Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-10-07
u Jefferson looked I'D again.

80 have no such information to give
you, told him.
That time was quite sure that JEFF
ferson recognized me. | could see it in
his eyes. But he only said:
- Precisely. That is the exact lie /
expected you to tell
'And then he added:
Sergeant, take your men outside and
leave the prisoner alone with me-
"The men filed out and the Sergeant
followed them and closed the door. AS
soon as it was shut, Jefferson got up from
the table where he was sitting and gripped
me by the hand.
+" Arthur he said, Haven't seen you
these last five years. But I'm not mistak-
en-. You are my brother Arthur, aren't
you2'
II hadn't meant to tell him who l
was. You see he'd got to order me
to be shot anyway, and it seemed
better he shouldn't know he was SEN
fencing his own brother. But it wasn't
any use trying to deceive him then.
He wouldn't have believed it. SO |
owned up.
yes, Jefferson, said. I'm Arthur
Langley right enough. was in hopes
you wouldn't recognize me. But you
have.
"Then we sat down and talked of
many things while the soldiers waited
outside.
HE asked me for news of you, and
wanted to know if you had forgiven him
for running away from home. l told
him that you had, and that he must go
back to you after the war was over; and
he promised that he would. And then
we both cursed the war that had brought
us together so strangely and so terribly,
and poor Jefferson seemed even more
distressed than | was by our awful meet
ing. He broke down and sobbed, poor
boy.
Z" God knows, Arthur he said, I'd
let you 90 right away back to Stuart's
camp if could. But | can't.
"And nc couldn't, mother.
4 know you can't do it, Jefferson l
told him. You're men wouldn't let you.
If you tried they'd mutiny.'
"He allowed that it was more than
likely.
Likely? l said. It's a dead GER
tainty. I'd be shot just the same if you
tried; and your second in command
would put you under arrest, and your
Colonel would see that you were shot,
too. No, Jefferson, you've got it to
do, and you'd best get it done right
away
"The poor boy sat down and covered
his face with his hands, sobbing, ooh, my
God my God y
Il tried to calm him bit, telling him
that it was only the fortune of war, and
that when | started | knew was taking
my life in my hands. But it didn't seem
to comfort him. He kept pacing up and
down the room saying, l can't do it!
can't do it!
"But | told him that he must do it
there was no way out of it. Then he
made great effort and Gained himself.
He sat down at the table and struck the
gong, and then the sergeant came into
the room again.
"'Sergeant,' he said, the prisoner
will be shot at daybreak. For the pres
ent you will lock him in the room oppo-
site to nine
"And so they brought me up here and
left me-"
There was break in the letter here.
Arthur Langley began several sentences,
only to strike his pen through them
again. But presently he went ON thus:
"You will be angry with Jefferson,
mother. You will think that l am max
ing excuses for him, and that he might
have saved me if he'd liked. Then read
on, mother. | have something else tC
tell you. When you have read it yol
will never think badly of Jefferson again
"Two hours ago heard some one tap
ping gently at my door, and voice i
was Jefferson's voice spoke to me in q
! whisper.
Arthur! Arthur he said. Don
answer me, Arthur, or some one ma!
hear you, but listen carefully to what
say
81 listened, and this was what h
said:
IF you put your hand into you
wash-hand jug you will find n key tina
will unlock your door. In h passag,
you will see a Federal uniform and al
overcoat. Put them on and walk RICH
out through the front door, and maxi
straight for the clump Of trees to tn
west. Button your coat well over you
face, and you will be mistaken for me
| usually visit the sentries about thi
time. If you are challenged, initiate m.
voice and give the password "Peters
burg" Good by, Arthur and God bles
you.
"There, mother you see what JefTer
son was willing to do for me. | wonde
if you understand why Pm not going t,
let him do it? 1t is because know jus
what the offer means. 1t means tina
Jefferson will be arrested for connivin
at my escape and shot instead of me.
mustn't allow that to happen, must |?
Jefferson and weren't as goo
friends Us we should have been in the oil
times; but | always allowed there VIZ
grit in him, and now | know it, | hop
there's grit enough in me to stand OF
against this temptation. It's a tempti
ton to think that there's that uniforI
whiting for me all the while, and L,
only to put 1t on aud get clear away.
wonder -'
once again he stopped writing. I'll
temptation mad been real one; Tor III
is very sweet at two and twenty, and Il
hard % let 10 90 by merely sitting sti