lonely hours of a prison life, until the news was received in Chicago
of the fall of New Orleans. Although he bitterly regretted his native
city having fallen into the hands of the enemy, the opportunity which
it presented of once more being able to correspond with his wife, made
him feel happier, and as soon as mail communication was received with
the city, he requested and obtained permission to write her.

Alfred Wentworth had not the slightest idea that Horace Awtry would
ever dare to offend his wife, much less to offer infamous proposals,
and on their being refused have her driven from the home he had placed
her in. It is true that his wife had written to him that Mr. Awtry had
renewed his acquaintance with her, but her statements of his kind
attention to her and the children, and her mentioning the eager manner
in which he had relieved her anxiety after the battle of the 21st of
July, 1861, instead of raising any suspicion on his part of the
honesty and purity of his motives, only made him return thanks in his
heart for the previous kindness shown to his wife.

On obtaining permission to write her, he immediately penned a long and
affectionate letter which was forwarded. For many days after he
remained in a long suspense for the expected answer, as he never
believed for a moment that she would delay answering him, but as days
rolled into weeks, and no letter came, while the other prisoners from
New Orleans received letters regularly, he became alarmed, and spoke
his fears to Shackleford.

"Do not be afraid of any harm having occurred to her, Alf," said the
lieutenant, after listening attentively to his friend's words. "You
may depend that your letter never reached her, and she, in ignorance
whether you escaped unhurt from the engagement, cannot write, not
knowing where you are."

"It is not her silence which troubles me as much as the knowledge that
she possess no other money than Confederate notes," replied Alfred.
"How she will manage to support herself and the children God only
knows."

"Have you not friends there?" enquired Harry.

"Yes, but I cannot depend on them for assistance, for two reasons:
first, because from the disordered state of the money market in New
Orleans, they are almost as badly off as she is; and second, I am
quite certain that Eva would rather starve than ask for charity."

"Charity!", echoed his companion. "Do you call it charity to assist
another situated as your wife is, particu