The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-30


here But her heart is broken
Lieutenant Townly occupied the best
guest chamber that highland saw moth
ing more of the unhappy orphan, nor
indeed did he even think of her while
in company with his betrothed, but
when he was going to bed she required
to his remembrance, and he accorded
her a sigh of sympathy. At daybreak,
having to join his comrades early, he
arose and began dressing with soldier
like haste, but suddenly stopped short
in his toilet and stood as if paralyzed,
listening
A girls voice, fresh, strong and sweet
caroled and lifted, not in the set meas
ures of any song, but in such an exu-
berant outburst Of roulades, trills and
fourishes of melody as seemed the up
bubbling and outgushing of purely
happy heart, free from care and sorrow.
my God, 4" he exclaimed to himself,
with a look that was almost fright, ''that
is Clara singingl 1 am sure of It'll know
her voicei'' He sat upon the edge of the
bed, listened and gasped: "CSreat heav-
ems, what an utterly heartless creature
Or else grief has turned her brain. -
Miss FarWen appeared at the break
fast table and demonstrated the posses
the family added together. The ieuten-
ant looked upon her with lev disap-
proval, but she did not seem to be aware
of it. Finally he said in his most solemn
manner, 81 learned last evening with
sincere regret of your recent bereave-
ment, Miss FarwelL -
about papa, you mean?'' she replied
laughingly 'sOh, guess it was not true.
There are so many stories flying about
now one never knows what to believe. -
And with that she seemed to dismiss
the subject
10 had no appetite. Her callous in
difference sickened him. Never before
could he have believed her capable of it,
and the hideous question forced itself
upon him, Are other girls like her, or
is she an exceptio nal monster?'' Soon he
got up from the table and CHANGED to
glance out of a window into the back
yard There upon the wood pile, with
a piece of corn bread in one hand and
his medicine tea'' pot in the other, sat
the old vagrant darky. He was eating
his frugal breakfast and looking at the
groom bringing the Heutenant's horse
from the stable.
The young officer pondered glOOmily
as he rode and had gone full five miles
of the way back from Winchester to
General Fitzhugh Lees camp before a
certain suspicion occurred to him. At
that point two widely dissimilar things
suddenly presented themselves in juxta-
position before his mental vision. One
was the heartbrolzen girl merrily sing
ing; the other the old darby on the wood
pile And it came to him as an inspira-
ton that the presence of the latter in
some way-if he could only see how
explained the astonishing change in the
former. 1t was by no means impossible
that the negro should have brought news
to Clara. Monroe was doubtless right in
looking upon all of that race as, poten-
TALLY at least, Yankee spies Should he
conffde his suspicious to the captain, he
would get himself laughed at if he was
wrong and if right terrify and grieve the
family by what might very well happen
were the negro lucl1less enough to be
caught After much cogitation he con-
cluded to keep his mouth shut which
under most circumstances is about the
wisest thing a man can do.
General T. w. Rosser's cavalry came
from Richmond a fortnight later and
joined General Early with the avowed
intention of sweeping the invaders
out of the valley. Lieutenant TOwnly,
deeming that "a contamination devout-
ly to be wished, " since Winchester and
Edith were in the debatable ground, OBJ
tanned permission to serve with them
a volunteer aid on General Rosser's
staff. When General Sheridan gave up
the project of a winter campaign in the
mountains and fell back on Winchester,
the Confederate cavalry harassed his
rear so daringly that he determined to
turn and give them a lesson on the dan
ger of getting too close to him The en-
suing trouble at Toms Brook Crossing
eventuated in entire reversal of Gen
eral ROsser' S programme The sweeping
was done, but his cavalry were the
swept. They were scattered in mad
rout, some by way of Columbia Furnace
to the mountains, others up the valley
pike into the Massanutten range, and
many never stopped until they got into
General Early's camp south of Mount
jackson. Lieutenant Townly was among
those who took the pike He had been
sent to the front with orders, was there
when the tide of battle turned and found
himself inextricably involved and help
1essly carried along by the panic strick-
en- throng. Comrades were falling about
him, wounded horses dropped in the
way, increasing the confusion, and the
air was full of deafening tumult made
up of ciashing steel, gathering equip
ments, pounding hoofs, cracking car
bines and pistols, yelling voices and in
articulate cries of those struck by death
A bullet tore its way through his right
forearm; his saber dropped from his
nerveless hand The next moment his
horse stumbled and went down As he
fell he had dim perception of a huge