The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-30
INTRODUCTION.

II its FAIR in Paris recalled 10 my m u
- the fact that less than Il year ago
received, Ivy express, package, ~
companl. d by this note:
my DEAR FRIEND: Thirty-o year
ato We were companions in misfortune, il
more than one of the oser-cro1 ded pens il
which The C.miederacr immured it's prison
srs Of war. You wil not recognize me- for tn
name hereto affixed il not the one H.
which you knew me. If were TO use tn
name familiar 10 you fear your curiosity
perhaps your very incredulity-migh hit lea,
you fo break the al OF the accompanying,
packet, even despite riy solemn I'M junction
% leave the same intact For the sam,
reason, dare no. more fully identify m vse.f
but will only ssy that for many months
sept within arms length of you upon TN,
crowded floor of Libby Prison, aud passed
many days in que sing out with you The
words of Den Quixote, in the original Span
ish from a volume, which by some strange
chance you brought with you when you
came TO share our quarters in the old Mill
tsry Prison at Atlanta.
Thers were SIX of us who undertook the
study of The noble Ca>lilian tongue under
most peculiar conditions. We we've not very
well equipped according 10 the notions of the
schools, having but three books, if rsmen-
Ter !ightly-the immortal story of Cervan-
tea. small Spanish-French dictionary, and
Spanish Testament, with a vocabulary
attached. You generally held the text, by
reason Of your propris orship of the books,
suppose, or perhaps because you had some
advantage over the Others in having gathered
knowledye of the pronnn citation from pre-
vious brief compauionship with one Whose
authority on the subject was unquestion-
able
when we were transferred to Libby,
where rs you will recollect, We arrived in
the midst of a severe snow storm, five Of U.S.
yourself among the number, were assigned
10 the same room. Bateman ae pas ,ed from
rs by reason of d ference in rank we
never saw sgain. OF the remaining 1--WE you
believe yourself to be the only one alive,
but | do not doubt that the facts / have
ststed will convince you that one more of
this quintet of friends, bound by such pecu-
liar ties, is still extant Which one it is,
must remain . mystery until he also has
PANIED TO the bourne from which no traveller
returns.
The accompanying sealed package con-
tains true account OF a life strangely event
ful in it's experiences. / AIN just sailing for
vacation. which / expect will last for some
years. During that time, / hope TO visit
tDo tCenee OF tue lie Oh IL1t Oh
La Nancbs whose adventures we first traced
together i shall think of you often, and may
communicate with you from time to time.
IL is because OF The facts / have related, that
/ intrust the secret of my life TO you. |
know it will he faithfully preserved.
Should i return, shall ask to have this
package RENTED TO me with its sesls unbro-
ken. Should not be so fortunate, you will
open it and make such disposition of its con-
tents n you may zee fit. Lite liz always uncer-
tain, mine, perhaps, peculiarly SO, though |
hope the cloud which has so long hung over 1T
may be lifted, and that we may again meet
10 talk over days when life was 50 much
more than mere existence 10 No who were
part and parcel of lis mighty movements
With the warmest wishes for your con-
tinued happiness and success. am. your old
friend A. OUITMAN.D
/ often wondered which of the little group
Of brave mon it might be whose life secret
was hidden by the seals of this baffl ny
brown paper parcel. As it happened, the
fate of three oft of the four who were &C
counted dead was wrapped in mystery
Two of them had disappeared during the
conflict, another some years afterward
Only one WAS incontestibly dead. None of
thsm bore name at ali resembling The one
i
known person Of this name in NV life.
WHAT recalled it to iny mind lately was
seeing he name Arthur Quitmsn among
the victims OF this terrible calamity. Was
IL my trisud? ] had heard from him once
or twice, aud knew he had eapec ed 10 be in
Paris about this time. Cabling an inquiry.
j received this answer:
A. QnItman, American Traveller, wife and
daughter IA ssing."
1 determined 10 open the package. in
giving lis contents to the world / have
tkcnght best to preserve the secret OF nv
prison friends identity thus strangely com
mitled 20 nay care. although giving him an
other name besides the one with which he
transmitted TO me the strange story that
follows.
CHAPTER ].
] used often TO wonder how Lazarus felt
after he came forth. Now know, with This
dIfferenct-bs entombment was for days
only, mine extended over years 1t is IL
years since l died. 1t WAS the dog days
then; 1t is the dog days now.
was living IN suburban town nv busi
ness being IN the city of New York was not
altogether unknown upon its streets. nor in
the Capital of the Nation, one of whose do
Tenders had been in a memorable strurule.
not OF any personal prominence myself in
this struggle, but wa. brou .ht by this ar
cident OF my life TO the knowledge of some
who were My occupaton-~ell, that had
been of a character to considerably extend
the knowledge of my personality, making
me one of those known 10 MANY psople who
are quite unknown TO him.
My home-life was happy; had a wife
and child, and lived in snug little house
with rapidly-dissppearing mortgage
This house my wife and had planned TO
enlarge into mansion rs soon az the shadow
OF the lncumbrance disappeared. The ,peci-
hcatlons were already drawn and had been
submitted TO the approval Of our friends.
How many happy hours had we not spent
together coming over the designs and sug-
gestlng amendments TO add to il. comfort
and eleganeei IL was situated in the in
eVitable track of an almost apparent BOOM
end was thanked by quite a number of lots
that L had bpngbt As acreage" and to
which / looked with confidence for the for
tune every good American believes 10 be
lying IN wait for him somewhere along the
path OF life.
My situation was good one and piccsd
out my income now and then with more or
less successful efforts of literary character.
mad some political prominence. too. and
was not without hope of preferment at the
hands of my party.
had lstisriy taken some chsncss in Wall