Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-09


brimming with tears Instinctiveiy he
halted, the old respect and reverence for
"captain's lady" checking the wild tor
rent of grief and anxiety, but she caught
him by the arm and led him, wondering
and submissive, yet overwhelmed With
cruel dread, into her cool and darkened
parlor There, with wild, imploring
eyes, the old man half stretched forth
two palsied hands, his forage cap fall
ing unheeded to the floor. his whole
frame shaking
Don't give way, sergeant, don't be-
lieve itp' she cried, and at her first
words look as of horror came into the
stricken old face, and the hands clasped
together in piteous appeal. Listen to
what the captain says. His letter has
Just come. and I was sure when ] saw
you that some one mad told you the ru.
NOR. Captain Charlton will not believe
q word of it. He was at Laramie on
court martial or it would not have hap
pened He has hurried back to Red
Cloud to investigate, and he declares
that Fred shall have justice done him
I'll never believe it-neverl Why. we
would trust him with anything We
owned" "
"I-I thank the captain. thank
Mrs. Charlton" be brokenly replied.
"It's stunned like / am" He raised
his hands and pressed them against his
eyes, and one of them was lowered sud.
denly, feebly cropping for support She
seized his arm and strove to lead him
to a sofa. "You must sit down, SER
geant," she said.
"No, ma'am, no." he protested,
Strengthening himself with violent
effort. "Now, may I hear what it is
they say against my boy, ma'am? l
want every word. Don't be afraid,
ma am; I can bear it.
Then, with infinite sympathy and
pity, she told him, softening every de-
tail, suggesting an explanation for every
circumstance that pointed to his guilt,
and all the time the old man stood
there, his eyes, filled with dumb an
guish, fixed upon her face, his hands
clasped together as though in entreaty,
his fingers twitching nervously. At
every new and damaging detail, con-
done or explain it though she would,
he shuddered as though smitten with
sharp, painful spasm, but when it came
TO Fred's midnight disappearance
horse, arms and all-in the heart Of
the Indian country, stealing away from
bis comrades in the shadow Of disgrace
and crime, the old man groaned aloud
and buried his face in his s.hands. Some
time he stood there, reeling, yet resist
Ing her efforts to draw him to seat.
She pleaded with him hurriedly, i'm
pulsively, yet he seemed not to hear.
At last, with one long, shivering sigh,
be suddenly Strengthened up and faced
her His hands fell by his side. He
cleared his throat and strove to speak.
"You've been good to me, ma'am-
30 good" here he choked, and for
moment could not 90 on-"and to my
boy"-at last he finished, with impul-
sive rush of words. II know how they're
sometimes tempted. know how, more
than once, the little fellow would be
led away by the roughs in the troop,
just to worry me, but he never hid a
thing from me, ma'am, never. and il
he's in trouble now he would tell me
the whole truth, even if it broke us
both down. I'll not believe it till l
see him, ma'am. But l must go-I
must go until find my boy
Blinded with tears, Mrs. Charlton
could hardly zee the swaying, grief
bowed old soldier az he left the house,
but Nelson was waiting close at hand
and stepped forward and took his place
by the sergeant's side.
~ don't know what the trouble is,
be said, "but I'm going as far as the
headquarters with you, and if there is
anything Oh earth can do torhelp you
do not fail to tell me.
That night, with weeks furlough
and letter from his post commander
to Major Edwards at Sidney. old Ser
geant Waller was joltlng eastward in
the caboose of a freight train.
ToBE CONTINUED.