West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-08-14

the vagrants arms. Half leading, half
supporting him, ignoring his faint pro-
tests, they took him up the path to the
Office. and placed him on "a chair before
the fire.
As they progressed on their slimy
path. brewster incense Iuently recalled
the battle OF Shiloh. when Lenoir. badly
wounded and thrown from the saddle
OF dying horse. had been led TO the
rear. protesting and fighting every step
OF the way. As ne came into the light
oil the Office windows. he accounted for
the sensation by the discovery that the
man wore cheap OvercOat OF military
cloth and cut, Of the stamp usually
affected by the 'hay-bunkers. -
They placed him i'm a chair before the
ire and he sat there "A mutinous cap
tive, his felt hat with It's battered brim
drawn down over his eyes asi partially
shading his face. The first glance al
the stranger in the honest light Of the
oiiico lamp had in a measure treasured
Brewster and put TO flight his absurd
fancies. There was nothing striking or
uncommon in the spare figure. or The
Old face with It's lines OF care and poin.
Ii was very ordinary face. an emf
ncntly prosaic face, he assured himself:
of the same type rs ten thousand others
in the city, but he could not res st a
crazy desire To sec the forehead barred.
to look at the left temple and -
Bah! Back TO those old memories of
the war again SO much for the per
niciOus effect of the afternoons associa-
tons. Well, what was it. after all?
Only young fellow, his blue ~uit i'm
tattors, crazed with fever. crawling past
the dead line, strong hand stretched
out to save him, dull report. a bullet
leaving bloody track across the tenn
pie and along the scalp of the rescucr.
And why had he lost sight of the gal
liant old soul all these years? Con
found 1t! Lenoir ms just the ono to
sneak off from his friends if the world
used him III, TO live in dugout and
dine on scraps rather than ask charity.
Yes, and TO jest and flash out with "A
dauntlcSs spirit in moment of humil-
iation and shame that held worse terror
to proud soul than the bravest sol
der ever faced on the battlefield.
Could poverty. and despair. and ill
health, reduce the high souled gentle
man and soldier to the likeness of that
old scarccrow? Brewster stepped i'm
pulSively forward, reaching over for n
''"lN VI hlCWODu, uWkWdfuIN DrlS n
ing the strangers head with his arm
and knocking off the slouch hat.
lie hcsitated just long enough to OBJ
serve white track across tho temple
and through the sparse gray hair, then.
with his bra n in n whirl. secured the
stuck OF wood, laid it carefully upon the
blaze, took out pencil and note book
and 5crbbled a few lines to his wife. A
close carriage, "a fire i'm the best room,
warm dinner; his pencil checked OIL
the items at lightning speed. He
called the Waterman and dispatched
him with the note. meeting the mans
wondering look with one Of storm d.
cision. As the door closed behind the
messenger, and his departing footsteps
echoed fainter and fainter in the dis
lance, he turned to find his compulsory
guest arisen from his chair and con
fronting him with n white face.
Tho aims house? PlI die iirstr'
''Nercr Uhtte line, Colonel LenOi,. -
Having uttered this blunt assurance.
Brewster sat staring at his old friend
through mist of tears. The old man
answered with startled look. He
drew tine s'ouch hat over his eyes. His
chin worked convulsively
Old and thin and gray. ovcrtakcn by
rcverSes, crushed by misfortune. the
Colonel was found out. San Francisco
jyyHl.eJ,y4