by Tony Verna

Created on: December 08, 2009

When we left our story, Jancy was hoping that in time, Tonio would allow her bright dreams to fall into place. But time, at times, can be longer than anticipated, and events can change their color.
……

It had been twenty months since Confederate guns had opened fire on Fort Sumter, and no one had an inkling that the war wasn't even half over yet, and Jancy had no inkling when she would hear from Tonio.

As the days dragged by and with January turning into February, Chester helped pass the time by volunteering to assist Bud Adams, the War Dept photographer in reviewing any material found to be detrimental to the war effort.

One of the doctored photographs showed an undressed President Lincoln and it needed to be verified by the two White House guards, the two whom Chester knew too well.

When the doctored photograph of President Lincoln was presented to them, the short guard was quick to observe, "It's him alright. Got him in his white underwear. Musta been summer. Abe's wearing his short jobs."

The tall guard agreed, "Sure looks like his hairy legs to me. And if you look close you can see a small constellation of holes in his underwear."

The short guard spotted it. "Yeah, right above his Big Dipper."

The tall guard saw something else. "Look over the bed! That sign says "Room for Rent."

"How about that! The President’s rentin' out his bedroom for money!"

- - - - -

As the days went by Jancy decided one day that maybe her answer could be had by playing the slot board at the newsstand of the Willard Hotel.

She plunged the pin into the dot she hoped would foretell her fortune. The small paper uncurled from its cubbyhole. It read: "Beyond the mountains there are more mountains."

Finally, on the 13th of February, she got some good news.

A telegram arrived from Tonio: "Come to Central Park…Ice-skating Rink…Morning…Valentine's Day."

With the meeting date set for the very next day, Chester hastily arranged for Jancy and his passage on an overnight B&O military train. It wasn't much of a train, rather just a locomotive and a freight car with no windows, but Jancy's presence brightened the trip.

After nine hours, the train pulled into early morning Manhattan, where, by the looks of things, one would ever have known that there was a war going on. A horse car took Chester and Jancy down Fifth Avenue to the section, which made up about a quarter of the twelve-mile rock: Central Park.

Fog shrouded the great pond there, covering

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