Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1897-02-11


him that hc had reached the crisis of
his life " here hr Was no longer re-
snunSihlc. hut could wait superior alike
Ia effort ar expectation. And it MAS
with a merely diSpassionatr curiosity
that he found note the next morning
from the presidents private secretary
informing him that the president
would see him early that day.
\ few hours later he was ushcred
through the public room of the white
house - more secluded Part. OF the
household. The messenger stopped he
fore a modest door and knocked. II
was opened 10y tall figure. The prrsi-
den; himself lie reached out long
arm to Erauf who took il hcSitatinE'l
un the threshold. graSped his hand and
lsd him into the room. Ii had a single.
large. deliberately draped y indow, and n
magnificent medallion carpet, which
coutraStrd with tine otherwise almost
appalling simplicity of the furniture. \
singh, plain, angular desk. with a blot
ting pad and few sheets of large fools
cap paper upon il. waste paper
basket. and four plain armchairs, COM
plctCd the interior, with n contrast a.
shaple and homcly rs 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 al just themselves
easily 10 the chair; the high. narrow
shoulders droopcd TO find more COM
Portable lounging attitude. shifted from
side tn side, and the long legs moved
dIspcrSedly. Yet the face that wac
turned toward Drant was humorous
and tranquil.
Il MAS told I would have to send for
you il wished 90 see you," he said,
Smilingly.
Already Modified, and perhaps again
falling under the previous influences of
this singular man. Brant began some
what hesitatingly to explain.
"Nou don't understand. ltwas some
thing new 10 my experience here TO find
an able-bodicd American citizen with a
genuine Healthy grievance who had TO
have it drawn from him like n decayed
tooth. But you have been here before.
| seem In remember your face"
Hfan,'s reserve had gone. lie adj
mitted that lac had twice sought AN au
diCncc-but-
i. 4 4
wrong" As Brant made a slight move
mcut OF depreciation the president con-
finued: Il understand; not from the
fear of giving pain to yourself. but to
others. don't know that that is right,
either. \ certain amount of pain must
BE suffered in this world. even by ones
enmies. Well. have looked into your
case, Gen. BrRnt." he took up piece
of paper from his desk, scrawled with
two or three notes in pencil. Il think
this is the way il stands: You were
commanding position a; Gray oaks,
when information was received by the
department that either through neglect
or completely. spies were passing
through your lines. There was no at
tempt 10 prove your neglect; your or
ders, the facts of your personal care
and precautiun, were all before the de-
partment; but il was also shown that
your wife. from whom you were only
temporarily separated. was a notorious
Secessinnist: that before the war you
yourself were suspected. and that there
fore YOU we're quite capable of eyading
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 il
Mas discovered that the spy was none
other than your own wife disguised as
n mulatto; that after her arrest by
your own soldiers you connived her es-
cape-and this was considered conclu-
si,c proof OF, well. let us say. your
treachcry.'
''iIut did not know il was my wife
until she was arrested" said Brant, inn
pulsively.
The president knitted his eyebrows
humorously. Don't LET us travel out of
the record, general. You're as had 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 a
spy. Now, general, am an old lawyer,
and don't mind telling you that in ILL
nois we wouldn't hang a yellow dog on
that evidence before the department.
But when I was asked to look into the
matter by your friends | discovered
something of more Importance 10 you. |
had been trying TO find a scrap of evil
dence that would Justify the presump-
ton that you had sent information TO
the enemy. / found that il 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 federal deserter. that you, however,
retrieved by your gallantry. asked the
secretary il he was prepared TO show
that you had sent the information with
that view. or that you had been over
taken by 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 a
trusted federal officer. and had been for
warded to the division commander. But
there was no written record of it in the
case
'Why. I forwarded il myself" said
Brant. eagerly. ,ct
so the division commander writes
said the president. smiling. land he for
warded it, ie,:he department. Iy.it il
was suppressed in some way. Have
YOU any enemies. Gen. BrantY'
"None that know Of" d
Then you probably have. You are
young and successful. Think of the
hundred other officers who naturally
! lclicve themselves better than you are,