The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-01-26

| sometimes wish that she had been SO in
deed but after a while she opened her
eyes, L shall never forget their mournful
gaze.
We, Violet and I, administered all the
restorativcs We had, and at length she
could speak.
"rercy," she said, "havc they murdered
him Z"
| answered her the best | could, when
Gen. Long thrust open the door and stood
before her.
"Miss Dandrigo," he said, 81 am tired of
dangling after you like a blue fish after a
fly bob. have determined to put an end
ter it at once and this is what I've got
ter say
"That fellow Brooks is in my power (;
flyer will marry me ter-night he is free F.;
if yer don't, say SO, and, by gilikins, I'll
hang him to that porch out there"
"Surely you will not do that"
"Yes, but | will, though"
"And | can save him 2"
"YOu can save him."
An eager hope Sprang up in her eye.
"Let me see him, then, and | will-will
save him."
The General led her forth Percy was
standing by a pillar of the porch, his arm
securely dashed behind his back a squad
of fierce looking soldiers surrounded him
but his proud eye qu%ailed not. | think |
see him now as he stood there in the face
of his fate, but with the triumph of right
flashing from his eye.
Madaline sprang to him with the eager
ness of a child, and would have clasped
her arms about his neck, had not the sol
diers interposed and thrust her aside,
Percy's lips quivered, but he spoke not,
"Seo here, Captain" spoke the Union
General, "this yer lady and me has made
a bargain. | want to marry her, and make
a great lady of her, and she has promised
to marry me if Ill let yer loose. | know
she kinder bankers arter you now, but
guess she'll get over that"
An iueffable scorn lit up the face of the
prisoner. "Madaliuo," he cried, sis it so p
"Percy," she said, "you must not die y
"Do you think that | would purchase
life with such u foul dishouOr, and would
you marry that miserable creature 2"
"Percy | would do anything to save you
[ would die myself"
"But this is worse than death"
ooh but not your death, Percy. lean
not see you die p
"And you would have me live to hate
your
"Oh, say not that"
"Then let ME die-yes, ten Thousand
deaths, rather than sacrifice your life to
such a monster as that"
"Then, by God, you shall de-" fercelJ
Kissed the cnraged Union General-"Ser.
geant, swing him up"
The cruel sergeant too readily obeyed
tho command-he had practiced the art
before, and was an adept in the exercise,
1t was a way they had of saving the Union
Arope was dropped from the upper bal
cony, and with cruel fingers the pendant
end was fastened around his slender neck,
Madaline threw herself mt the feet of the
Union General and shriekod.
"Savo him, oh save my darling's life.'
"Lct him save himself" sullenly answer,
ed the General.
"Madaline-not for me--bless you
Madaline-oh bless you"
These were his last words-thc rope waE
drawn up-for a few moments he strug.
gled in the air, and then as brave u heart
as ever beat for the Southern cause wa:
stilled forever.
Madaline knelt transGxed with horror,
at length she arose, she drew herself up ia
her proudest height, II maniac's glare
CLEANED from her eye, a mauias' curse
burst from her lips.
"Avaunt, iend of hell--back to your
s%ulphurous den-why cuase the beautiful
earth with your vile presenco-begone
loathsome viper-L spit upon you"
Oh will that fcarfu! cry never cease to
ring in my ears-will not that maniac eye
ever again beam with the gentle light Of
love
But little more remains to be told. A
few lady friends, for the men were all gone
and a few servants gathered at the
house-and, with the gracious permission
of the Union General, we buried poo
Percy by the side of your aunt.
| carried Madeline to my own home
where she was confined until after the
war, when your uncle William took hel
to his home, where she now is, a hopeless
maniac, but as beautiful as ever, and kind
ly and lovingly cared for.
A few weeks after Percy was murdered
all that was left of her beautiful home wa
destroyed.
"But, Auntie, what became of Genera
Long 2"
ale went through the war safely-man
aged to escape the bullets, burnt ever,
house in his path, and was twice promoted
for distinguished services. After the wa
was ended, he dropped in Mississippi
where be became a great politician, and i
now a State Senator. l Sc by tho paper
that he has recently married q blubber
Tipped negro weRch."
"Poor negro" chimed in Belle-"I pit.
her-she is all too good for him."
81 quite agree with you, darling"
"Monster wretch, }" Indignantly burst on
Sue, "to think that he murdered Percy
whose least breath was worth a THOUSAND
such lives as his"
"That is true, Sue" answered aun
Millie-"but thon Percy was a rebel, an
Gen. Long was u Union officer, and tn
Union you know had to be saved, and til
Union was saved, but our hearts and on
homes are still desolate."
A Bill of expenco to his country-Wil
liam of Prussia.
NJ q, - LII &c .rA,l-.nn