The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-09-14

| You suffer for the cause, to be sure,
| he said, slowly. You suffer just as
| thousands of others about here do. Yet
7 tell you, Graham Brandon" and he
raised his voice as he went on, that If
my case We're yours / should sit here
amid this barrenness and desolation,
! surremely happy in the prospect of goa
ing 10 fight, not only for a country but
Tor love and home in that day-if II
ever come-when this people and land
shall be reunited"
Brandon was silent; the bitter force of
the other awed him.
Have You given up home and friends?
So also have /, Back of Nicksburg |
own the finest cotton plantation along
the river; it has been confscated ere
now. and should the Confederacy prevail
it will be lost to me forever. That |
could bear; it would be the lightest of
my misfortunes And you have left be-
hind you a beautiful girl who will be
true to you in veal or woe, whatever
shocks and storms of war sweep the
land; who loves the Union and the flag
All, but is that so? You did not say
so"
Indeed she doesw cried Brandon,
with enthusiasm. There isn't a frmer
Union woman in the whole land, though
her parents are secessionists. In fact, ="
and he tried to laugh, Il don't believe
she would see any good IN me If | We're
not stanch Unionist."
And" pursued Smedley. you have
the hope of some day being reunited
Now, suppose she were an ardent rebel
do you think you would love her2"
Its a hard question; / never thought
of Alice in that way, We agree so per-
fectly about the war that it is difficult to
imagine her being on the other side. But
there is only one Alice Clay in East
Tennessee, in the worldi Yes, | believe
/ should love her, anyway"
Then put yourself in my place! Look
at that picture"
He handed a small ambrotype-case to
Brandon, taking it from an inner pocket
next his heart. The young Tennessean
gazed with wonder upon the hneaments
of that superb face, where the proud,
passionate beauty of the South appeared
IN every feature-in the oval face, the
wealth of dark hair, the soul that looked
from the expressive eyes. Graham Bran
don thought as he looked that here was
one whom he could admire at distance
as he would some Eastern queen of old
fable or story; and then the sweet, ear
nest face of Alice Clay came between,
and he thought, Il could admire, not love
her"
age, gaze at that countenance"
Smedly cried, in a kind of rapture.
Not in Mississippi, not in all the
South, is there another such woman.
She is just five years younger than l;
she has not alone beauty, but mind,
accomplishments, and. least of all,
wealth in her own right. Her father is
apompous, chattering nobody, her moth
or an invalid She has two brothers,
both in the Confederate armies. With
her, as with many other Southern wo-
men, the cause of the ConfedeTacy Is a
passion; there Is no sacrifice that she
would not make for it. She is the toast,
the reigning belle of Eicksburg. She
had a dozen suitors from the proudest
and wealthiest Mississippi families and
she chose me from them all. Think how
proud and happy ! was in the position
of her accepted lover, Then came this
accursed war, she knew my devotion to
the Union, and she grew cold to me, as
that letter says. / was tormented with
the pangs of jealousy; l saw each day
the men | had supplanted in her atfec-
tons admitted to her house, proudly
wearing their new gray uniforms, while
! was denied admission. | wrote to her,
the answer came back that you have
read.
We'll, 1 dared not see her No, l
dared not, for she would have won me
over 10 rebellion in spite of myself. |
fled from Nicksburg; roamed about at
the North, unable to decide what { ID,
feeling each day drawn nearer and near
er to the only cause for which | can fight,
knowing that the gulf was daily widen
ing between her and me. To take arms
for the Union is TO give her up.
AT last l have taken the plunge. I
have become a soldier of the Union. and
have put an insurmountable barrier be-
tween Isabel and me- No matter how
the strife may terminate, | shall he
worse than nothing to her. She will
hate me. | shall never see her again.
He crossed the room and took the
sword; he seated himself again and
clasped it to his heart
Il tell you" he passionately cried, Il
have given up everything for this
His head dropped upon his hand: with
tender sympathy in his blue eyes, Bran
don looked upon him, and he heard him
murmur the words that haunted his
troubled soul.
Never again-neyer to see her again.
CHAPTER VII.
CAPTAIN sMEDLEY'S ARMY.
Brandon persuaded his companion to
lie down again and try to get himself
rested and rccuperated for the work that
was before them, and he had the salts
faction to see him fall into a sound sleep.
Then the young Tennessean sat down,
medltated upon the stirring events of the
past two days, thought about Alice Clay,
and nodded off into slumber.
1t was daylight when he awoke. His
companion was still sleeping, and he be-
stirred himself to get some bodily re-
frcshment. He found Smedley's little
store of provisions, and made strong
coffee. The humble rcpast was set out
on the large box, and then he went and
shook the sleeper by the shoulder.
Wake up, Captain, he called.
Breakfast is ready"
Smedley stirred and muttered in his
dreams.
No, can't see her. She'd persuade
me to fight against the old flag. III 20
far away; it's my only safety.
Wake, l say! Quit your dreaming.
and come back to the mountains"
Il have not deserved death, - the sleeper
murmured. But if You will have my
life, don't hang me! Let me die like a
soldier; let me be shot
Brandon now made such a noise at his
ear that he awoke and sprang up. He
recognized his Surroundings and his
companion; he was still pale. but his
nerve and strength had returned. To-
gethcr they sat down and refreshed
themselves for the business before them
1t was only an hour after daylight that
by twos, threes, and sing!y the mountain
GERS began to arrive at the cabin. We
need not describe them in dress. face
and general appearance they we're like
those We have seen, and there was no
uniformity in the arms that they carried.
They were men of strong build, full of
slnew, and for the most part lean and
spare; men who had been toughened TO
endurance by hardship and the hard con-
fIct for mere existence in these wilds be-
lore war cane to veX them further. One
and all they had promptly responded to
the mountain tocsiu, some of them leav-
ing their homes hungry, and with a hur-
rled farewell to their wives and children.
reused from sleep for that purpose. One
and all they were ready and eager 10
take the field in defense of their homes
and could not brook delay
Captain Smedley directed Burt Uaw-
kins TO make up all the tea and coffee aud
distribute all the provisions in the cabin