She broke down and began to cry. "He was my only son," she sobbed, "my only son—and I gave him up for the Union, and——" She could say no more.
Her distress affected the boys deeply.
"If I could but find his grave. Even that would be better than this agonizing suspense."
"What was your son's name?" asked the boys, gently.
She told them.
"Why, that's our soldier!" exclaimed both boys.
"Do you know him?" she asked eagerly. "Is—? Is——?" Her voice refused to frame the fearful question.
"Yes'm. In our garden," said the boys, almost inaudibly.
The mother bent her head over on her grandson's shoulder and wept aloud. Awful as the suspense had been, now that the last hope was removed the shock was terrible. She gave a stifled cry, then wept with uncontrollable grief.
The boys, with pale faces and eyes moist with sympathy, turned away their heads and stood silent. At length she grew calmer.