The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-01-05

10 you
"They were light words spoken hastily, out
of the warm, kind heart of the young officer,
as good-natured remark to evince his belief
in that moral courage that he admired.
Light words, and even while they were being
spoken, perhaps fate was weaving that des-
tiny which should make them no longer light
words in the memory of us who listened TO
them.
''The next day we fought the battle Of
Charlottesville. Toward the latter part Of
the day, when defeat was beginning to stare
US in the face, and the earlier promise of VIC
tory, which combined and splendid action and
the most untiring gallantry had given,
failed, l received message from Major
Dalzell to send reinforcement to
the left wing, ard where Captain Mel
roe and himself were endeavoirng to
hold their ground and save their c0lors.
[ had only handful of men that I could i'll
spare, but l sent them Immediately, for |
knew that Dalzell would not have applied for
help unless he had great need. Immediate
action being suspended for time on my
right, had brief opportunity to observe the
movements of the left. As looked through
my glass l saw Dalzell advance with his col
umn, not large body Of men, but compact
and in order. A heavy roar of musketry met
them; still they kept on, though 1 could see
that the raking fire had told. The next was
more fatal. As the smoke cleared the la
mentable effect was obvious. More than one
gallant fellow mad fallen; among them their
leader, Dalzell. The column began to waver.
The consequence at this particular point of
panic and rout would be especially disas-
trous. rose in my saddle with excitement.
'Ah,' thought l, if l could only dash forward
to the rescue"
cat that moment I saw that a new leader
had arisen I him rI1ch ard
him glance back to the broken, wavering
ranks, saw him beckon them on with his
sword, and, more than all, by look of COM
maDd that impressed me even then. At sight
of him the wavering ranks closed in, and
dashed forward with shout that reached me
wnere watched, and which [ knew meant
victory or death. A few moments later the
sixteenth came up to reinforce the right wing
and had the liberty to ride forward. Mel
roe-for you have guessed that he was the
leader who took DalzelPs place-Melroe. by
his magnetic leadership, his dash and spirit,
had saved his colors and won, for his men at
least. famous victory. one Of those side is
sues of success which go far to amelorate the
greater defeat.
"But IL was victory didn't feel much
like rejoicing in, as l saw Meroe himself "
ing on little hillock, shot through the heart.
The color-sergeant-a little Irish fellow-had
dragged him to the upland where he Law. and
as approached he took off his cap, more in
honor to the dead than to me. and said chek-
ingly;
my hand as l was tux, dizzy like, with this
scratch on my forehead, and when I came to
myself, be had got his death a-saving of me
and the flag, SIR
"Fhe little sergeant had lain the colors up-
on the dead breast of his officer as tenderly
as mother might strew flowers upon her
child. Cam Browne just then Joining me, |
pointed to the sad spectacle. Cam bent over
and touched the tattered remnants that
meant so much, and had cost SO much, HE
has won his Gordon bleu,' he said, significant
ly. Yes, he has won his Gordon beu, the
brave little fellow, fighting a double enemy
every inch of the way The colonel paused
moment, and took out an old memoran-
dunn book; opening it he drew forth some
thing that seemed of many c0lors, a strip
either of paper or silk, only few inches in
length and breadth. This he resumed. is
piece OF that Gordon bleu. 1t was wet with
his blood when took it, and have kept it
ever since. for l knew no one else who was
nearer to Melroe than myself for he was an
orphan, and without brothers or sisters. If
he had had sweetheart, would have sent
it to her, that she might have known what a
hero she had lost in this young fellow, whose
delicate, sensitive nature shrank from the
conflicts which his great soul urged him into
l have seen many brave charges, many for
lorn hopes carried since that day, HoWitb,
but never saw a Drawer charge or more
forlorn hope carried than this that led Mel
roe to his death. We mourned Dalzell, good
fellow, but there was something in the loss
of Meroe that went beyond every other loss.
We loved him better than we knew. and
ryhay1 wal rrro1 hin,
recalled that sentence of his, Il might recoil
from the encounter, but l should recoil ten
times more from the skulking away from it,
A momentary silence fell upon us all as the
colonel ceased. But as he closed his memo
randum book, shutting in the strip of blood
stained, faded silk, voice broke the silence
"James, give it to me-Holland Melroe's
Gordon bleup'
"You, Patty?"
Eyes, to me, James," Patty answered,
quite steadily, though white as the dead.
Mechanically, perhaps instinctively, the
colonel held out the sacred memento without
a,word. But the coloners wife had no such
delicate instinct of the truth.
What do you mean, Patty?" she ex-
claimed.
IL mean," returned Patty, with great dig
nifty, THAT | have better right to Holland
Melroe's Gordon bleu than any one ese."
sob Pattyi and all the time you were---'
But Mrs. King discretion at this point came
back to her; it was too late, however, to
serve her purpose.
Eyes, Emily; all the time l was engaged
to Morton Eames But you know who
brought me into that. It was scarcely nv
own doing; and Holland Melroe never sought
me after he discovered that my word was
passed to another. But before he discovered
this knew his heart and mine. When [ got
news of his death broke my engagement to
Morton, but | could not go talking about
Holland then. I had no right to tell the
truth then who could not tell it before--who
had to be told by death what the whole truth
meant even to myself"
BY this time we had all been brought up.
as it were, to Patty's revelation-all but Mrs.
King. Doticed vaguely that she looked dis
turbed, and glanced uneasily at Major How
18th. But for that should have forgotten his
presence, yet even then he did not seem an
intruder, stranger though he was. The
colonel, always foud Of his little sister Patty,
as he called her, found new cause for tender
ness now. She had been Melroe's sweet
heart-Melroe whom he had lovedl Aud
leaning forward, he took her in her in his
arms and kissed her.
The next morning got the meaning of
Mrs. Kings disturbance. She came into my
room with these words:
Just think Of Patty's making such mess
of itr
"What do you mean ?" inquired thor
oughly amazed.
"Oh, dearp' what do I meanp Don't YOU
see that Major Howith was immensely
pleased with Patty9 And now, just for that
old sentimental nonsense being dragged up.
it will fall throu Oh, for he is not the man to
play second fiddle to any other man, dead or
alive. And it would have been such match
for Pattyp' wound up the fascinating bat
worldly Mrs. King.
turned upon her all the walls of nv
wrath. Patty had come out most nobly, and
she ought to be ashamed if she couldn't
appreciate such nobility, 1 declared. But
did no good; she only reiterated her regrets
at Patty's "mess," not whit disturbed by
my vcals of wrath. But in this iteration she
was cut short by her husbands voice, as he
came in from the little library which COM
municated with the room we occupied:
"Emily, you don't know men quite as well
as you think you do, my dear. When ! went
into the smoking room last night Major How
18th Joined me; and what do you think he
said to me?'
''Well, what?' inquired Mrs. Emily, max
ing little impatient movement.
HE said that II Patty was to be won by
any living man he should try his best to win
hor