came on him huddled against the tree with Ned's body still in his arms,
staring into the dead face.
CHAPTER XXXIV
LOVE'S PLEDGE
Again Betty Winter found in her work relief from despair. She had hoped
for peace in the beauty and tenderness of Ned's chivalrous devotion. Yet
his one letter reporting the meeting had revealed her mistake. The
moment she had read his confession the impulse to scream her protest to
John was all but resistless. She had tried in vain to find a way of
writing to Ned to tell him that she had deceived him and herself, and
ask his forgiveness.
It was impossible to write to John under such conditions and she had
suffered in silence. And then the wounded began to pour into Washington
from Grant's front. The like of that procession of ambulances from the
landing on Sixth Street to the hospitals on the hills back of the city
had never been seen. The wounded men were brought on swift steamers from
Aquia Creek. Floors and decks were covered with mattresses on which they
lay as thickly as they could be placed.
Pages:
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501