Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-11
MISS HOLIDAYS AFTER
NOON NAP.
By HOWARD FIELDING.
Copyright. 1895. by Bachelor, johnson 4
Bacheller.l
CHAPTER
THE "LoyG ROOM" AT sUNNYsIpA

| oSu. rreuerlck dOllluay, my uncle,
served his country in the field from the
opening Of the civil war to its close.
lie entered the army as first ieuten-
ant and rose to the rank which have
coupled with his name. Few soldiers
OF that war participated in so many bat
ties; and his tremendous energy urged
him ever to the front. 1t is therefore
the more remarkable that not a drop of
blood was exacted from him as the price
OF his devotion to the cause. Horses
were shot under him; comrades fell
dead at his side; but neither steel nor
lead could touch him. Yet his name
was written on a bullet; and it was or
dained that, when scenes of violence
had become mere dreams, in the home
of his peaceful old age, and in an hour
OF absolute tranquility, the death he
had so often gone to meet should come
| to him
| IL was drowsy summer afternoon.
| l lay IN hammock under the trees be-
| fore my uncles home, called Sunnyside,
| on the banks of the Hudson, some miles
below West Point. Some one passed
''hN Np'tittC W dih IitdI mt Dut
was so near to sleep that / had not the
| energy to turn my head to see who it
was. ! supposed, however, that it was
Capt. Charles Marshall, al officer of the
, United States army, and the accepted
| suitor Of my uncle's daughter.
My feeling for Marshall was not cor
| dial. would have much preferred to
| see Margaret engaged to Horace Preble.
whom liked exceedingly. Two years
before, | had believed that they would
| make match; but my uncle S influence
had turned the scale in favor Of Mar
shall. say this on my own authority,
and as an expression Of my belief at the
time. The accepted theory, however,
was that Preble's loss of his small for
tune, through the dishonesty OF trus-
tee, had caused him to withdraw from
the contest. 1 had seen comparatively
little Of him since, though recently |
had begun TO meet him in society,
where, being of good family and re-
markably attractive appearance, he
was a favorite despite his utter lack Of
interest in the gayeties of that world.
Marshall was forty years old. and q
typical soldier. The idea Of Margaret's
marriage TO him suggested an incar-
ceration in military prison.
A few minutes after the steps which
took to be Marshall's passed me. |
suddenly remembered that the general
had asked me to confer with him upon
matter of business that afternoon.
knew that should find him at that
hour in the Long Room" as it was
called, an apartment extending the full
length of one side of the house. This
somewhat unusual feature had been
aided to the house, considerably to the
detriment of its external appearance.
by the generals orders. He made it his
parade ground in bad weather; and
there he used to march up and down,
attended by many soldiers wrath.
summoned by his old commander from
grave in the south. The furnishings
Ut the room were as peculiar as its di-
mansions. AT one ena was the generals
desk where he wrote his letters. There
was also an easy chair fnr reading, and
some small, revolving bookcases The
other end had somewhat the appear.
snce OF conservatory; ana midway
was a couch with cushions, work
basket with colored woods, and other
indications that Margaret often kept
her father company in the Long Room.
l found her there seated. She Law
on the couch fast asleep. l stood By
her side, looking down upon her beau
tiful face. and she did not know. The
general, at his desk, had not moved at
the sound of my coming. The somno-
lency of the summers day seemed TO
hold them both.
| put my hand on Margarets fore
head and walked her. She did not start,
but only opened her brown eyes and
looked up at me with instant recogni.
ton. Before either of us spoke, Mrs.
Holiday appeared in doorway, and
said:
Capt. Marshall is here
was looking straight into Margaret's
face when the mans name was
mentioned; and somehow I got an i'm
preston that there might be hope for
Preble yet.
The girl followed her mother to an
other part of the house, and walked to
the generals side. He was bent over his
desk, and his head rested upon his hands.
| spoke, and he did not move. laid
my hand upon his shoulder. My touch
disturbed the equipoise of his body 1t
slowly, heavily slid from the chair, and
fell to the floor where it lay face up
ward.
A single glance at that face showed
me that Gen. Holiday was dead.
l am not one of those who tremble in
the presence of death. The dominant
sentiment of my heart, as knelt beside
this lifeless form, was poignant grief
for the loss Of one whom l had loved
and reverenced many years.
But when, after moment, saw
blood upon him and upon the floor
where he had fallen, and much more
beneath the desk, was alarmed and
cried out for help. Stephen Hanley,
my uncles butler, ran into the room by
q door close to where l stood beside the
corpse. He was the only person who
heard my cry. 1t is notable about the
Long Room that sound does not readily
pass out of 1t. The butler was so ter
-.