The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-09-03

rying to their posts, and knew that he
was hopelessly surprised and sur
rounded.
He ran forward among his disorgan-
lied men. To his Consideration no one
seemed to heed him! Then the remem-
branco Of his disguise flashed upon
him. But he had only time TO throw
away his hat and snatch n sword from
u falling lieutenant before n scorching
flash seemed to pass before his eyes
and burn through his hair, and he
dropped like log beside his subaltern.
An aching under tile bandage around
his head, where the spent bullet had
grazed his scalp, and the sound of i'm
possible voices dn his ears were all he
knew as he struggled slowly back to
consciousness again. Even then it still
seemed q delusion, for he was lying in
the hospital Of the headquarters, with
officers of the division staff around him,
and the division commander himself
standing by his cot, and regarding him
with I'm dir Of grave, but not unkindly
concern. But the wounded man felt in
stinctiyely that 1t was not the effect
of his physical condition, and sense
OF shame came suddenly over him,
which was not dissipated by bis supe-
rior's words. For, nlotioniDg the
others aside, the major general leaned
over his cot, and said: ltf
Until few months ago the report
was that You had been captured in the
t!iat rush Of the rear guard, which we
we're rolling up for your attack, and
when you were picked up, just now, in
plain clothes on the slope, youwere not
recognized, The one thing seemed to
be as improbable as the other" he
added, significantly.
The miserable truth flashed across
Brant's mind. Hooker must have been
captured in his clothes---perhaps in
some extrayagant sally--and had not
been recognized in the confusion by
his own officers, Nevertheless he raised
his eyes to his superior.
"You got my noteP"
The generals brow darkened. "Yes,"
he said, slowly, "but finding you thus
unprepared--L had been thinking just
now that you had been deceived by
that woman--or by others--and that II
was clumsy forgery. He stopped,
and seeing the hopeless bcwildcrnient
in the face Of the wounded man, added,
more kindly: '"But we will not talk OF
that in your present condition. The
doctor says few hours will put you
straight again. Get strong-for, 1
want you to lose no time--for your
own sake-to report yourself at Wash
ington."
Report myself--at Washington!"
repeated Brant, slowly.
That was last nights ORDER" said
the commander, with military curt
ness. Then he burst out: u don't un-
derstand 1t, Brant! believe you have
lieen misunderstood, misrepresented,
perhaps maligned--and / shall make it
my business to see the thing through
but these are the department orders,
And for the PRESENT. am sorry tosay
you ore relieved of your command"
He turned away, and Brant closed
his eyes. With it it seemed to him that
he closed his career. No one would ever
understand his explanation had
he been tempted to give it, and he
knew he never would. Everything was
over now. Even this wretched bullet
had not struck him fairly, and culmi-
mated his fate as it might For On In
stant he recalled his wife's last offer
to fly with him beyond the seas--be-
yond this Cruel injustice-but even |
as he recalled it he knew that fight |
meant the worst OF ALA half confes-
sion. But she had escaped. Thank
God for thatI Again and again, In his |
hopeless perplexity, this comfort re-
turned to him. He had saved her. He
had done his duty. And harping upon
this in his strange fatalism, 1t at last
seemed to him that this was for what
he had lived, for what he had suffered,
for what he had fitly ended his career.
Perhaps 1t was left for him now to pass
his remaining years in forgotten exile,
even as his father had, his father--his \
breath came quickly at the thought
God knows, perhaps as wrongfully
accused. It may have been proyf-
dence that she had borne no child, to
whom this dreadful heritage could be
transmitted.
ITO be continued,)