The true northerner., 1897-04-21
GAPTAIN CLOSE
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
copyright. 1894, by J. d. Lippincott Col
XII

The Christmas holidays were coming
on at Walton Hall, where, sore stricken,
Its mistress lay lowering between life
and death. Two weeks had passed since
the eventful night of the arrests, and,
though no change had come over the
landscape, and days of sunshine were
few and far between, some odd altera-
tions had taken place in and around
the old homestead. OF these the most
remarkable was the appearance three
times day of young officer in Yankee
uniform at the family board-a young
officer who often prolonged his visit
until late in the evening. Mr.. Isaac
Newton Lambert, though occupying his
tent in camp, had become otherwise an
inmate of the Walton establishment,
for, unknown to the beloved invalid,
her daughters were actually taking
boarders."
Another boarder, who had come and
moved a modest bachelor kit into one
of the upstairs rooms facing the east
and overlooking the little camp, was Mr..
Barton Potts, better known to all the
inmates as cousin Bart" Indeed, il
was due in great measure to his advice
and influence that Mr.. Lambert was ad-
mitted. Impoverished as were the Wal
tons-in dire need, as il turned out,
now that the resolute woman who so
many years had managed the family
affairs was stricken down-nothing but
prompt action and the helping hands
of kinsfollI and friends stood between
them and starvation. Squire Potts
"Old Man Potts" as he was generally
called-had urged on Mrs. Walton in
November the propriety of her abandon
ing the place entirely and taking shell
ter for herself and her daughters under
his roof. Even though in desperate
need, she had declined-for one reason,
because that would bring Esther and
Walton Scroggs together again; for an
other, because she could not bear to
think of the old home becoming the
abding-place of all the houseless, shift
less negroes in the neighborhood. She
had offered the house, garden and cot
ton-felds still remaining in her hands
to any purchaser at almost any price;
but who was there to invest in such
improbable estate at such a time?
In the midst Of these cares and
troubles, which she could share with
her daughters. were others which she
could not. She burst not let them
know on how slender a thread her life
depended. That was one secret, held
as yet by their old family physician and
herself alone, because the knowledge
of it would bring such grief to 'the
girls" There was another, which she
prayed they might never know, because
its very existence brought such grief
and shame to her; Floyd, her youngest
son, her darling, who had fought so
bravely by his brothers side through
the hottest battles of the war, had Sab
jured the faith of his fathers" as she
bitterly expressed it-had become inti-
mate with the federal officers and SOL
diers, instead of sticking closely to
reading law in the office of her old
friend Judge Summers at Quitman.
And then, worse than all, she learned
through his own desperate letter that
he had enlisted in the cavalry. That
within a week thereafter, repenting of
his 'mad folly" he should have de-
serted the service and fed the country,
was in the poor stricken woman's eyes
no crime whatever. That he should
have enlisted, sworn to defend the flag
which was TO her the emblem of in
solent triumph over the fallen fortunes
of the land she loved, the only land she
ever knew, the once happy, sunny
south-that was infamy.
Not until weeks after her boy had
taken the step that made him a fugitive
from justice did she learn, or begin to
imagine the chain OF circumstances
that led to it all. While occupying n
desk in the Office of Summers g. Todd
attorneys and couIselors at law, Floyd
also occupied seat at the table of n
widowed relative who, left penniless
at the close of the war, had to struggle
hard TO keep body and soul together.
The efforts Of Judge Summers had been
sufficient TO save the house in which she
dwelt, and taking boarders" became
her vocation. But paying boarderr
were sca.'ce. and even when her table
was crowded with homeless people her
pockets were often empty. When
Sweets squadron of the -th L. S. cav.
airy marched into town and took sta
tion there, the application of some of
the officers for "rations and quarters"
under her roof was coldly declined.
They went 10 hotel. and suffered. as
they deserved. the pangs Of indigestion.
Later it transpired that two of them
went to church. and this put an un-
looked-for factor into the problem OF
how to treat these conquering but un-
popular heroes. Rev. Mr.. Pickett, of st
Paul's might ccndone his parishioneTs'
refusal to supply them with bodily food,
but 1t was impossible TO refuse TO min