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

our oince uoeS hol give you tue rlSht
to insult a lady, sir"
alt gives me the right to do as I please
when Pm dealing with rebels, Miss. But
h, sOftened, 81 didn't mean
to insult yer, | thought it was an honor.
[ know a dozen as fine ladies' as yer, up to
hum, who'd be provd of the chance to get
me-"
"Then go ia them, sir, and trouble my
sight no more"
Sand that | shall not do. love yer,
Miss Dandrige, aud, by gewhillicans, l
intend to have yer"
"Neyer, | hate you, yO." And before
he could interpOse she fed from his pres
ence, and locked herSelfi in her room. The
demon was aroused in that hard bad may.
| cannot speak of all he said and did. A
daily persecution of that hapless girl was
commenced and persisted in.
Madaline would have fled to Alabama,
but your aunt was too ill to be left be-
hind.
At length a baief respite came.
The battle of Shiloh was fought; and
Col. Long was recalled to the main army
of Buel.
We know tho result of that fatal day.
Your Uncle Walter was killed and Percy
Brooks seriously wounded. The evil It'd
ings soon reached US. Your Aunt never
recovered from the shock-rapidly she de-
clined, and we all felt that she was passing
away.
Madaline's anguish was extreme, but
with a bold brave heart she bore up under
tue sorrow, and devoted her kindest care
to hhr mother.
The only relief she had was in the ab-
sence of her hated prosecutor, and that re-
lief was but short, for early in June, Col.
Longs command returned to Murfrees-
boro. Soon his hated presence again chill
ed the atmosphere of LaVorgne. A brig
adier's leaf had been tackled on his collar,
and with this insignia of rank, he swellod
out with still greater %impudence.
Madaline refused to see him, hut he
even dosccratod your Aunt's sick chamber
to force an interview. So far as a brnte
could love | do believe that he did love
Madaline, but it was selfish love he low
ed her for his own, and not her sake.
He had not the delicate feeling that
could sympathize with the heavy sorrow of
that household, and he seized upon its
grief to advance his " suit.
''Yer see, Miss Dandrige, yer father is
dead, and there is no one left to care for
yer now, and | thought as how yer might
not be ser highfcrlutin as yer was before"
With such cruel arguments, he tortured
the poor girl from day to day.
sit is killing me, MOTHER" she cried one
day, "what shall do 7"
"Lcavo me alone, my darling, and fly to
your relatives in Alabama. But then you
caunot 60 by yourself. Oh that Percy was
here"
"No, mother, that may not be, I cannot
leave you die alone"
81 will not keep you long. | am dying
now. Oh that Percy would come"
"pcrcy has come," spoke a gentle voice
by her side, and the pale emaciated face
of Capt. Brooks stopped before the eyes of
the mother.
"Percy, God bless you, my son, take
Madeline and fly from this house-leave
me alone in death-go."
And the pure soul of your aunt Caro-
line mounted on the wings of an angel,
and went up to the God who gave it.
An agOnizing cry burst forth from the
lips of lladaline as she realized the pres
ence of DEATH.
Percy spoke the little consolation that
can be uttered at such a time, and CRATE
fully her stricken heart drank in his
words.
But an imminent danger could not ad-
nit Of passive grief. They both CON-
pretended the emergency and prepared to
meet it.
"Percy," she said after the keenest sense
of her sorrow had passed away, 81 am sor-
ry you came"
"Hush, darling" he replied, 81 heard
of your danger and came to save you"
"But you yourself are in danger. Should
they find you here they would harm you"
"But they must not find me here. To-
night we must be gone"
$50 soOn," she asked, sand mother, my
precious MOTHER" and again the wall of
desolatiOn filed the room.
"Be comforted, Madeline, she is beyond
the reach of harm now. We, it is, who
are to be pitied. BE calm, my darling,
and prepare at once for flight"
With q crushed heart she went about
the task. Percy remained in the chamber
Of death. He had avoided the, pickets and
secretly sought the place to rescue NADIA
line from the demon who so cruelty fol-
lowed hor. He had deemed his move
ments unwatched-but not SO. A mis-
creant had observed his approach, and
though his dress would not indicate either
his service, or his rank, yet he was sus-
pected as a rebel, and his presence re-
ported.
General Long undeterred by the sorrow
and shadow of death, which hung so heav-
lily over the house, paid his accustomed
evenings visit to LaVergne, and when the
arrival of a suspected stranger was an
nounced, his iendish heart laughed with
delight. He had long known of NADIA
lines betrothed, and u devil whispered
him that his rival was now in his power.
He ordered a guard to surround the house
and with a squad he entered.
Madaline was too much absorbed in her
painful preparations to heed his approach,
until suddenly he confronted her.
With a slight scream she shrank back
from before him.
81 am sorry to disturb the house, Miss
Dandrige, but hear that Captain Brooks,
a rebel spy, is in the house, and l must
arrest him"
Madalinc was thrown off her guard, and
before she could recover, she exclaimed,
"my God, can it be p
yes, my pretty one, it is so. Captain
Brooks is here, and [ command you to