Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-06-30
NuAPTER W.

CHAPTER XXI.
We have made no note of time. A
yea of war seems to fly moro swiftly
by than a month Of peace. The minutes
OF war are mGdo up of its dead, its hours
of burials, its days of battles, its weeks
of campaigns which move a nation, its
months Of black figures relating the
number OF widows and orphans and the
tens of millions Of dollars expended, its
years Of despair and desolation crying
to heaven.
Winter had fallen upon mountain and
valley, upon the ~blackened ruins of once
happy homes, upon blood spot and burr
al ground. While things had gone very
quietly at Rest Haven they had not
( gone well. Now and then a detachment
of Federals or Confederates had galloped
past on the stony road, but they had
left the family in peace. Letters no
longer came and went. The country
was in the hands of the Federals, and
many of the inhabitants had fed away.
The Percys would have gone before win
ter set in but for the state of the moth
er's health. They were waiting and
hoping that she would so mend that
she could be moved, but she did not.
One autumn night a party of raiders
had taken away the horses. and after
that Uncle Ben had to make his trips
ON foot as he secured the country i'll
| search of provisions to keep the family
| going. In spite Of the high prices and
general scarcity of all necessarios he
managed SO well that nearly every want
was supplied in some way. On two oc-
casions beyond the 4 mentioned Fed
eral accommodating parties LETT supplies
at the house, and enc Captain Wylo
I sent a store Of articles which could have
only been gathered at considerable cost
and trouble. Both sides pitied the
unhappy and defenseless situation Of the
J family, which YVES only one of hun
dreds. The sutferings Of the southern
women during the war have found no
historian, and the heroism displayed by
them in the face OF peril and adversely
has not gone down 10 their children on
printed pages. Who could write it?
Where would he begin or end? In no
epoch of history Were mothers, wives
and daughters called upon for greater
sacrifices, nor were sacrifices ever SO
cheerfully made. Brave, patriotic, en-
during, and yet no state or community
has reared a marble shaft on which is
engraved the words of praise and com
mendation so justly their due.
When Marian becama convinced tina.
if Mrs. Baxter had any plan afout it
was TO play the spy and forward the
cause OF Captain Wyle, she did not let
| tho matter worry her. A sort Of truce
was declared between the woman and
Uncle Ben, and yet he did not cease to
suspect ard to watch her. He found
out that Ike had been exchanged and
! had reJoined his company, and on two
occasions he had good reasons to believe
that the man secretly met her i'll the
neighborhood of the house. Owing to
the interruption Of the mails, it was only
at long intervals that Marian heard from
Royal kenton. For Il month previous
to the battle in which he was captured
she had heard no word from him. When
| news came, 1t WE from Captain Wyle
himself on his second visit to the Ha-
ven. His company was acting as a
| guard for a wagon train Of forage gath
cred in the valley, and his stay was
brief. While his welcome was fairly
cordial, he realized that circumstances
were not propitious for any approach to
the subject nearest his heart, and he
forced himself to be content with gem
eralities. incidentally, as if the matter
was of little or no moment to her, he
mentioned the fact Of General jackson
having become suspicious of Kenton
and suggesting the detail which was
made and Of his having heard only a
day OF two before hat the Federals had
descended on the post and captured the
entire Confederate command. What he
added was both false and cruel-viz,
that it was rumored that Kenton was
among the Confederate killed.
If the captain hoped that Marian
would betray her real feeling, he was
not disappointed. AS she received his
information every vestige of color fed
from her face, and she seemed about to
faint.
"You-you say it is 60 rumored?"
she gasped.
"Only rumored, but
But you believe the rumor will be
confirmed."
Il must say that I do. Mr.. Kenton
was, | believe, a friend of yours, and of
course the news of his death will shock
and grieve You. He and l would also
have been friends but for his, to say the
least, disloyal conduct toward the cause
be for some reason best known to him
self espoused."
Captain Wyle, you wrong him, liv-
ing or deadi'' exclaimed Marian as she
braced herself against the shock caused
by report of the minors. He enlisted
because he was imbued with the same
feeling l hope You were-a feeling that
he owed allegiance to Virginia first of
ALL"
He has acted very strangely for a
Virginia patriot, | must declare, said
the captain.
How strangely" she demanded as
the color began to return to her cheeks
and her eyes to fash.
Every one in my company firmly
believes he joined us hat the Yankees
might have a spy within our lines"
"And who made them believe it
Royal Kentou has periled bis life in th'
cause oftener than any maj in you
company or regiment Tell me Of on
single instance where an honest, m
biased man could have questioned hi
loyalty!"
"Why was he left behind, detailed
to guard stores, and that at Genera
Jackson's suggestion?" asked the cap
tain.
You are already possessed of tina
knowledge she scathingly replied
There has been a conspiracy agains
him from the very outset, and it is no
the fault of the conspirators that he wa
not ass~assinated before a battle had beel
fought"
ssprivate Eenfon. n nIive. eheuld fec