The record-union., 1893-02-24


softening somewhat; because if you
have, she must be beautiful 1 could
have bitten of my tongue the next mo-
ment, and the blood flew into my face,
TO think l should have complimented a
stranger, and rebel at that; but he
looked supremely unconscious as he re-
piled: Thank you again; Madge will be
pleased to hear your compliment, and if 1
1--we to see her l will surely repeat it.
Madge is my sister, and something very
Ike sign escaped his lips at the words.
Somehow my heart went out to the
sister OF the soldier, and forgetting my
VeXatlon of the minute before, | said:
oh, l do hope you may get back to her.
should be sad if you did MOTOR her
sake, not yours, l snapped, as l saw a
merry twinkle in his eye, and the blood
again sutfused my cheeks.
Thanks he replied; 'and since you
do not send curse with me L think I
must go. But could you be induced to
sell a lunch to poor, hungry rebel-one
who has not eaten to-day? Do you think
1t would be straining your loyalty too
member the good old scriptural proverb
about entertaining strangers, though l
make no pretensions to being an angel,
even of the rebel variety
We'll, sir; did not hesitate an in
stant, but put him up lunch the best the
farm afforded, and as gave it him, said
curtly: Not for one of Stuart's men, but
for the brother of the sunny-haired girl
in Old Virginia. Will you tell me her full
name?'
Hunter he replied 'Madge Hunter.
and l. her brother, am Joel Hunter, Cap
tain on the staff OF General Stuart of the
Confederate army. And your name?' he
queried.
'Mollie Merton replied, and just
then my ear caught the rapid beat OF
hoofs, and the head OF a column of Union
cavalry swung down the road at a full
trot.
"For Gods sake, Captain Hunter
almost shrieked, there comes the boys in
blue. Go, go, ride your horse to death or
they will capture you. Why don't you
go?' 1 continued excitedly, as he slowly
mounted his horse, smiling the while.
$50 we are not to part as enemies after
all, he said quietly as he extended his
hand, which 1 promptly ignored as l
somewhat stiffiy replied:
No, only go; good-by.'
Heres the pay for my lunch he
said, as he produced Confederate note:
and if at the end of the war it is worth
less, ami If am alive, l pledge you on
my honor as soldier and a-rebel that
l will redeem it,
He sat with his hand extended. the
Confederate note fiuttering between his
thumb and finger, while our cavalry
came nearer and nearer, and 1, after
standing irreSolute moment, shifting
uneasily from one foot to the other, re-
piled:
''I don't want your rebel money; l
spurn it; go, why don't you co.
"a look OF chagrin swept over his hand
some face as the full meaning of my
words went home, and loosing his hold
on the note, 1t fluttered to the grass at my
feet, and a second later he had disap-
peared in cloud of dust, while after him,
shooting and yelling, rode the Union
cavalry-our cavalry-and for the mo-
ment l fear my loyalty was sadly shak en-,
and hoped, almost against hope, for the
escape OF the rebel, and that perdition
might seize the troopers of good General
Pleasanton.
"For many minutes | stood listening
and eXpectant, until at length the sounds
died away and my senses came back to
earth once more, and there at my feet lay
the note of the despised Confederacy.
gingerly shifted it around with the toe OF
my shoe, eyeing it with considerable
curiosity, until, after peering guilty
around to make sure that | was not OBJ
served, stopped quickly, secured and
slipped 1t into my pocket in order to ex-
anime it more closely at my leisure.
And he said if it was valueless at the
close of the war he would redeem it,
whispered, for my own ears, and then.
as an afterthought, of course it will be
valueless'; and in a still smaller whisper
Il hope it will be- And just then a faint
boom came upon the breeze from the far
away South, and l knew the hard rider.
Stuart, had found something on which to
pound with his flying battery-fearful
prelude to Antietam, but did not know
it then.
l. 4. T
Bob's safety, as l always did, another
face, form and name crept unbidden into
my mind, try to!crush it out as l might
and did, and l knew that PRAYER was
half meant for another soldier-a soldier
in dust covered suit of gray; rebel;
one of Stuarts men.
Thine rolled slowly along and for
many days l saw no more sun-browned
men in butternut gray, but something. I
did not stop to think what at that time.
caused me to draw my breath quicker
when l heard that Stuart's men had
fought battle, and while | was as good a
Union woman as ever, l secretly rejoiced
when his troopers came off with light
loss.
AFTER Antietam Bob received his COM
mission-'for gallant and meritorious
conduct on the field of battle the gazette
said-and l was very proud of him, l as
sure you.
'Fredricksburg's battle was fought and
then Charlottesville, and while our
army was badly beaten at both places, the
defeat at the latter was less bitter to me
for knowing that after the great Stone
walP was wounded, (his grave is Just up
the valley there, at lexington Stuart
took command of his division and follow
ed up his advantage. Bob was promoted
to a Captaincy after that battle, and while
l was happy on that account there was
an ache away down in silent corner of
my heart, in some way associated with a
straight, handsome soldier form, some
where inside the Southern lines, fighting
for the independence of Virginia
"May passed and June was drawing to-
ward its close, when once again our quiet
was broken by the steady tramp, tramp,
tramp, as long, loose, firm columns OF
shoeless, tattered men marched by. and
General Lee was making good his threat
to invade Pennsylvania. Wild, lank.
hungry-looking men they were too, but
jolly and jovial withal. and when the
dust, thicker than usual, enveloped a
company, some sturdy, ragged rebel
would clear his thorat, raise their battle
song, Maryland, My Maryland ,'-proba-
bly, ignorant that he had already crossed
the line-and rs regiment after regiment
took up the refrain, they would spruce
up, step livelier and apparently forget
tney were iOoIsore, liIeu anu hungry.
mo casual observer would have i'm
agined that those long columns OF latter
demalions were the best soldiers the
world over; l should have laughe at the
idea then; but since it is all over and we
have had time to think, we can easily
give them that honor: all the easier see
ing it is all they have left, and that it is
only justice.
''All that day and the next they moved
onward with scarcely pause; but the
next morning away off TO the north
where one could see a line of blue hills
the grim, hollow boom of heavy guns
told us the story that the war had come
home to us at last. That was Gettysburg
! oil L.