The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-10-01

vation and a disease of the eyes had
made him almost totally blind. Here
was another opportunity for Lindsay
to use his fine Italian hand and he inn
proved it. He read Jordan a forged
letter purporting to come from afriend
in their neighborhood stating that
Mrs. Croker had recently died whilst
on visit to Knoxville, Tenn. Jordan
broke down at once and became de-
lirious, and in his mad rawlings calling
constantly for his "lost Lonore," for
Lonore was her name. In this condi-
ton for several weeks, he was brought
back to reason and sight through the
kindly ministrations Of a physician,
whose sympathies were aroused by the
mans bitter misfortunes. The ply
sician had him removed to comfort
able quarters, where he was provided
with good food, with his unnatural
brother to attend him. He soon re-
gained sustaining measure of health
and energy, and he and Lindsay by
their good conduct became "trusties"
and were allowed exceptional liberties
about the prison quarters. Taking
advantage of this they escaped and
made their way, under cover of night
and by the aid of the darkies to an
Ohio Regiment stationed on the Rap
pahannock. Jordan was SO impressed
with the kindnesses of his new friends
that he concluded to remain with them
during the rest of the war saying that
all he had loved in Tennessee were
gone and going back there would only
deepen the wounds in his heart. Here
was another opportunity for the cruel
perfdy Of Lindsay to assert itself and
he urged him to do so.
Lindsay went South alone, jubilant
over the success OF his scheme and over
the fancy that there was nothing in
the way Of his peacefully occupying to
the end Of his guilty days the hallowed
shrine from which he had driven his
loving brother. He rejoined his Regi-
ment then under Gen. Burnsides at
Knoxville When the Federal forces
occupied upper East Tennessee he
came home and told Jordan's wife that
her husband had been killed in the fall
OF '62 in a raid through Mississippi.
He renewed his old suit with re-
doubled fervor, and the crushed woman,
struggling for a new life and new
future, yielded to his persistence and
transferred part of the love she had
borne for Jordan, whom she believed
to be dead, to his false and perfdious
brother. They were married in May
'65, sold their small possessions and
emigrated to a sea-coast county in
Northern Oregon. But flight to the
utmost extremity of the country,
through tangle of deserts and unpeo-
pied wilds, could not elude the Meme
sis that was on Lindslay's track with a
lash OF scorpions, as the sequel will
show.
Jordan staid with the Ohio Regi-
ment the rest of the war going through
the hot and bloody campaigns in Vir>
| ginia unscathed OF bullet and shell
but wrecked and diseased by distresses
Of mind and exposures of person.
When the war closed and the Regi
ment was mustered out of the service, he
went with his new-made friends to theil
homes at and near Bellaire, Ohio, un.
able to work, his meagre pay as q 'pri-
vate soldier was soon expended, and
he lived upon the charity of his friends
and in county infrmaries, until the
doors of a Soldiers Home" were open
ed to him. His army record was got
ten out Of its tangle and confusion af
ter much trouble and personal visi
} and explanation to the Commissioner
Of Pensions, and he was allowed big
pension. About this time an expe'
dition to Vancouver's Island was or
/ ganized by the soldiers and Jordan
was one of the number When coast
; ing down the Pacific, on the return
} home, the expedition stopped at Sea-
5 side House, and Jordan and frien(
made q tour into the interior. One
g day at high noon they called for Dime
4 at a fine country mansion A woman
7 on the veranla kindly invited then
: in and laid before them II snmptuou
: spread Right here Jordan Croke
p made horrible discovery, the woman
s was hislong-lost Lonore. Tumultuou
t thoughts ragged in his bosom. TIL
g man of the house had gone to Salem
d on business The tables were turne,
/, and here was Jordan's opportunity
e Eighteen years had wrought thei
d changes, it is true, but the old lustr
n still sparklod in the blue depths of th