The Portland daily press., 1865-03-03
Friday Morning, March 8, 1866.
Paul Oleves's Captivity.

nc OcpbSAAUeE sun DbluS low III Inc w eSl
along tie Virginia pine thickets blue SHADOW
were beginning TO Erembie, and the level raw
tipped with gold the tall chimneys of the solC
place, shining full on the china roses, whose
scarlet blossoms hung over the porch pillars
like clusters of jewels. seeming actually Il
light up the blue, green gloom of the solemn
cedaTs on the lawn.
Within, the twilight was already contestine
the domain OF that wide stons-foored hall
with the orange glow OF sunset. An old ma
hogany arm chair, carved quantity, and cush
Toned with dark green leather, stood beside
the chimney piece, and directly in front OF the
window lay spotted tiger skin, full of STANCE
eastern associations; tor old Harvey Miner
had been a traveller in his young days, and
this vigaree rug suited his taste.
Now, however, its velvet softness bore the
unwonted burden of a human body, stretched
motionless, with white blood-streaked face,
and the furnished uniform of Federal officer
The features were straight and regular, the
the urows arched with delicate precision, and
the hair that fell over the forehead was mat
ted together with CONCEALED blood, while from
some hidden wound amid those dark curls
the cri nson blood still made its slow way
drop by drop. There he lay, the near pres
ence OF death investing his face with marvel.
Gus, still beauty-amid strangers in a strange
land. le az
Close beside him knelt, on oae, knee, the
young Confederate Lieutenant, his finger on
the almost motionless pulse, while old Harvey
Miner stood before the group with Brutus
sternness in his cold, blue eye, and Mrs. Mil
neT and her daughter were busying them
selves with tremblingi haste among linen
bandages and rolls of lint.
ALBERT said the old man graYely, was this
well? Have you forgotten the watchVord-
tDeath to the invadeTsp
Il could not help it, sir said the young man,
rising to his feet, Il know I deserve your
blame; | know I've been softrhearted fool,
and yet-there's no use denying til should
do the same thing again under The same cir
cumstances. Hang it! man isn'tmade of iron
to see fellow creature in snch sore strait,
and never lift finger to his aid
1 suspect he would have had no scruples
in making away with you, had the circum-
stances as you call them, been reversed
Faith, sir he came pretty near it ia his
desperate struggles to escape. If it hadn't
been that Selim was pretty well trained, and
swerved just at the right mopent, 1 should
have been down among the pines with his pis-
tol ball through my brainp rav
Harvey Miners brow grew black.
Why did you not dispatch him, then and
Ghere?'
Father. I could not When he fell from his
horse, and lay there among the bushes, his
face was SO like our Harold's as I saw it on
the field of Antietam. He looked at me with
Harold'5 eyes, and then swooned away. Fa-
Their, could not have harmed him was it to
save my own lifeP 30 Aoyf-a
Wrong. wrong, Albert said the old man,
shaking bis head gravely.s However, it is
over aud done, and now our duty remains to
deliver him over to the hands of JUSTICE
The tears were dropping fast upon the dark
hair from which the Southern matron was
sponging away the coaguated clots of gore
Sue looked through their dim sparkle into hel
husbands face.
ka'Haryey, the gpoor boy is dyingi He will
soon be beyond the reach of any earthly tri-
bunals-lee him die in peace? @
'Was it not such as he that murdered Har-
old?' asked the old man sternly. Is it moi
such as he that come to rob us of our hearths
and our homA?' rrg rTr-3
Il know til know itr sobbed the wife
'but father, ii my boy had been carried, dying
to Il Northern hearthstOne@
Even as she spoke Ihe eye-lashes quivered
the dark eyes half opened, and she heard tht
word 'Molherp $3.50 H 81
tHe, too, has q mother, sobbed Mrs. Miner
Should wish her heart TO break as mine hal
broken? On, Harvey, do nothing rashlyp
For Harold's sake, father whispered the
slender girl gin black, whose hand lay on his
shoulder.
And thus It was that the ebbing TORI ent o
Paul Cleves being was turned back into th'
channel of lie once again.
How is he now, Becky p asked Mr.. Miner
as an old black woman, whose wrinkled fac
contrasted oddly with the brilliant colors o
her Madras turban, passed through the hal
carrying bowl of cooling drink.
Reckon he's better, marse; dai's dreadful
bad cnt on his head, though. Laws, marse,
she added with chuckle, 'neber s'posed
should be nussin up a raie aboilioneern
Nonsense = said Miner, sharply. lis be de
liriousr
'ralk heap Of nonsense bout Hampshire
deed does he; marse! Sometimes | car
hardly hold him when he thinks he's fighting
rebels. Miss Milly's spongin' his head now
don't seem to hurt him so bad when she doe
it. Miss Mlllg's dreffully soft fngeredp
And Aunt Becky waddled complacently u
stairs to resume her charge.
The sun was setting its golden vein through
a net work of jessamine leaves into Pau
Cloves room, two or three weeks afterwards
when Harvey Miner came up to pay the in
valid a visit. Better, eh p said he good-hu
moredly. s5 ssbr
Very much better said the young man
with smile. Indeed, l think | shall try Il
get up Tomorrow
'Eh! what? And the next thing you'll be de
sertingp
Paul Cleve smiled again. q give you fai
warning, sir, that shall escape the first op
portunity, since you willnot consent to let M
go on other terms. My country needs M,
now more than she ever did before.
EThe deuce she doesl On my word you're
cool hand, young sir. III this is the state O
affairs, may as we'll tell you that shall sen,
you on TO Richmond, as prisoner, the yer,
first day YOU are able to travel
'Shalf You. sir p 1
YES, most certainly. And let me assur
you, young man, that you are engaged In
cause which will never prosper--an upright
eous cause, sir-a cause ofiniquity, Mr.. Cleve
And think myself fully justified in using an
means to overthrow that cause. don't wisl
to be inhospitable, bnt my roof shall shelter
Federal officer no longer than is absolutel
necessary. The air you breathe, sir, is pollu
ton to Southern home' ISL
Paul Cleve was silent, and Harvey Milne
after vainly waiting for an answer, banged tn
door to, and went down stairs in toWerin
passion.
fGriffiths r he shouted, to grey-haired oil,
negro who was basking in the mellow sur
shine that flooded the piazza steps.
sSahp
Il make it your duty to watch the gates; lie
no one pass through without nv knowledp
least of all this Yankee up stairs. / was
fool ever to let him cross the threshold.'
'Yes, sah,' grunted Griffiths, slowly gather
ing himself up; does | begin now?' No,
this minuteI / shall order Sam to take tn
night watch: the young rascal threatens IN
with escape, I'll see about that%
II was later in the evening, as he sat befor
the door. somewhat Gained 10 temper, that b