Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-07-18
A TENNESSEE LOVE STORY

They called her the Daughter of
the Confederacy in that Southern
city. She has daughter of her own
now, who should, OF course, be call
ed the Granddaughter of the Con-
federacy, but probably isn't. That,
however, is anticipating.
The daughter of cause SO long
dead could not have been 80 young
and beautiful. She must have been
the child of memory, that grows
more beautiful with each year, and
knows new youth with each sue,
ceeding generation.
She was very beautiful the day
that Howard Pearce saw her. He
sat on the window ledge OF his Sec
ond-story offics---he vas o young
lawyer from the North--and looked
down on Company K, --th Tennes-
see National Guards, lined. up at
"parade rest.p He knew their Cap
tain, Saunders, who also was o law
yer, and whose office adjoined
Pearce's. 1t was annual encampment
time, and K Company was about 70
| go to the grounds at the foot of the
ridge.
"Order-harmsl' commanded Cap
tain Saunders.
"Carry-harmsT
"Shoulder--harms Right for 'ad,
tours right-m'ch ~
| Company z moved up the street.
As the last four swung into the col
umn, there came CHATTER Of hoofs on
the pavement, and a girl rode past
the company and took her place at
its head, saluting the Captain grave
| ly, and with ceremony.
"What a beautiful grip Pearce
exclaimed.
| She wore q gray riding habit,
with a double row of small brass
buttons leading up to two black stars
on the collar. On her sunny locks
a small gray SLOUGH hat rested, tilt
ed lust the least bit over one eve.
She rode well.
Pearce leaned so far from the win
dow to catch a parting glimpse OF
the girl in gray that he almost fell.
The crowd had dispersed, and the
young lawyer returned to his desk
1t was warm day toward the end
of July, and he was not sorry that
he had no business on hand that
must be rushed. He reflected that
as almost every one had gone to the
camp ground, there was no reason
for remaining in the office, which
the little breeze that stirred out
doors carefully avoided.
Evidently the girl in gray had
gone to the camp ground. And with
Saunders. But Saunders was mar
ried happily married, Pearce hop.
ed. Anyhow he was glad that Saun-
ders WAS married.
That evening he sat before Cap.
tain Saunders tent, with the Cap
tain, his wife and Miss Moore-tbe
| girl in gray. To the east of the
camp ground the ridge rose in q
gentle slope. To the southwest,
seemingly towering just ever them
was the mountain.
| Pearce's heart beat faster as the
thought came to him that thirty
years before white tents had marked
the foot Of the ridge as they did that
day. But then they had stretched
for miles north and south.
| "Captain,' he said, turning to
Saunders, sit is easier to get up the
ridge than it was once. There are no
men in gray there tonight"
"No,' the Captain replied; shut
The sons of some of those men are
there pointing to the company
street, in which blue clad figure;
lounged. Loyal? Without doubt
Listen
The bands, which had united for
the evening concert, had just struck
up "The Star Spangled Banner.
When the air was recognized cheer
arose from the tented wood.
"Hear that?' said the Captain.
"Wait," said the girl in gray.
"For what?n Pearce asked.
"They will play Dixie ate
awhile
"What then?"
Then they will yell,1 she said
looking at him with a bright smile
and nodding a confident aYou'll SO
--or hear.n
And he did. When the Nationa
air was finished there Was brie
wait. Then the quick, stirring note
of Dixie started the woods int
life with sharp echoes, which wer
drowned by one long, loud yell
Pearce looked at the girl to II
ceive an expected II told you SO.
3 But she was not looking at hin
Her cheeks were dark with colo
land her eyes, frightened by excite