Part 45 (1/2)
”Only a bullet-hole through it. That's nothing for Gettysburg.
I was captured, and escaped on the first night's march. Dark and stormy, you know. But it's a long story, and I'm hungry as a wolf.
Where's Blauvelt?”
”He's a guest at Mr. Vosburgh's.”
”Lucky fellow!” exclaimed Strahan; and for some reason the edge of his appet.i.te was gone.
”Yes, he IS a lucky fellow, indeed; and so are you,” said Merwyn, bitterly. ”I was there last evening till after midnight;” and he explained what had occurred, adding, ”Blauvelt trumpeted your praise, and on the night of the 3d he went inside the enemy's picket line in search of you, at the risk of his life.'
”Heaven bless the fellow! Wait till I spin my yarn. I shall give him credit for the whole victory.”
”Write a note to Miss Vosburgh, and I'll send it right down.”
”Confound it, Merwyn! don't you see I'm winged? You will even have to cut my food for me as if I were a baby.”
”Very well, you dictate and I'll write. By the way, I have a note for you in my pocket.”
Strahan seized upon it and forgot his breakfast. Tears suffused his blue eyes before he finished it, and at last he said, ”Well, if you HAD found me in some hospital this would have cured me, or else made death easy.”
Merwyn's heart grew heavy, in spite of the fact that he had told himself so often that there was no hope for him, and he thought, ”In the terrible uncertainty of Strahan's fate she found that he was more to her than she had supposed, and probably revealed as much in her note, which she feared might reach him only when death was sure.”
The glad intelligence was despatched, and then Merwyn said: ”After you have breakfasted I will send you down in my coupe.”
”You will go with me?”
”No. There is no reason why I should be present when Miss Vosburgh greets her friends. I remained last night by request, that I might be better informed in prosecuting my search.”
Strahan changed the subject, but thought: ”She's loyal to her friends.
Merwyn, with all his money, has made no progress. Her choice will eventually fall on Lane, Blauvelt, or poor little me. Thank Heaven I gave the Johnnies the slip! The other fellows shall have a fair field, but I want one, too.”
Before they had finished their breakfast Blauvelt came tearing in, and there was a fire of questions between the brother-officers.
Tears and laughter mingled with their words; but at last they became grave and quiet as they realized how many brave comrades would march with them no more.
In a few moments Blauvelt said, ”Come; Miss Marian said she would not take a mouthful of breakfast till you returned with me.”
Merwyn saw them drive away, and said, bitterly, ”Thanks to my mother, I shall never have any part in such greetings.”
CHAPTER x.x.xVII.
STRAHAN'S ESCAPE.
AFTER Blauvelt had left Mr. Vosburgh's breakfast-table in obedience to his own and Marian's wish to see Strahan at once, the young girl laughed outright--she would laugh easily to-day--and exclaimed:--
”Poor Mr. Merwyn! He is indeed doomed to inglorious inaction. Before he could even start on his search, Strahan found him. His part in this iron age will consist only in furnis.h.i.+ng the sinews of war and dispensing canned delicacies in the hospitals. I do feel sorry for him, for last night he seemed to realize the fact himself. He looked like a ghost, back in the shadow that he sought when Captain Blauvelt's story grew tragic. I believe he suffered more in hearing about the sh.e.l.ls than Mr. Blauvelt did in hearing and seeing them.”