The Bride And The Bandit

By John J. Law

How much emotional pain can a woman endure? Lily Earle was about to find out. It was the end of the Civil War. Everyone knew it was over, except for the Confederate Troop that ambushed James Earle's troop as they marched to the train depot. James' final thoughts were of his Lily.
Now, years later, she is still grieving for her James. But suddenly, through the depths of her despair, there is hope. Hope came to her by way of an advertisement in the daily paper. It was just a short ad, just a few words, but it had a tremendous impact on her life. It was an ad for a wife. A mail-order bride.
Can Lily finally move on with her sad, lonely life and find happiness again? Can she find love in the lines of writing in the correspondence she received from her mysterious pen pal? She will risk it all to find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Hulsey Books
• Release date: Dec 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215799116

Book preview

PROLOGUE

A Broken Promise.

James Earle smiled as he marched along with his squad mates. There was a cool breeze in the air as they marched along, and there was not a single cloud in the blue sky above them. The sun shone brightly above the Union soldiers, making their blue uniforms all the more prominent. It was a wonderful day, but it seemed as if James was the only one who noticed this fact.

It was a long march back to the train station for James' troop. They had endured many battles and hardships to get to this trail. The trail led to a nearby train station where they would wait for the next train that would send them back to their camp. Or at least that was how it was supposed to be. In this Civil War that pitted brother against brother, ultimately, nothing was certain.

James whistled as he marched. He looked up to the sky and smiled. He was a stark contrast to his comrades who were all glum, and sour looking, and exhausted. The war had clearly taken a toll on all of them, and none of them looked as chipper as James. Even the drummer who was supposed to hammer out a marching tune to raise the troops' morale was sour and very pensive. His slow and methodical beat only seemed to heighten the troop's sour mood.

Boy, you look really happy. It was Graham Todd. Graham was one of Earle's friends, and was marching beside him. He couldn't help but wonder why his friend was so upbeat. It was indeed a curious thing, considering all the suffering they had endured. It seems like nothing can bring down Earle, here.

Tommy Ellison marched behind Graham Todd. He also couldn't help but notice how positive James was.

Why shouldn't I be happy, boys? James answered.

Well, maybe because we're fighting in a war, for starters.

Tommy chuckled at Graham's attempt at black humor. It was a good joke, considering their circumstances.

A war that's about to end, boys. Haven't you heard? The gray shirts are on the run. We've almost won this war, and it will only be a matter of time before we all go home. James did have a point. The Confederacy was reeling from several key victories by the Union, and they were clearly in disarray. The cost of maintaining their side was also starting to tell, and resources and supplies were running woefully short. There was talk that the war would definitely end soon, and a Union victory seemed to be a foregone conclusion now.

Home. Hearing the word spoken evoked so many emotions from the three friends, but it seemed the word held more magic for James Earle. They were all eager to go home and have the war come to an end, but James seemed even more eager. His conviction of the fact was also etched in stone, and it gave him a wellspring