The Springdale news., 1889-08-16

spect dey' 'd know mo, but 'um don't but Dick Sneed did, an he nebber see me till de war commence Den say kill him. and on de las day ob de Shiloh battle 1 shoot 'um Wld my own hand. Heah am de yaller handkerchief. 1 tuck It from dc bureau de night de rets come to hang Massa Luke" and he held up the handkerchief, on the border of which were the words embroidered in black
 "IUAE MASON"
 "Whatl My God! can this"
 Hole on, boy, hole on, this mans we3K I'll tell him, you can't" said MT. Neff- dis playing an energy Luke had never thought he possessed.
 To the failing man he hurredly explained that he had found the cradle floating, and that the child was alive, and that his brother had reared him. Colonel Luke Mason was that child. Tue Confederate Colonel was failing very rapidly, and while Mir Ncff had broken the news to him quickly, he had done so in a way not to excite him. The dying father reached out his hand and clasped that of his new-found son.
 My boy" lie whispered, live found you at last.n Then he called to his dauTa ter, who started as if from stupor: Come here, Elsie, my child" Placing Lukc's hand m hers he said Here is your brothcr.n
 Brother and sister silently folded their arms about each other. What was lt that held all silent and spell bound under that wonderful revelation! That Luke was the lost son of Colonel Morgan none could doubt, yet not q word was spoken, no shout of joy. Were the witnesses stunned with the announcement, or was 1t the presence oi deaths
 LiIlie came to them, and Luke, placing one arm about her, turned to Elsie and said "Can you love her as sistcr:' "Yes, yes, r she sObbcd. Colonel Morgan, without uttcring another word, turned his face toward the dark, dis colored wall, and peace came to his troubled soul Soquct was he, so silently did the change come, that the praycrful watchers | knew it not until all was over | It was Luke's regimcntal chaplain whC | performed the burial service, and hc and his sister, whom he had only so recently known, stood by the grave and watercd II 1 with their tears.
 1 Luke determined at once to drop thc name of Mason and take his proper name Morgan. But this he found almost lmpos | sible while in the army, as all his papers were made out in the name Of Mason. It was afterwards ascertained that Luko Mason the original owner of the yellow handker chief, was a mulatto, who was house sery ant of MT Morgan, and his handkcrchlei had by some means got into tho possession of the nurse, possibly presented 10 her bl the original Luke himself who was quite { | firt in his way.
 | Colonel Mason got leave of absence for fewrlays, and went with his sister Lille MT Neff and Albert, who had been paroled 1 I would be safe. He persuaded LilHe to De come his wife and they were quietly mar | ricd at a little country church in Kentucky | His sister kissed him on parting and tolt | him to care for their brother Jasper if ht should find him. He promised to do so, gav' l her to Albert and told him 10 care for bOtt if he should never return Luke reached his regiment just in time tC join General Hallcck in the Corinth cam paign His regiment had meanwhile been l fully recruited and assigned tO the brigade of General McArthur.
 Old Arkausaw Tom was constantly Witf l hls beloved Colonel He seemed tO hav, lost much of his Joval spirit slncc hls three l companions had left him. II was aurn- 1 one of the terrible assaults on Coruth tha l the brave old veteran fen dead at Lukc', l feet The Colonel stopped to raise thC l fallen man. when he fell wounded and wa, carried to the rear, 50 that inc never looked 1 on the Wrinklcd face of His brave old frICnC l again.
 l The Coloncrs little wife came to nursC i him back to hcaltA and he was able tO loIr | his regiment just after the taking of NIcks 1 burg. He found his brother, Mai0r Jasper 1 Morgan, in the hospitaldyug from a wound 1 His wife and sister were tclegraphrd for i but came too late.
 i It was in tho charge at KcncsaW Mmut ains that BlackhaWk, who had insistc4 ol being Luke's body-scrvant, fell pierced bl a bulletin the bowels The Colonel sprane ! to the ground and raised the head of tht dying negro, and asked what he could do tJ relieve or help him.
 ''Nuthin', inassa. Am dc fight oyer|
 For the present 1t is."
 ''I s done fur, any way; Ye can't help mc massa. Would yc help me, who tried tt drown yc when baby"
 "Yes, BlacBhawk, l have forgiven yOg | that.n
 But, massa, yc dun know aIl"
 "W bat else is there 10 lmoW!' ''It war mo dat sighted de gun am pullco dc trigger dat killed yer father" | With an exclamation of horror LukC ! dropped tho head of tue woundcdnc,ro am staggered to his feet Mounting his horSt | he rode to where the regiment was form ing for another charge, and when next hC saw BlaCkhawk life was extinct 1 When peace was declared Luther Mor | gan, or Luke Mason, as we have known him l had just been commissioned Brigadier General But he resigned and went home l His sister had married Albert and thcl were rebuilding and rcfurnishlng the olt | NefT homestead. MT. Ncff had died yea 1 before.
 After short visit 10 brother and sisteI | Luther Morgan and his sweet young Wl went to Ohio and settled in one Of the small CT towns of that great State, where hc cn l gagged in the practice of law, ill which pro | fession he has won both fame and money True to his duty and true to his love, hc K now enjoying the blessings for which ht 1 fought four long years.