St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-11-23


and as soon as these are drilled, the
regiment will move to the 'front.'
When she had finished reading this,
Miss Follen took Percy's hand. She
did not speak for some time, but the
light he looked for came to her eyes,
and there was something in the clinging
clasp of her hand that thrilled him.
81 shall lose both of my friends" she
said at last, ''Or not lose them, for they
will be my friends always; but they
will go away from me, and l shall miss
them."
1t was sweet news to Percy, and the
words had deeper significance to him
than Tom knew.
''You will go tonight 2" Miss Follen
questioned, looking at Percy.
''Yes, shall go with Tom, and /
hope we will both prove worthy to be
missed.n
81 have no fear of that"
''Thank you"
They remained together a short time
after this, not saying much, for there
was too much in their souls, but it was
silence that was full of meaning, and
this was understood.
When evening came, and it was time
for the young men to go to the train,
they sought Miss Follen, but she could
not be found.
'She went out few moments ago."
said one of the servants, "but don't
know which way"
They had no time to spend in search
ing for her. and so giving the servant a
message, hurried away.
The LITTLE Sta tion WHARF thav took tho
train was small platform outside of
Elmport, built for the convenience of
the hotel. AS they reached it, white
robed figure came toward them.
''Miss Follen,n said Tom.
"Yes," she answered, 81 wished to be
the last to say goodbye to you here"
There was little time to give to talk,
for the train came rushing along, and it
waited but moment.
''GOod-by, and God bless you !" she
said to Tom, and then took Percy's
hand. 81 know you will do well, and
shall see you again, so l will bid you
God speed!" came in low, thrilling words
from her lips.
He could not speak, but bending,
kissed her hand. Then the whistle
sounded sharply out, and he sprang on
the platform of the car where Tom was
standing, and with scream and puff
the train started. As long as the sta
tion remained in sight, they saw a
white-robed figure standing there, and
caught the fiutter of handkerchief. 1t
was a picture that Percy Thornton never
forgot.
Pearl met them in New York, and
Tom passed happy day with her, while
Percy reported at the camp where his
regiment was.
They were fine set of men, and took
readily to their new life, soon being
ready for the field, and as the country
needed them, were sent forward to the
front. Active service was plenty, and
these men had entered the service to
work, so it was not long before the reg
iment began to be noticed because of
their courage and worth, and soon the
name of Captain Thornton was going
through the press, linked to daring
and successful enterprise, whese story
was graphically told by one of the news
paper correspondents with the troops.
Good men were not left unrewarded
then, and when the spring campaign of
sixty-three- opened, there was Col.
Thornton commanding regiment well
known for its brave deeds.
Gettysburg came, and we all know
the deeds of valOr that sanctified its
courage. Had the two combating armies
stood as they should have stood, side
by side us brothers, there was no single
earthly power that could have conquer
ed them.
When the battle began, Colonel
Thornton held an important position in
what became the second line of our
army, and, when the fugitives came
rushing back from the first bloody
onslaught, so acted as to cause many of
them to fall in with his men. For a
short time the force of the battle surged
around that determined body of men,
and ThOrntOn's clear voice rang out en-
couragingly. Bullets whistled about
him, but while his presence was the
power that held his men steady, none
harmed him.
His men were sore pressed, and he
saw that soon he would have to fall
back unless relief came. 1t was hard
to think of this. He remembered the
words of his division general, who had
said ,-"Hold this place, Thornton, it is
all our hope now." And he had held it,
while bis men sank down about him in
CHASTITY heaps.
''It is too bad," he thought; "but
must fall back or be cut off," and he
was about giving the order, when the
shout of approaching friends nerved his
men to new endeavOr.
Cheering as they rushed forward, a
brigade composed of Maine and Yer
fe, 6,
Pennsylvania and Indiana, charged
down on the enemy, who thronged
about Thornton's position, and sharp
struggle ragged fiercely about him. II
was soon over, and as the beaten foes
sullenly fell back, they sent parting
volley behind them, and Percy Thorn
ton sank bleeding TO the ground, just
as bis heart was swelling proudly at the
praise the commanding general of the
relieving troops gave his men.
He was not dead, but desperately
wounded, and while his name went
ringing through the land, he lay tossing
feverishly about in the cool chamber o.
the farm house to which he had beer
carried.
81 can't understand Thornton's case,
said the physician attending him. "Ht
needs quiet, and unless he grows calmer
he will die. He is not delirious, and
yet he seems possessed with the demon
of unrest"
So he lay, growing more nervous al
the time, until the third day after the
battle, and then woman raped gently
at the door of the cool old mansion, anC
when her summons was answered, ask.
ed if Col. Thornton was quartered there
eyes," was the answer.
"Can see him ]"