The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-12-13

me as apprOacned as5S l5uI sWneh# u saw
the beautif ul, pale face and the express
sion Of unutterable woe in her eyes, /
forgot the dignity had promised my
self, forgot the indignity with which
she had dismissed me, and feeling only
that on my side at least, the love OF
our early association had survived the
parting, reached out both hands and
said, huskily:
ST got your letter, Carrie, and / have
GOMEZ
She gave me her right hand, and
could see in the half-averted face
the struggle between pride and feel
ing. She made an effort to speak, but,
overcome by her emotions, she dropped
into chair and covered her face with
her hands.
heard her low moaning, while her
slender form swa., ed as if she would
rock her agony forest; this and the tears
pouring through her little white fingers
and falling on her heaving breast un-
nerved me more than the unexpected
appearance of all Bragg's army could
have done.
A man never appreciates his want of
power or realizes how utterly helpless it
is possible for him to become SO much
as when he tries to check the flow Of
beautiful woman's tears. By all effort
of will, rather than because Of, my we'll
meant attempt to pacify her, Carrie
Brent brushed the tears from her cheeks,
and, springing to her feet, cried out in a
voice full Of pleading and passion:
'Oh, Captain Watts, save my brother!
Do not let your people become his muir
derers!'
Feeling that it would be cruel TO re-
peat to her what General Boyle had
told me Or to assure her of my own ina
'bi1ity to assist her, said, vaguely:
For your sake and your mothers. as
we'll as in the interest of humanity, you
may depend on my doing every thing in
my power for your brother. But should
like to ask what you know about his
case
II can tell you Franks story as he
told it to me, and I never knew him to
lie," she replied. ..
els it not true that Frank was in Cit
izen's dress when captured?'' asked
sit is: but you should know how Diff
ticult--how even impossible--it is for
Confederate soldiers to secure proper
uniforms, Go to camp Chase, Or look at
the prisoners recently brought here, and
you will see that, although captured in
battle. not one-hulf of them are in uni
FORM" she said
b., hot 1u1
been ON the court-martial ! should not
have paid much heed to the dress worn
by the prisoner at the time Of his capt
ure: and although did not tell her SO,
l was very sure that the officers who
tried Frank Brent were not Influenced
in their verdict by the fact OF his not
being in uniform.
ellis commando / said, sis reported
to be down near Cumberland Gap. How
does he explain his being two hundred
miles away from it and within our lines
when captured?'
81 will concede that he was rash in
coming into this part Of the State as he
did, she answered promptly; ''but his
purpose was not to play tine spy"
"What then was his purpose?'l
"You know Miss Matte Vernon and
her family at Versailles?'
Eyes, very WE'LL
''And you may have heard that since
even before the trouble Frank has been
devoted to her?"
had heard something Of this, but
also knew that Miss Vernon and her
family were in favor Of the Union and
that it was generally believed that she
was engaged to Howard Scott, young
Kentuckian then on General Carriers
staff; so J. simply nodded in response to
Carries question.
Learning that Matte Vernon was
very ill., she continued. Crank, in the
hope of seeing her, was making his way
through to Versailles when he was capt
ured; then, to make sure Of convicting
him, they charged him with murder
that was committed when he was away
with his command in East Tennessee
This, of course, was her brothers
story, and she, at least, believed it as If
it were Holy Writ.
Asking her to remain where She was
for the present, I secured pass from
the provost marshal and wont down to
the Enclosure within which was the log
house in which the condemned man was
confined.