Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-11-29
WAS IT A CRIME!
4 CmAIi.AiN's STORY.

4 CIAriAlN's STORY.
IL WAS with that question on his lips
that Corporal Jack fell out of rank in
the march of life and deserted to the
majority.
lie las been answered by now, but for
me it Is still n question, and MS such |
tell my story and in my turn, ask my
veadcrs-
What is crincl
1t was during tho first year of the war
that John Holiday enlisted i'll the
Twcnty-iifth Georgia Infantry, of which
regiment ] was Chaplain, and from that
hour until his death, two years after, nj
the battle of Antictam, the Confedcracy
never Ind more daring, reckless de-
fender.
lie was stern, reserved man among
his companions, never joining Ia their
conversations around the camp fire. or
taking part in their frolics, but bccom
Ing almost cheerful on the eve of
battle.
In appearance jack was not progresses
tng-oyor six feet in height, and of mar
niccnt build, lie WIS the very beau ideal
of II soldier, but his face was positively
ugly. Small, deep set gray eyes looked
out from under y bush of reddish exc
brows, while his high, thin nose and ca
davcrous complexion, emerged from II
second bush of reddish beard, which hid
the rest Of his face, and left his mouth
all impenctrablc mystery.
But if Jacks mouth was n mystery
Jack himself was an enigma, and nc
! tcptcd MS such by his comrades. Formy
own part, l, too, accepted him, but not
until after several futile efforts TO solve
the riddle
Jack always met me with the same re-
dpectful manner and same blanl, wall of
reserve, but it was owing to those kindly.
If mistaken efforts Of mine, that | owe
my present knowledge Of his story.
The year of suffering and hardship had
passed, and it was the owe of the battle
Of Antictam. Wo had had II busy day.
and had just thrown myself down,
worn out with fatigue, to get little
sleep, when I was reused by Corporal
Jack. lie had pushed open the fly of my
tent, md stood in the opening, his form
dimly outlined against the summer twi-
light sky.
"Bcg your pardon, Mr.. Botclcr may
[ have Il word with you, sire" he said,
saluting me respectfully.
had by no means lost interest in the
regiment "cnigma," as lie was called,
and signilcd my assent, motionng him
to u scat on the ground by my side lie
took il in silence, and in obstinate silence
| waited for his confidence. ! knew my
man too well by this time to attempt 10
hasten it. The result proved my wis
dom. After apparently last, sharp
struggle with his habitual reserve, Jack
plunged in one sentence into the very
heart Of his story.
"Mr. Botcler, he said honrscIy, "thrcc
years ago l committed what the law
would call Il crime. | call it an act Of
justice. Will you hear my story, and
judge between tho law and me2n
sat up, startled out Of fatigue; here
was n story with vengeance But imi-
tating his concisencss, said quietly:
81 am ready to hear the case, Cor
poral."
"To make you understand my story, /
must go back fifteen years." resumed
Jack, calmly. "At that time 1 was boy
of twenty, experimenting the home
plantation for my father, who was a
small planter in Mcintosh County. There
were only three Of us-fathcr, brother
james and +.
"My mother was dead, and for years
we had seen no white woman in our
house, except our housekeepcr, an elder
ly maiden lady, and distant relative of
my father. You can imagine the reycla-
ton il was to us then, when Aunt Millic
Payne died and her little orphan daugh-
ter came to live in our quiet old house
Dorothy-her name was Dorothy-was
only ten years old when she came TO
us, Il loyablc, hcadstrong little creature,
with great brown eyes, and % mass of un-
tidy, rcd-brown curls, that were the trial
Of the chid's life.
"She was not pretty them her face
was too thin and brown, and in manners,
l am afraid she was II tomboy, but even
then loved her and thought her beau
tiful. She was fond Of me, too, i'll a
way, and was always with me, indoors
and out. When my father wanted to
send her away to school, it was through
my pcrsuasions that hc was induced TO
engage governess for her, thing very
unusual with people of our class. But
nothing was too good for my darling"
The Corporal broke off suddenly; his
voice had shaken suspiciolisly over that
last word, and hc waited moment to
regain his sclfcontrol, before he resumed
in his ordinary tone:
"You must excuse me, sir, for dwell
ing on this part OF my story. Try to
keep in mind that those years were the
only happy ones of my life, and you will
appreciate the struggle it is for me to
turn from them to the misery that fol.
lowed.