The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-11-04
From Lippincott's Magazine,l
MURDER MOST FOUL.

fevered and half blinded by pain and
blood. His faded, torn and tattered
clothing (once perhaps a uniform
was blood stained here and there, and
his hatless forehead was marked by a
bleeding cut. His left hand, wrapped
In bloody bandages, rested in a sling,
and he iimped "a he went with q la
bored gait. He bore no arms nor
knapsack; these had already been
flung aside; and now, as he pursued
his way, he Invested himself hurriedly
Of all his aceoutrements, one after
another, and cast them impatiently to
the ground. He took no path. He
pushed on with unsteady yet rapid
strides through bushes, over rocks
and fences, straight ahead, with lips
compressed in silent agony. His
apparently wild and aimless fight had
carried him so.ns miles from the
actual conhics (Which was not yet
decidedly, VIII IN his fast diminishing
strength was shown in his teebly-
tottering steps and in the difficulty
with which he kept from pluDglng
headlong to the earth. At this mo-
ment he came in view of farmhouse,
and the sight stimulated him to re-
neWed effort. Forward he toiled, full
of fresh hope, when, halfway between
him and the goal Of his eXertlons,
there arose a high, broad stone wall.
It seemed to him insurmountable,
and he groaned In anguish. Never
the obstacle. More than once he fell
back from the attempt, but at length,
as if with his last expiring energies,
he managed to drag himself to the
top of the wall. Dizzily he looked
about him, as he thought to rest him
self moment; but suddenly all grew
blank and he became unconscious.
He fell fainting and insensible to
the ground on the inner side of the
wall, with a despairing. cry for Wa
terp- He aad luckily fallen near q
spring house, and a startled girl, pail
in hand, heard his exclamation and
beheld his fall. She at once approach
ed him, put water to his lips, and
washed the blood from his face She
continued her ministratiOn until ami
nation began to return to the SEEM
ingly lifeless form. He opened his
eyes and gazed at her. Smiling faint
j., he fondly murmured: 3fl 81
Indiana"
His fevered brain evidently mist0Ok
her for another. Closing his eyes. he
lapsed suddenly into q deep sleep
Taking advantage of this, she hastily
proceeded to the farmhouse, whenOG
she sooE returned.with the old farmer
and his wife. Spreading a blanket
they placed the wounded soldier
upon it and with difficulty bore hin
to bed.
HE is a rebel" said the old man
but he is fellow-human, re
marked his wife.
And he is Wounded-dying, per
haps, far from home aud friends,
added the girl, who was obviously the
daughter of the aged couple.
On the fourth day of July it wa
known to all that Lee was beaten anC
retreating. The General had faller
back into Virginia when the wounded
soldier whose fortunes we are follow
ing became aware that he had beer
left behind in the enemy's country
He found himself tenderly cared fol
in the house of Mr.. 0rdolf, a plair
but substantial farmer, whose wife anG
daughter were sssiduous In their hui
name attentions to the disabled Con
1
ter to him in his forlorn condition
and his grateful affection for then
grew day by day as he experienced
their unselfish kindness. Towards
Mary Ordolf, the daughter, his feelings
rapidly grew to be of o holler anC
more tender character. What she wa
in form and feature would have beer
sufficient excuse for this; and theI
her simple daily life, exhibited in al
its gentle purity before him and il
his behalf, was enough to subdue tn
most obdurate of masculine hearts
1t did not take him long to learn tina
his love was returned, and before h.
became strong enough to leave hi
room he and his fair nurse were zen
gagged" Was it baleful conjunction
this of the loyal maiden and tn
rebel" lover? We shall see.
AS soon as John Randall (sueh wa
the young Confederate name) wa
strong enough to march, he ielt b
could no longer remain where he was
he had to chose between a FEEDERS
prison and an attempt to escape to tn
Confederacy. He promptly mad
choice of the latter alternative
Giving his parole" to the elder Oh
dolls and kiss of eternal fidelity [
the weeping Mary, he babe them a
farewell and made the venture. II
was successful, reaching Riohmon
safely, and, being shortly declare
duly exchanged, took his part In th
remainder of the war till the surreI
der Of Lee. In the meantime, how
ever, the Ordolfs heard nothing
him. We leave it to the imaginatio
of her sex to conceive the emo ton
ever varying from hope to despai
experienced by Mary Ordolf undt
these circumstances. On the third I
July, 1865, she was sitting on the rot
of huge oak which shaded the sprinI
house, thinking mournfully of the da
two years before, when the faintiI
Confederate fell at her feet appealin
for succor. In the midst of these T,
miniseences she thought she heard
noise on the stone wall near he
Turning to look, she saw a man
the act of leaping to the ground. ST
recognized him in an instant.
Mary"
"Johnp'
And the long separated were on(
more united. Within a fortnig
they were married.
Randall did not long remain Wi
his young wife-his business, he sal
calling him to Virginia-and he lie
her with her parents upon the prete
that his home was not quite prepar
for her. He was absent two month
corresponding regularly with ht
however. At the end of this peril
he came again, staying some week
and again leaving her on the saI
plea. These comings and departur
were repeated several times, I'M
Mary and her parents began to So
pect that Randall, for some reaso
was either ashamed or afraid to