The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-04-28
GAPThIN CLOSE
lCoRJ risht, 1894. by ]. B. Lippincott Col



Confined to her bed and room as was
Madam Walton, and only vaguely alive
to what might be going on in the house
hold-for there were days when she
lay dull and apathetic, yet mercifully
spared from suffering-it was Esther's
duty and fondest care to minister to
her mothers needs even at time when
her heart was torn with anxiety on &C
count of her husband, now prisoner
in the hands of the United States mar
shall at the capital and of her brother,
who, under the orders of the general in
command of the department, had been
sent under guard to New Orleans. there
to await his trial by court-martial for
the crime of desertion. The visits of
the old family physician were frequent,
for the invalid had had too much to suf-
fer and seemed incapable of further
struggle. Floyd was twice permitted
20 visit his mother during the two days
that elapsed before Geographic orders
came in his case. She knew him, clung
to him, yet seemed unable to realize
that he was going from her. She once
been heard from, for Cousin Bart had
written fun details of Floyd's trouble,
and the family united in urging him TO
mako an appeal TO certain influential
friends of the ante bellum days, who
had scandalized the Waltons by their
loyalty to the old flag. Then Lambert
wrote letter which Close signed and
sent to the department headquarters,
and the boy, remembering some kind
words said to him by his fathers old
friend, ventured on a personal letter
to the general himself, pleading Wal
tons case and portraying the family's
distress. 1t was this letter that over
came Esther's objection to the advice
of Mr.. Potts to the effect that they take
Mr.. Lambert in as day boarder. And
within AZ hours of his initial appearance
at their table Mrs. Scroggs, as he was
the first to address his blushing hostess,
was more than reconciled TO the step.
But if she was, Miss Kate was not.
The wrath and indignation of that
young lady can hardly be described. 1t
was one thing, she declared, for her to
sell eggs and butter to a gentleman who
was friend of Floyd's, who told her he
despised his captain as much as she did,
who had enlisted only because he had
been promised immediate promotion to
q captaincy, and who never would have
done so even then, had he known that
soldiers could be used to prosecute the
people of the south. He was only wait
ing for his commission to come-or his
discharGe-to tell Capt. Close what he
thought of his conduct. 1t was all very
well to make friends with gentleman
like Mr.. Riggs, who had been dear
brother Floyd's friend at Quitman be-
fore he fell in love with that horrid
designing Yankee girl who had led him
on to "'cohtin'" her when she was all
the time engaged to that rich ragpicker
Jr whuteveh he might be. Mr.. Riggs
had behaved like puhfect gentleman.
(She had forgotten the little bill he had
been running up and was so long vainly
importuned to pay. She also attached
slight Importance to Barton's state
mcnt that Brother Floyd said Riggs
was fraud and liar, and responsible for
much-though not all-of his trouble.o
AS between Mr.. Riggs and this new
Yankee lieutenant, who had dared 10
disguise himself and seek TO make her
Acquaintance, she had but one opinion;
Aggs was driven to drink and desertion
D having had to serve under such
brutes. She declared she would starve
rather than eat under the same roof
with Lieut.. Lambert, insisted on stay
ing in her mothers room and being
served there, and was conspicuous by
her absence from the table for the first
As hours since Lambert's admittance,
despite Esther's pleading and Barton's
ridicule. "You may think it fine to take
money from such people, Mrs. Scroggs,"
she declared, with high dis
dain; "but you never would if mob
was well enough to know whut wa=-go-
ipR on" (NIoh is the only alphabetical
n(sombination that L can think Of which
veven approximately represents Miss
fkate's pronunciation of the term by
which she was accustomed to refer to
her mother). But IL Miss Kate were in
dignant before, she was simply furious
when her married sister responded,
with exaspcmting calm:
"And yet you took Mr.. Lambert's
money in payment for your butter,
Katesie."
"Ah didn't. How day-ah you say so,
Esthuh? It was Mr.. Riggs"
Floyd says it wasn't. Floyd says
that man had not had a cent for three
weeks You know yourself it was Mr.
Lambert there at the fence both nights,
and you know why that wretch couldn't
have been there"
"Ah'l wuhb every finguh to the bone,
then, till it's paid back" cried Miss Wal
ton. "An' IL was mean an contempt
ible an cowuhdly in him to fawce IL on
me as he did-to listen to whit wasn't
meant TO his yuhs at ALL" BY bis
''yuhs" Miss Walton meant those or