The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-12-12
PART III.

CliAPTER lll.-CONTINuED.
my brother wrote TO mo that the
evening after you left the burying par
~ picked up the body of what they be-
lieved to be a mulatto woman lying
on the slope. II was not Rose, but the
body of that very woman-the real and
only spy-whom you had passed
through the lines at daybreak. My
brother thinks she was accidentally
killed in the first attack upon you by
her own friends, and so fell double
martyr. But only my brother and his
friend recognized her through her
blackened face and disguise, and on the
plea that she was a servant of one of
their friends, they got permission from
the division commander TO take her
away, and she was buried by her friends
and among her people in the little Gem
etery of Three Pines crossing, not far
from where you have gone. My brother
thought / ought to tell you this; il
seems that he and his friend had a
strange sympathy for you in what they
appear to know or guess OF your rela-
tions with that woman, and L think he
was touched by what he thought was
your kindness and chivalry to him on
account OF his sister. But / do not
think he ever knew. or will know, how
great is the task that he has imposed
upon me.
You know now, do you not, why /
did not speak TO you when we first
met. 1t seemed so impossible 10 do
At in an atmosphere and a festivity that
was so homogeneous TO the dreadful
message l was charged with. And
when l had to meet you later-perhaps
/ may have wronged you-but IL seemed
10 me that you were so preoccupied
and interested with other things that
i might perhaps only be wearying you
with something you cared little for,
or perhaps already knew and had quick
ly forgotten.
IL had been wanting TO say some
thing else 10 you when had got rid Of
my dreadful message. i do not know
IL you still care TO hear. But you were
once generous enough to think that
l had done you n service in bringing n
letter 60 your commander. Although
/ know better thnn anyone else the
genuine devotion 20 your duty that
made you accept my poor service, from
ell that can hear YOU have never had
the credit of IL. viii you now try me
again? l am in more favor here, and
might yet be more successful in show
ing your superiors how true you have
been TO your trust. even IL you have
little faith in your friend Matilda
Faulkner"
For n long time he remained motion
less with the letter in his hand. Then
he arose, ordered his horse and gallopcd
away.
There was little difficulty in finding
the cemetery OF Three Pines crossing
a hillside slope, hcarsed with pine
and cypress and starred with white
crosses. that i'm the distance looked
like flowers. Still less was there in
finding the newer marble shaft among
the older lichen spotted slabs, which
pore the simple words; "Alice Ben
ham. Martyr" A few confederate sol
diers. under still palmer and newer
wooden headstoncs. carved only with
initials, lay at her feet. Brant sank
ON his knees beside the grave, but he
was thrilled to see that the base OF
the marble was stained with the red
pollen OF the fateful lily, whose bios
SONS had been henped upon her mound,
but whose fallen petals lay dark and
sodden in decay.
How long he remained there he did
not know. And then a solitary buglc
49,, 49,, .o,,,,, ecc,,od a., o,ttnu,o., hin,
MS IL had once summoned him before
and he went nway-as he had gone once
before-to n separation that he now
knew was for all time.
Then followed n month OF superin-
tendence and drill. and the infusing
into the little camp under his instruc-
ton the spirit which seemed to be
passing out OF his own life forever.
Shut in by alien hills on the border land
of the great struggle. from time TO time
reports reached him OF the bitter fight
ing and almost disastrous successes OF
his old division commander. Orders
came from Washington to hurry the
preparation OF his raw levies for the
field. and faint hope sprang up in his
mind. but following IL came another
dispatch ordering his return to the
capital.
lie reached IL with neither hone nor
fear. SO benumbcd had become his spir-
Il under this last trial. and what seemed
90 be now the mockcry OF his last sacri-
flee 10 his wife. Though 10 was no
longer a question of her life and safety.
he knew tlsut he could still preserve
her memory rom stain. by keeping
her secret even though it's divnlgence
might clear his own. For that reason
M hid eve ~ hnulfafad 70 In form Anax Of