Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-05-09

suade him at least to stay the execution of
the order until she might appeal in person
to Gen. Hunter. The message was written,
and the rider dashed at top speed toward
the telegraph office at Martinsburg. The
electric current was to take the appeal to
Washington and to bring back the reply,
if reply should be vouch- safed, in less than
fifty-fve minutes. There was not mo-
ment to be lost. The soldiers lounging by
the roadside at the gate under the shade
of tie great trees looked in wonder at the
man dsshing down the road, and surmis-
ing his errand, made bets for aud against
the success of his mission. Then the hoof
beats died away, the dust that he had raised
blew off into the fields, the hot sun beat
down, and all was still again. Capt. Mar
tindale and his men at the house dismount-
ed and sat upon the porch. Mrs. Faulkner
and her daughters, scarce daring to hope
for success, busted themselves in packing a
few trunks, while the frightened servants
ran hither and thither, wailing and weep
ing.
The minutes sped. Ten, twenty, thirty
were gone. Still no sign of the messenger.
The women at the house had lost all hope,
aud one of the daughters urged the cap
tain to give them little more time.
81 an very sorry, madam" he said, "but
have no authority to grant a single min
ute beyond the hour. | have no taste for
my errand, l assure you, but | must obey
orders"
Forty-6ye minutes were past and the
road was still as death. The soldiers at the
gates grew bosterous in their assurance
that the house was doomed. Fifty min
utesl To the trembling women, standing on
the portico, the clock seemed alive with q
demoniac energy The second hand fairly
few around its dial. Fifty one, two, three,
| four
Suddenly from the gate there came q
sound of cheer-it grew louder, but not
so loud that it drowned the noise of horse
galloping at full speed. The messenger
had been deserted at the top Of hill a
quarter of mile away, and, fearful that he
was late, he dashed his horse to furious
pace, and above his head ne waved paper.
Infected with the spirit of the riders en-
thusiasm. the federal soldiers cheered him
on, and as he passed them swinging into
the gate they forgot their partisanship and
babe him speed.
The clock just lacked five minutes of the
hour when, with his horse fairly blown, the
messenger drew up in front of the porch
He did not need to descend from the sad.
die, for the captain had sprung from his
seat on the porch and with eager hand took
the paper from the rider and quickly passed
it up to Mrs, Faulkner, who, with tears in
her eyes, stood eagerly awaiting the news
from Washington. So agitated was she
that she could hardly open the envelope in
which the telegram was inclosed, but when
at last she Hnfolded the paper she read
aloud, as follows:
"The property of Charles James Faulkner
is exempt from the order of Gen. David
Hunter for the burning of the residences Of
three prominent citizens of the Shenandoah
valley in retaliation for the burning Of
Gov. Bradford's house in Maryland by the
confederate forces.
| ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
And so the grad old home was saved
The other houses, however, were burned
that day, one of the two being that of a
cousin of Gen. Hunter.