Read The Victim: A Romance of the Real Jefferson Davis Page 11

  VIII

  LOVE

  In the swift weeks which followed, life blossomed with new and wonderfulmeaning.

  In the stern years on the plains, the young officer had known but onemotive of action--duty. He was an exile from home and its comforts,friends and the haunts of civilized man for his country's sake. He hadcome to plant her flag on the farthest frontier and push it fartheragainst all corners.

  In the struggle against the snows of winter and the pestilence of thesummer wilderness, he had fought Nature with the dogged determination ofthe soldier. Snow meant winter quarters, the spring marching andfighting. The hills were breastworks. The night brought dreams ofstrategy and surprise. The grass and flowers were symbols of a nation'swealth and the prophecy of war.

  By a strange magic, the coming of a girl had transformed the world. Hehad seen the strategic value of these hills and valleys often before. Hehad not dreamed of their beauty. The mists that hung over the raggedlines of the western horizon were no longer fogs that might conceal anarmy. They were the folds of a huge veil which Nature was softly drawingover the face of a beautiful bride. Why had he not seen this before?

  The awful silence of the plains from which he had fled to books hadsuddenly become God's great whispering gallery. He listened with joyousawe and reverence.

  The stars had been his guides by night to find the trail. He had merelylifted his eyes to make the reckoning. He had never seen before thecrystal flash from their jeweled depths.

  He looked into the eyes of the graceful young rider by his side andlonged to tell her of this miracle wrought in his soul. But hehesitated. She was too dignified and self-possessed. It would be sillywhen put into words.

  But the world to-day was too beautiful to hurry through it. He justcouldn't.

  "Let's stop on this hill and watch the sunset, Miss Sarah?" hesuggested.

  "I'd love to," was the simple answer.

  With a light laugh, she sprang from the saddle. They touched the groundat the same moment.

  He looked at her with undisguised admiration.

  "You're a wonderful rider," he said.

  "A soldier's daughter must be--it's part of her life."

  He tied their horses to the low hanging limbs of a cluster of scrubtrees, and found a seat on the bowlders which the Indians had set for alandmark on the lonely hilltop.

  Westward the plains stretched, a silent ocean of green, luscious grass.

  "What's that dark spot in the valley?" the girl eagerly asked.

  "Watch it a moment--"

  They sat in silence for five minutes.

  "Why, it's moving!" she cried.

  "Yes."

  "How curious--"

  "An illusion?" he suggested.

  "Nonsense, I'm not dreaming."

  "I've been dreaming a lot lately--"

  A smile played about the corners of her fine mouth. But she ignored thehint.

  "Tell me," she cried; "you studied the sciences at West Point, what doesit mean?"

  "Look closely. Any fifteen-year-old boy of the plains could explain it."

  "Am I so ignorant?" she laughed.

  "No," he answered soberly, "our eyes just refuse to see things at whichwe are looking until the voice within reveals. The eyes of a huntercould make no mistake about such a spot--particularly if it moved."

  "It might be a passing cloud--"

  "There's none in the sky."

  "Tell me!" she pleaded.

  "A herd of buffalo."

  "That big black field! It must be ten acres--"

  The man laughed at her ignorance with a sudden longing in his heart tohelp and protect her.

  "Ten acres! Look again. They are twenty miles away. The herd is packedso densely, the ground is invisible. They cover a thousand acres."

  "Impossible--"

  "I assure you, it's true. They were once even more plentiful. But we'repushing them back with the Indians into the sunset. And they, too, willfade away into the twilight at last--"

  He stopped suddenly. He had almost spoken a sentence that would havecommitted him beyond retreat. It was just on his lips to say:

  "I didn't take such tender views of Indians and buffaloes until I metyou!"

  For the life of him he couldn't make the girl out. Her voice was music.Her laughter contagious. And yet she was reserved. About her personalityhung a spell which forbade familiarity. Flirting was a pastime in thearmy. But it had never appealed to him. He was not so sure about herwhen she laughed.

  And then her father worried him. The fiery old Southerner had the temperof the devil when roused. He could see that this second daughter was hisfavorite. He had caught a look of unreasonable anger and jealousy in hiseye only that afternoon when they rode away together.

  Still he must risk it. He had really suggested this sunset scene forthat purpose. The field was his own choosing. Only a coward could runnow.

  He managed at last to get his lips to work.

  "Since you came, Miss Sarah--I've been seeing life at a new angle--" hepaused awkwardly.

  The red blood mounted to her cheeks.

  "You have given me new eyes--"

  "'You have given me new eyes'"]

  She turned her head away. There was no mistaking the tremor of histones. She was too honest to simper and pretend. Her heart was poundingso loudly she wondered if he could hear.

  He fumbled nervously with his glove, glanced at her from the corner ofhis eye, and his voice sank to a whisper:

  "I--I love you, Sarah!"

  She turned slowly and looked at him through dimmed eyes:

  "And I love you--"

  She paused, brushed a tear from her cheek, and with sweet reproachquietly added:

  "Why didn't you tell me sooner? We've lost so many beautiful days thatmight have been perfect--"

  He suddenly stooped and kissed her full lips.

  "We'll not lose any more--"

  "The world _is_ beautiful, isn't it, dear!" she said, nestling closer.

  "Since I see with your eyes--yes. It was only a place to fight in,before. Now it's a fairy world, and these wild flowers that cover theplains only grow to make a carpet for the feet of the girl I love--"

  "A fairy world--yes--" she whispered, "it's been just that to me since Ifirst sang the 'Fairy Bells' for you--"

  "I'll never love another song as that," he said reverently.

  "Nor I," was the low response. "My heart will beat to its musicforever--it just means you, now--"

  For a long time they sat without words, holding each other's hand. Thesun hung a glowing ball of fire on the rim of the far-away hills, andthe shadows of the valley deepened into twilight.

  "How wonderful the silence of the plains!" the lover sighed.

  "It used to oppress me."

  The man nodded.

  "And now, I hear the beat of angels' wings and know that God is near--"

  "Because we love--" and she laughed for joy.

  Again they sat in sweet, brooding silence.

  A horseman rode over the hilltop in the glow of the fading sun. From itssummit, he lifted his hand and waved a salute. They looked below, and inthe doorway of a cabin, a young mother stood, a babe in her armsanswering with hand uplifted high above her child.

  "What does it matter, dear," she whispered, "a cabin or a palace!"