Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1880-10-23

cross the mountains and join th
Union forces in Kentucky. They
# were to start tonight. They hav'
J. provisions for the Journey, and will
h gladly share with you"
9 At this moment q young girl en-
9 tered the shop, and hurriedly said
d Father, what is the trouble to
y nightr Her eye falling upon thu
/, fugitive she approached him, and
In a sympathizing tone continued
3 'Ah /! Mr.. Peters, has your turn
7 come so soon =
This was Matte. She was q
| fine. rosy girl, just past her eight
> eenth birthday and the sole daugh-
ter of Bradley's home AM heart.
She was his all-his wife had been
| dead fvc years. He turned toward
her and In q mild. but firM tone
said:
Matte you must c0nd uct Mr..
Peters TO tho rendezvous immedi-
ately, and then return and we will
call at the parsonage to cheer his
family. No time is to DO lost. The
bloodthirsty fiends are npon the
track they have scented their prey
and will not rest until they have
secured him. They may return
much sooner than we expect. So
haste. daughter. and God bless ye?
This was not the first time that
Matte had been called upon to per-
form such an Office. She had safe
ly conducted several Union men
who had been hunted from their
homes and sought shelter with her
father, to the place designated,
from whence they made their escape
across the mountains into Ken
lucky. Turning to the fugitive
she said:
Come, Mr.. Peters, do not stand
on ceremony, but follow me-
She left the shop and proceeded |
but short distance up the road,
and then turned off into by path
through strip of woods closely
followed by the fugitive. A brisk
walk of half an hour brought them
to small house that stood alone
in a secluded spot. Here Matte
was received with warm welcome
by several men, some of whom
were engaged in running bullets,
while others were cleaning their
rifles and fowling pices. The lady
of the house, hale woman of forty,
was busy stuffing the wallets of
the men with biscuit. The fugi-
tive, who was known to two or
three of the party, was received in
a bluff, frank spirit of kindness by
all, saying that they would make
him chaplain of the Tennessee reg
iment wien they got to Kentucky.
When Matte was about to re-
turn home two of the party prepar-
cd to accompany her, but she pro
tested, warning them of the danger,
as the enemy we're doubtless abroad
in search of the minister. but, not.
withstanding they insisted, and ac-
companied her until she reached
the road, short distance above
her fathers shop. Matte hurried
on, but was somewhat surprised
upon reaching the shop to find it
vacant. She fastened to the house
but her father was not there. AS
she returned to the shop she
thought she could hear the noise
of horse's hoofs clattering down
the road. She listened, but the
sound soon died away. Going into
the shop she blew the fire into
blaze rhen beheld that the things i
were in great confusion and that
spots of blood were upon the
ground. She was now convinced
that her father had been siezed and
carried off, but not without strug-
gle on his part.
AS Matte stood gazing at the
marks of blood, wagon contain
ing two persons drove up, and one
of whom, an athletic young man Of I
FIVE and twenty years, got out and 6
entered the shop.
GOOD evening, Matte, where is
youu fatherP y he said. Then Oh.
serving the demeanor of the girl lie
continued 'Why Matte, what ails
youG What has happenedr {
The young girls heart was too {
full for her tongue to give utter.
ance, and throwing herself upon
the shoulder of the young man she 1
sobbingly exclaimed: .
'They have carried him of 7 l
Don't you see the blood p u
'Have they dared to lay hands ]
on your father7 The Internal t
wretchesv I
Matte recovered herself suffi. @
ciently to narrate the events of the
evening. When she had finished
he exclaimed; e
oh, hat should live to see the =
day that old Tennessee should be
thus disgraced! Here, Joe = q
At this the other person in the {
nls