The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1897-01-15
returned Brant quietly.


''but whether they originate in the
president or commander in chief, or
not, it does not seem for me to inquire"
Even when he reached his hotel this
half savage Indifference which had
taken the place of his former incerti-
tude had not changed. It seemed to
him that he had reached the crisis of
his life where he was no longer re-
sponsible, but could wait superior alike
to effort or expectation. And it was
with a merely dispassionate curiosity
that he found a note the next morning
from the presidents private secretary
informing him that the president
would see him early that day.
A few hours later he was ushered
through the public room of the white
house to a more secluded part of the
household. The messenger stopped be-
fore a modest door and knocked. 1t
was opened by a tall figure. The presi-
dent himself. He reached out a long
arm to Brant, who took it hesitatingly
on the threshold, grasped his hand and
| led him into the room. 1t had single,
| large, deliberately draped window, and a
magnificent medallion carpet, which
contrasted with the otherwise almost
appalling simplicity of the furniture. A
single, plain, angular desk, with a blot
ting pad and few sheets of large FOOLS
| cap paper upon it, waste paper
basket, and four plain armchairs, COM
| pleted the interior, with a contrast as
simple and homely as its long-limbed
black-coated occupant. Releasing the
hand of the general to shut the door,
which opened into another apartment,
the president showed an armchair to-
words Brant and sank somewhat wear
lily into another before the desk. But
only for a moment; the long, stumbling
limbs did not seem to adjust themselves
easily to the chair; the high, narrow
shoulders dropped to find a more COM
Portable lounging attitude, shifted from
side to side, and the long legs moved
dispersedly. Yet the face that was
turned toward Brant was humorous
and tranquil.
Il was told I would have to send for
smilingly.
Already Modified, and perhaps again
falling under the previous influences of
this singular man, Brant began some
what hesitatingly to explain.
"You don't understand. 1t was some
thing new to my experience here to find
an able-bodied American citizen with a
genuine healthy grievance who had to
have it drawn from him like a decayed
tooth. But you have been here before.
seem to remember your face"
10
mitted that he had twice sought an au-
dience-but-
you lodged the dentist! That was
wrong" AS Brant made a slight move
ment of depreciation the president con-
tinued: Il understand; not from the
fear of giving pain to yourself, but to
others. 1 don't know that that is right,
either. A certain amount of pain must
be suffered in this world, even by ones
enmies. Well, have looked into your
case, Gen. Brant." He took up piece
of paper from his desk, scrawled with
two or three notes in pencil. Il think
this is the way it stands: You were
commanding a position al Gray Oaks,
when informal ton was received by the
department that either through neglect
or completely, spies were passing
through your lines. There was no at
tempt to prove your neglect; your Or
ders, the facts of your personal care
and precaution, were all before the de-
partment; but it was also shown that
your wife, from whom you were only
temporarily separated, was a notorious
secessionist; that before the war you
yourself were suspected, and that there
fore you were quite capable of evading
your own orders which you may have
only given as blind. On this informa-
ton you were relieved by the depart
ment Of your command. Later on it
was discovered that the spy was none
other than your own wife disguised as
a mulatto; that after her arrest by
your own soldiers you connived her es-
cape-and this was considered conclu-
sive proof of, well, let us say, your
| treachery."
But l did not know it was my wife
until she was arrested" said Brant, i'm
pulsively.
The president knitted his eyebrows
humorously. Don't let us travel out of
the record, general. You're as bad as
the department. The question was one
of your personal treachery, but you
need not accept the fact that you were
| justly removed because your wife was
spy. Now, general, am an old lawyer,
and don't mind telling you that in Hi
nois we wouldn't hang yellow dog on
that evidence before the department.
But when 1 was asked to look into the
matter by your friends 1 discovered
something of more Importance to you. 1
had been trying to find a scrap of evil
! dencc that would justify the presump-
ton that you had sent information to
the enemy. 1 found that it was based
upon the fact of the enemy being in
| possession of facts at the first battle of
Gray Oaks which could only have been
obtained from our side, and which led
to q federal deserter, that you, however,
retrieved by your gallantry. Iasked the
secretary if he was prepared to show
that you had sent the information with
that view, or that you had been over
| taken by a tardy sense of repentance.
He preferred to consider my suggestion
as humorous. But the inquiry led to my
further discovery that the only trea-
sonable correspondence actually in evil
| dence was found upon the body of
| trusted federal officer, and had been for