Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-09-25
CAPTAIN CLOSE
nv CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
lcopyrisht, 1904, BY J. q. Lippincott Col
XIII.

W Whos mig ~ W 6cahS oh 'A seS ''~''~
hold-for there were days when she
lay dull and apathctic. yet mercifully
spared from suffering-it was Esther's
duty and fondcst care to minister to
her mothers needs even at time when
her heart was torn with anxiety on nc
count Of her husband, now prisoner
In the hands Of the United States mar
shall Mt the capital, and of her brother,
who, under the orders OF the general in
command OF the department, had been
sent under guard TO New Orleans. there
10 await his trial by court-martial for
the crime of desertion. The visits OF
The old family physician were frequent,
for the invalid had had too much to suf-
fer and seemed incapable OF further
struggle. Floyd was twice permitted
10 visit his mother during the two days
that elapsed before telegraphic orders
came In his case. She knew him, chung
TO him, yet seemed unable to realize
that he was going from her. She once
or twice asked II Judge Summers had
been heard from, for Cousin Bart had
written fun details of Floyd's trouble,
and the family united in urging him TO
make an appeal to certain influential
friends OF the ante bellum days, who
had scandalized the Waltons by their
loyalty to the old flag. Then Lambert
wrote o letter which Close signed and
sent to the department headquarters,
and the boy, remembering some kind
words said to him by his fathers old
friend, vcntured on personal letter
10 the general himself. pleading Wal
toms cnse and portraying the family's
distress. II was this letter that over
came Esther's objection to the advice
Of Mr.. Potts to the effect that they take
Mr.. Lambert in rs day boardcr. And
within As hours of his initial appearance
ut their table Mrs. Scroggs, rs he was
the first to address his blushing hostess,
was more than reconciled to the step.
but II she was, Miss Kate was not.
The wrath and Indignation of that
young lady can hardly be described. II
wac one thing. she declared, for her to
sell eggs and butter to a gentleman who
was friend of Floyd's, who told her he
despised his captain as much rs she did,
who had enlisted only because he had
been promised immediate promotion TO
n captaincy, and who never would have
done so even then, had he known that
soldiers could be used TO persecute the
people of the south. He was only witt
ing for his commission to come--or his
discharge-to tell Capt. Close what lie
thought OF his conduct. 1t was all very
well 10 make friends with n gentleman
like Mr.. Riggs, who had been dear
brother Floyd's friend at Quitman be-
fore he fell in love with that horrid
designing Yankee girl who had led him
on TO "'cohtin'" her when she was all
the time engaged TO that rich ragpicker
or whutevch he might be. Mr.. Riggs
had behaved like puhfect gentleman.
(She had forgotten the little bill he had
been running up and was so long vainly
importuned to pay. She also attached
slight Importance to Barton's state
mcnt that brother Floyd said Riggs
much-though not all-of his trouble.")
AS between Mr.. Riggs and this new
Yankee lieutenant. who had dared 10
disguise himself and seek 10 make her
acquaintance, she had but one opinion;
Riggs was driven 10 drink and desertion
by having had to serve under such
brutes. She declared she would starve
rather than eat under the same roof
with Lieut.. Lambert, insisted on stay
Ing in her mothers room and being
served there, and was conspicuous by
her absence from the table for the first
IS hours since Lambert's admittancc,
despite Esther's pleading and Bnrton's
ridicule. "You may think II fine TO take
money from such people, Mrs. Scroggs,"
she declared, with high dis
dain; "but you never would II mob
was well enough TO know whut was So
ing on" (Moh is the only alphabetical
combination that can think of which
even approximately represents Miss
Knte's pronunciation Of the term by
which she was accustomed to refer to
her mother). But II Miss Kate were in
dignant before, she was simply furious
when her married sister responded,
with exaspcnting calm:
"And yet you took Mr.. Lambert's
money in payment for your butter,
Katesie."
"Ah didn't. How day-nh you say so.
Esthuh? II was Mr.. Riggs"
"Floyd says 1t wasn't. Floyd says
that man had not had cent for three
weeks. You know yourself 1t was MIR.
Lambert there ut the fence both nights,
and you know why that wretch couldn't
have been there"
"Ah'll wuhk every finguh to the bone,
then, till it's paid back" cried Miss Wal
ton. IAN II was mean an contempt
ihle an cowuhdly in him to fawce 1t on
me rs he did-to listen to whit wasn't
meant TO- his yuhs at all" by his
"yuhs" Miss Walton meant those or
guns OF hearing that lay 30 close under |
the brown curls on either side OF MIR. |
Lambert's shapely head-ears which |
she could gladly have plnchcd, or
tweaked, OF even banged, in her wrath |
at that moment. The hard'earned, long
expected Ave dollars had been sent to |
town and expended before this sisterly |
conference took place, or beyond doubt
Miss Katesie would have hurled 1t back
at the donor when he came SO springily |
up the walk that crisp December even-
ing.
Two days later brought long letter |
from Floyd. written from the barracks
ut New Orleans. He was not confined
In the guardhouse, rs he had feared and
expected to be. The prisoners await
ing sentence were there, but those yet
A.. l.. S-to,1 mana liant In nm old Gt0re- Il