The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-10-06
Loyal al Last.
A Thrilling and Romantic Story
Of the Late Civil War.
BERNARD BIGSBY,
AUTHOR OF "ELLES's SECRET "FALh3n
AMON0 THIEVES +" "MY LADY FANTAs-
r1CA1," AND OTHER STORIES.
W nero am ~


rICAI,'' AND OTHER STORIES.
IVY nerc am IE''
"Among friends, glory be to GodH' an:
swercd a CHEEKY voice; 'an' av yen just
be quiet while I'm after pouring this steaui-
ing glass of punch down your thcoat--for
which I've lied to the surgeon like Com
r,issary Gineral, the Lord forgive me-
you'll be as right as ninepence IN 20 Tune 81
MI, at ai|.h
.=s. eue unere arn?'7 be sa1o. Ia slroz1s-..'
zones.
"You're just wild The flower of the Union
army. darlin'-ygid Mea gher's Irish brigade;
10 shut your eyes an go to sleep wild quiet
conscience, an thank God for the good
sompny ye'vc ialle, among"
~ DO, indeed do, my brave fellow, bun
my dispatches"
"Are already III the hands OF Henelal
BURNSIDE said 8 TALL weather-beatsn OH
cor. who entered the tent at this moment,
before whom ae kind hearted soldiers with
drew with respectful obeisance.
so Harry slept.
IN the morning when he awoke the sun
WAS well OH the horizon. The tent was
smpty. Beside his cot lay an infaDtry1nans
uniform, which some kind hand had put
there to replace nis own bedragglod clothes,
which had doubtless been taken some
where to dry, and on box can Of cold tea
md gone bread and meat. He ate and
drank, dressed and rose refreshed.
4 beautiful panorama met his view as he
stepped from the tent into the open. Before
him lay the River Rappahannosk, and on
Fill beyond the town of Fredericksburg.
He saw the dense masses Of the Union
troops crossing pontoon bridges in long
gray lines; he saw the Confcderates swarm
Ing behlnd low stone wall, whils tho
heights above We're crowned with artillery;
xud bc burned to have d share in the glory
VI tho impending. battle. AT any rate he
could not stand still and lcok ou, Sc he hur-
yiod down TO the bank Of the river. lie had
hardly reached the spot than General Burn
side aud his staff pressed by him Taking
ths smallest detail in at a glance, he turned
10 Harry and said in sharp severe tones:
"You, sir! Why are you not with your
raginonta Forward, at the double quick"
The die was cast Harry fought that day
ut Fredericksburg.
Never in the history Of war was more
seble devotion nor more pitiable carnage
ssen. Again and again the Union troops
hurled themselves against that terrible
stone wall, and again and again, like the
torheil lightning of a thundsr-cloud, tho
sannons belchod their fury on them. Still
they fought and fell, and with wild cheers
Metsgl,er's unhinching 1rishmen charged
over tte dead bodies in their ranks with
E.ai frenzy struggling for victory; but
from behind that fatal wall cleaned sheets
Of fame and crashed showers OF bullets,
I'LL nature III mercy flung the black pail Of
night over tho CHASTITY scene.
" Meagher's gallant heroes, two~thirds
tny dead within a hundred yards of that
stone wall st fredericksburg.
CHAPTER v.
a DILEMMA.
Then there was a lull III che storm, and
&he armies retired to winter quarters. Thus
Kave Harry G chance to make Inquiries
about the Frobishams; but, though many
were acquainted with them, none could
give him the slightest clew to their where
xbouts, so nothing remained to him but to
trust to she chapter of accidents which
had already afforded him two strange op-
portunities OF meeting members Of the fam
lily Ill which he was SC deeply Interested.
Tho months dragged YEARLY along; for
h is one thing to spend the winter in a gay
city, adored by the women, feted al ball
and party, and another to drone the days
away IN y squalid village, with no conapan.
ionship but such as the barrack-room af-
corded, meeting the same faces every day
and going through the same dull rounds of
duty. Some found refuge in cards and
drinking, gambling their pay away: others
Mrned to study, but the few books they
possessed were ragged and dogseared by
sonstant lending; and all looked eagerly
aorward to the stirring times that the
spring would bring them, even though
death himself was their herald. Harry's
1Rther's letters, too, worried him, for the
cid man was beset with strong PRESENT.
mont Of evil, to be brought about by AL
phonse Lecroix, against whom he was per-
netually warning him. Then his constant
illusions to 'sthat girl" were not OF nature
10 he agreeable to one who loved her so
passionately that he would not bsleve it pos
lsle for her pure nature to do any wrong.
like these impetuous young fellows who
put their lady-loves on padestals and make
1oddesses Of Thorn. Their generous
natures are rarely deceived, for notice
HAT such implicit devotion Ia usually re-
Waxded by the browning blessing Of q good
woman's love.
Pondering over such little troubles, Harry
sat one day in the s9ualid chamber of g
scttage he had deemed himself fortunate to
secure as quarters, when the door opened
and Gordon Grey entered. There was a
sheepish, hang-dog look about the lads
tace which caught Herry's eye Of once-so
different from the bright abandon which
usually illuminated the young fellows hand.
some features.
'.See here, Winthrop" he blurted out,
without preface, as he flung himself on
Hnrry's bed, "I'm in hole.'
There was such climax Of comical dis.
tress in the expression, that Harry could
hardly repress smile.
'tOh, you needn't grin. Pm regularly
trsed. There's nothing left for me, as far
~ I can see, but to just go and blow my
brains out, unless
"Weu, unlessa"
"You can let me have two hundred dol
lars aud ask no questions what want 1t
for.''
Harry looked at his young lieutenant
oureusly, but not unbindly.
ss,Two hundred dollars Ia large sum- he