Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-12
CHAPTER VI.
" Why there's an end thon,
Ihaye Judged deliberately

"Is there no sweet medicine called Mercyf"
"1he day gceth down rod darklng
Tho meaning waves dash out the light,
And there 10 not a star OF hope sparkling
On the threshold Of my night
The Federal force, about ten thousand
strong, went into camp on the lawn
and in the meadows at Roselands
Captain Conyers was confined in an
clubhouse On the premises. 1t was IA
miliar place to him. being a Workshop
in which he had often spent odd hours
watching the cooper, old Uncle Ned, at
work. Often, too, had Eleanor been
there with him he remembered, and
many we're the recollections, half plea
SAINT, half bitter, that flooded his memory
at the remembrance. Good old days
were those. when the fire OF love burned
fiercely and the star of hope rode high.
But alas they are gone beyond recall
now. Only the sad present and the
hopeless future are his.
"oh, that the things which have been we're not
now
In meInory's resurrection"
General x, the Federal command
er, took up his headquarters in the man
sion, ald arrangements were made to
hold the court-martial in the library at
10 o'clock on the night Of his arrival at
Roselands.
Eleanor, who had not felt able to see
Robert vet, knew Of this arrangement IN
regard TO the court-martial, and was in
her room directly over tho library when
the barn-clock chimed 10. She was III
an agony of grief and suspense, as walk
ing up and down and praying brokenly
she awaited the verdict, although she
knew only too well what it would be.
She heard the sound Of footsteps on
the gravel and low voices in the hall as
the officers came in to sit on the court
martial. Then she heard some one go
out and soon she heard the sound of
several persons re-entering the house,
and she instinctively knew that 1t WAS
Robert and his guards. Once more she
was under the same roof with him, and
under what circumstances
For perhaps an hour, that seemed like
an age to her, Eleanor waited, and at
last when she could bear the suspense
no longer she left the room, and with
noiseless tread descended the staircase
to the dimly lighted hall below. She did
not attract the attention OF the sentinel
at the hbrary-door as she crouched be-
hind table only few feet from him. and
bent her head 10 listen to what was be-
ing said in the library.
Meanwhile the trial has been proceed
inc. lncontrovertible evidence Of the
prisoners guilt was established, nor did
he attempt to deny it. When the evil
dence was all in General Y collected
the suffrages Of the officers composing
the court-a useless Formally. as it was
easy to see by their gloomy faces what
the verdict was. lie then, in voice be-
traying much emotion, commanded the
prisoner to stand up and asked him why
the sentence of the court should not
now be pronounced on him.
For a moment Conyers did not reply.
Although he knew what the verdict Of
the court would undoubted be his cour-
age has never forsaken him. His bear
ing is proud. naughty, stern. Perhaps
his face may be trife paler and
brighter CLEAN than usual may illumine
the blue ewes in view of the solemn and
exciting scene through which he is now
passing, but with these exceptions he is
the same old Robert we knew in days
agone.
When he spoke it was in a clear,
calm, though rather low tone. He said
that he had nothing to say that could in
any way affect his destiny. He was
guilty of the crime with which be was
charged, and in putting him to death
they were only executing the law Of
civilized nations.
81 am," he said, "fully prepared to
meet my fate. l knew what risk l ran
when / undertook the task that is to cost
me so dearly-but DO not regret it. l
do regret its being unsuccessful. but it
was through no fault OF mine that it was
so. 1t is useless in the hour of death to
indulge in vain repinings, and am de-
termined to meet my fate as becomes
a soldier. But, one request, and l will
have finished Your verdict is, l sup
pose. that am to be hung; but | throw
myself on your generosity as brave men
and brother soldiers, and ask that | may
be shot instead of hung-that | may die
soldiers instead of q felons death.
Surely you will grant the last prayer OF
dying man.
For few moments the members OF
the court conferred together in low tones.
General x was very Jealous in en-
deavoring to have the prisoners request
granted, for he felt a strange tenderness
for him. He reminded him of an only
sou, who was then at the front in Vir-
ginia, and he imagined his boy IN the
/ position Conyers was now in.
After few moments conference it was
decided TO grant the request of the phi
soner.
"Your request is granted" said Gene
raj x. "And now, he said, speak
ing with the greatest difficulty, so great
was his emotion, 81 have only to pro-
nounce the sentence of the court 1t is
that you be taken back to your place Of
confinement and there kept until the day
| after tomorrow at sunrise, when you will
| be marched to the grove Of willows down
by the river-bank and there shot until
you are dead. And may God in His
! goodness receive your soul
Robert had not tiinched while his
| doom was beng pronounced, nut Gene-
raj ", old veteran though he was,
who had seen service in Mexico, on the
plains, and in Virginia, broke almost
completely down ere he had finished,
and the gray eyes that could look so
stern were filed with something very like
tears.
Lieutenant, remove your prisoner"
he said, with unnecessary abruptness.
The officer OF the day obeying, Robert
was marched out, accompanied by his
guards. When he reached the hail
door he paused for an instant to take a
farewell glance at the familiar scene he
was leaving forever He did not see
Eleanor's unconscious form lying prone
on the floor behind the table at the foot
OF the staircase.
Only moment did he linger. With
q low, sad good-by, old koselands, ="
he turned and left the old house never
to re-enter it again.
Eleanor had heard the few words in
which Conyers had addressed the court,
and had listened to the sentence as pro-
nounced by General x, but she heard