The Portland daily press., 1892-09-29
4 Fair BLOCKADE BREAKER.
ByT. c. De Leon.


O--~S"
| Capt Charlton with an honorable post. "
When sunset glow had faded into gray
over the frozen Virginia border, Carolyn
! Clay rode into the camp. She found it
still as churchyard; the general gone,
and the sergeant of the invalided camp
guard, his own bridle-arrn in sling,
| handed her an envelope addressed in
Stuart's even, business-like handwrit-
ing, 1t ran:
| FOR the white hands of Carolyn Clay spin
| ster. These with royal greeting: Know, ladye
| fayre-as well you Lnust-my deep chagrin at an
| invitation from certain friends, whom / Esust
! meet, which hurries me away before your ad-
| vent But my dainty mare Lily OF the Valley
awaits you; also q trusty guide, and-ite,n-a
| hot supper Eating that, use my personal tent
| for nights rest or proceed to Richmond, at
| your will inclose pass. yours having been
eaten. Your obliged friend,
~. z. B. STUART"
Even without the spur Of eager long
| ing to clasp her mother and darling boy
| to her heart once more, the girl had
shrunk from unwonted occupancy of a
/ tent in solitary camp. Had duty
pointed to that sacrifice Of womanly
i feeling, Carolyn Clay had made it, but
| pointed Richmondward. So, after a
hasty supper from Mrs. Gilnor Gray's
tin, and insisted-upon sharing of it's
ample residue among the invalid guard,
| she set out once more, wearied from
riding and loss of sleep, but borne up by
love and hope for another night ride.
Once more at home, she found her
darling convalescent, and-her thrilling
story told, with certain reservations
Carolyn Clay bent all her energy, and
| every resource of tonics and medicines
she brought, to curing her boy. And
two days showed wondrous improve
ment in the yellow, shrunken little
form under her care.
Two days more brought great news,
and that sensitive scale, the heart of q
patient-waiting nation, that went up
with lightest hope OF sank heavy under
doubt and disaster, danced airily under
touch of great cavalry victory.
Spite of the bitter weather, federal
cavalry had massed above Washington,
had crossed the Potomac, three thou
sand in the saddle, and silently and
Swiftly forced march, that dropped
man and horse by the way-bore down
upon Stuart's advance. This the fed
eral general knew 70 be less than one
third his own numbers; and ss1pposing
it entirely unwarned, he hoped to sweep
it aside and ride on gayly to the capture
of the devoted capital.
Advancing securely, though cautious
~, the skilled tactician suddenly found
himself opposed by the smaller forces,
intrenched on vantage ground and
ready to join battle.
Furiously the fight had ragged; but at
last the invading force was hurled back.
broken, decimated, but stubbornly con-
testing every foot Of his retreat. This
| much only was known at the capital; it
was a great, if resultless, victory, but
one bought by the blood of many gal
liant fellow.
And soon In it's train-as in that Of
many another of these indecisive killings
came sequele, sad enough to dim the
glory of victory-to shadow, as with a
pail, those stricken homes whose prop
OR darling had been yielded as its price!
First rumors, then official kilograms,
told eager-watching crowds the names
of killed and wounded. Then dingy
ambulance trains rumbled in, bearing
the bandaged, writhing forms of the
worse wounded to the hospitals. And
finally Carolyn Clay. sitting by the bed
of her convalescent darling. was SUR
prised by visit from Lieut.. Fauntle-
roy, brilliant in new braiding, but sad
beyond his wont.
He was bearer of dispatches from
Gen. Stuart, and of brief note to Miss
Clay, telling her that he sent badly
wounded man for her especial care. He
was at Mrs. Clements, near by, the boy
said.
'sWho is be, Evan?" she asked, prompt
ly taking her wraps. "Of course viii
do all can for the poor fellow; but do
I know hima"
81 cannot say" replied the new lieu
tenant, with serious face. "The general
only babe me see you at once and ask
you to nurse him-if he live long
enough"
To the comfortable bed in the old
fashioned home Carolyn Clay softly
stole, as the surgeons, grave-faced.
turned away from probing the wound.
1t was serious one through the breast;
and the patient had tainted from ex-
haustion.
Gently. with the calm swiftness of ex-
perience in scenes of suffering, the girl
wet cloth with powerful restorative,
and moved to lay it on the sick mans
brow.
Then her own face grew pale as his,
and sudden dizziness mounted to her
brain; for there, white and calm as
marble beneath her hand-and full as
cold-were the chiseled features of
Peyton Fitzhugh, the blue lids closed
over the well-remembered eyes, that
scar upon his forehead cleaning red
beneath the soft black hair.
But the blood of generations held its
own; and an instant later her slim,
light hand was bathing the still face,
was steadily holding ammonia to the
now quivering nostrils. And that hand
did not tremble, even when 1t touched
the fateful scar; though she heard,
through sound in her ears as the
boom of the sea, her own voice denounc-