Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-08-09
"A Fair
Blockade Breaker +!
BY r. G. DELEoN.

And soon, after, heavy step icreaked
ON the stairs; the door flung open. and
''the flower of cavaliers"-Lsb Stuart
himself In. A vivid sash
of yellow silk was wound about his
waist, its heavy tassels falling near the
patent-leather kmee-boots, stitched In
gold and garnished with. shining spurs.
Otherwise. he was the same careless,
,dashing soldierllately seen In camp.
"Miss Clayi bravestsl title woman he
cried. with extended hand; then, noting
her gesture for silence: ooh, he's al
right. met old DIR. Weythe at the
door. He tells me your good nursing
has saved this-deserter."
He drew nearer the bed as he spoke
the hateful word lightly, but she
WINGED under it.
But Stuart didynot note that; for she
saw those bright blue eyes, she knew
so quick to darkenS with anger or con-
tempt, dancing as with some joy, or
jest, suppressed.
swered, softly, butiw1th downcast eyes
and qulvering lips. HE suffered so ter
riblyl And it was your special command
by Evan"
by the way" the general inter
rupted, softly, "that youngster never
told you that this was his work"
"EvanP Hisi The ihgratep' Miss
Clays eyes famed, her small hands
clinched, and she almost Kissed the
words at her chief.
"Oh, not his hurt: I meant his being
saved" Stuart replied, quickly. your
cousin brought him in, through a storm
of bullets"
A great breath, half sigh, half sob,
broke from the girls bosom, and some
color came back to her face, as the gen.
eral went.on:
by theway, you lost an admirer in
that fight Capt. Charlton was"
"Was he killed." she asked, quickly.
mo; captured unhurt; and after q
great fight, too. The fellow has plenty
of grit; but he is such an awful
romancerl'
A movement in the bed. The black
eyes opened slowly, languidly. but with
full consciousness in them at last. AS
they fall upon the general, tho weak,
pale lips form one word: "Jebl"
''Fitz, old man. And that strong
right hand, SO rough in sword play,
steals softly as a woman's to the white.
wasted one upon the coVerlet, and tho
left gently and tenderly rests upon the
broad brow, shutting from view the
bright red scar.
Then, as amazement riveted her eyes
upon his face, the sad, black ones wan
dered to Carolyn Clay's- Great wonder
struggled in the mans white face; the
lips again moved feebly:
"Yor, tool How good"
'sHush, Fitzl Not one word!' Stuart
whispered, softly. you're all right,
but we must obey your nurse, old man. p"
And, white as her patient, Carolyn
Clay drew nearer, striving to drop some
fluid in q glass But the hand that had
not trembled in all that weary vigil
now shook as she whispered, with quiv-
ering lips and averted face:
"Take this; you must not talk"
With a look that carried volumes OF
words, the sick man obeyed, closed his
eyes, and, with a sigh OF infinite con-
tent, yielded to the drug and slept
again.
Then, still not turning her face, the
wondering woman whispered:
'What does it all mean2'
Taking her hand, with all the defer
ence of the cavalier, Stuart led Miss
Clay to the open room adjoining. There
his story was briefly told. The dispatch
Evan brought across had saved q fata,
surprise. Before the dawn of battle
morning, as the confederates lay in
: rifepits, waiting the attack, Airing
was heard in front. Soon Fitzhugl
, raced in, closely followed by fedora
troopers. That day he was in the yer.
forefront of the fight When the enem.
broke, Charlton's troop was first II
mount, in close pursuit; q rally, ant
they broke in turn, leaving their cap
tain hemmed by hostile sabers. LilS
lightning Fitzhugh cut his way to Charl
ton, just as he fell pinioned by hi
horse. Then Evan reached the pair
l. fighting on foot, just as Fitzhugh fell
d The boy sprang from saddle, threw tn
wounded man across his horse, an
. brought him safely in, under a very ha1
(, of lead.
e AS she heard this terse recital, tn
woman's brain reeled; but will coerce
= 1t to calm at its close, and she gasped:
"But-all this for-G spy"
''Yes-for minei" Stuart's eyes, glin
ing as he recounted the fray, softene
to tenderness, as did his tone. 'Peyto
Fitzhugh, my lifelong friend, was ser
- abroad at my request on a delicate mi
sion. He could not stay. Service hel
secret as desperate in peril-wt
needed; and that grand fellow yondC
r. rislked q halter hourly-bore obloqu
and insult from both sides-to serve Il
cause"
But your order9 That SCARF"
Secrecy made the order imperatfv
. Thrice begged him to return, expla!
and accept troop. He refused, unit
found better man to replace hi
there. That scar was made by n
az pistol-mistaling him on lonely nigh
ride, when deemed far away"
"And Capt. Charlton's story"
'sWas one of the strange ones he tel
I, after country parties, Miss Clay
Stuart's eyes were dancing in the
= deep blue depths again. "But his 81
lant fight redeemed his gasconade, VIII
I acted Joab to him and put him in t
,&, front of the battle. But the coun