, 1864-03-06
PAUL CLEVE'8 CAPTIVITY.

along the Virginia pine Tickets blue shnd.
ows were beginning to tremblc, aud the level
rays tipped with gold the tall chimueys Of
the "old place. shining full on the china
porch pillars like clusters Of jewels, seeming
actually to light up the blue, green gloom
Of the solemn ccdars on the lawn.
Within, the twilight Was already contest
ing the domain Of that wide, stone-1oored
hall, with the orange. glow Of sunset An
and cushioned with dnrk green leather, stood
beside the climucy-pfcce and directly In
front Of the window lay spotted tiger skin,
full Of strange Eastern associations; for old
Harvey Miner had been q traveler in his
yonng days, and this bizarre rug suited his
tcstc.
Now, however, Its velvet softness bore the
unwonted burden OF human body stretched
motionless, with white blood strcaked face,
with the tarnished uniform Of Federal OIL
Ger. The features were straight and regular,
the brows arched With delicate precision, aud
was matted together with congca1ed blood
from some hidden wonnd, and amid those
dark cur1s the crimson stream made its way
drop by drop. There he lny, the presence Of
death investing lis f:lce with marvellous, still
bca1ty, amid strangers tn strange 1and.
young Confederate Lieutenant, hts finger on
the almost motion1ess pulse, while old Har-
yey Miner stood before the group with
Brutus steruness In Ills cold, blue eye, and
themselves with trembling haste among l1nc5
bandagee and rolls Of lint.
Albert" said the old man gEaye1y, "was
this we4f Have yoa forgotten the watch:
word Death to the fnyaders.'"
num- sSa saa fs 70 as1P ea T. s no1 saS ts sag
serve your blame. know I've been soft
hearted fool, and yet-thcre's no use Of de-
nying i'll should do the same thing oyer
agnin under the same circumstances. Hang
It! man isn't made Of iron, to see fellow
creature in such sore strait, and never lift "a
II suspect he would have no 6crnples In
making away with you, had tcirsumstances'
as yon call them, been reversed
*'Faith, sir: he came pretty near It in his
desperate struggle to escape: II 1t hadn't
been that selim Was pretty well trained, and
hare been down among the pines with his
pistol ball through mt bruin!'' -,
Harvey Milner's brow grew black.
.,' WY ~ did you not dispatch him then and
1Father. could not! When he fell from
his horse and lay there among the bushes,
his face was go like our Harpld's as saw 1t
on the field of AntietAn1. He looked at me
with Harold's eyes, and then swooned away.
Father, could 3ot 9;s !, have harmed him was it
10 save my own ueF -
man, shaking his head gfaTslY. "However,
IT il over and done, and now our duty remains
to deliver him over to Justice"
The tears were dropping fast upon the dark
hafr from which the SontheIn matton was
sponging away the coagnlated clots Of gore.
She looked through their dim sparkles into
her husbands face.
HHaryey, the poor boy is dying! He will
soon be beyond the reach Of any earthly tri-
bunal-1et him die in peace"
s'Nas It not such Us he that murdered Ha-
such as he that comes to rob us Of our heaEths
@' II know i'll know IT, sobbed the wife,
..bnt, father, # my boy had been carried to
Northern hearthstone- -.
Even as she spoke the eye1ashes" qqiyered,
aHe, too, has mother!'' !'' sobbed Mrs. MIL
ner. .'Shou1d wish her heart to break as
mine has been broken! o, Harvey, do moth
ing rashlyr' .-
aFor Harold's sake, father!" whispered
the slender girl In black, whose hand lay on
~ And thus it was TINT the ebbtns torrent Of
Pan1 Cleve'a being was turned back into the
channel Of life once again ,
'How Is he now, Becky ?" asked Mr. NIL
ner, - IN old black woman, whose wrln61ed
face contrasted oddly with the brilliant col
ors Of her madras turban, passed through the
hall, carrying bowl Of cooling drink.
"Reckou he's better ulars; dat's dreaul
cnt on his head, though. Laws mars!' she
should be nusein' up rale abolitioner.''
..Nonsense!" said Miner, sharply. "1s he
de1irious ~
"Talks heap Of nonsense bout Hamp-
shredded does he, mars! Sometimes I
can't hardly he'd him when he thinks he is
'faffss lfilly'a spoBging his head now
don't seem to hurt him 90 bad when she does
It, Mics Mn]y's dreffully soft fngcredW
And Aunt Becky Waddled complacently up
stafrs TO resume her charge. -.
The sun was siiting its golden vein through
a net work Of jesamiue leaves into Paul
C1eve's room, two OF three weeks after
wards, when Harvey Miner came up to pay
the invalid a visit. :" Better, eh ~ said he,
good humoredly.
livery much better said tue young man,
with smile. "1ndesd, think I shall try
'FEh9 What, And the next thing you'll
be desertlng!"
warning, sir, that shall escape the first
chance get, since you will not consent to
let me- 60 On ohsT the1 terms ~ sqpn9ts neeas
"The deuce she doesl On my word you
arc a cool hand, young sir. If this Is the
state of affairs, l may Us we'll tell you that
shaI Ecnd you on to Richmond as prisoner,
ths :SSsi ys5y is1 asZ Eea arc able to tfa!sl
*tTes, most certainly. And let me assure
you, young man, that Jon are engaged In o
cause which will never prosper-an unright- /
eous cause, SRA cause Of infquity, Mr.
Cleve. And think myself fully justified In
using any means to overthrow that cause. I
don'f Wish to be inhospltabfe, but my roof !
ehall shelter Federal officer no longer than
is absolutely necessary. The air you breathe !
is ! nollution to Southern honae.'' Paul |
Cleve was silent, and Harvey Mllner, after !
yafuly whiting for an answer, banged the !
door 10, aud went down stairs In towering t
1Griftiths ~ be shouted, to grey. haired |
old negro, who yyas baskiEg in the mellow
sunshine that flooded the plaza steps,.
"Sahu' -
II make It your duty to watch tho gates;
let no one pess through without my knoT1- /
cdce-leasf OF all this Yankee up stairs. I !
was fool ever to let him cross the thresh'
oia; asyc4 soh ~ erunted G1ltilths, slowly gat,,-
er1pr himself Up; Il does I bessl In now:'
. Now., this minute! shall order SIM to
take the night watch, tho .yonug rascal
threatens nc with escape. I'll sec about