Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1897-09-09
CAPTAIN CLOSE
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
Copyright. 1894, by J. n. LippircOtt Col
NIL.

MI.
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 a day of n 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 10 the beloved invalid.
her daughters were actually taking
boarders"
Anotaer boardef, 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 10 his advice
and influence that Mr.. Lambert was adj
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 kinsfolk and friends stood between
them and starvation. Squire Potts
~0ld 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 20
think of the old home becoming the
abiding-place of all the houseless. shift
less negroes in the neighborhood. She
had offered the house, garden and cot
ton-helds still remaining in her hands
10 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 vet by their old family physician and
herself alone, because the knowledge
Of IL 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 ''ab-
iured the faith of his fathers" as she
bitterly expressed it-had become init
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
within q 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 fugitive
from justice did she learn, or begin to
imagine the chain of circumstances
that led to IL all. While occupying n
desk In the Office of Summers & Todd.
attorneys and counselors at law, Floyd
also occupied q seat at the table of n
widowed relative who, left penniless
ct 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 boartlere
were scarce, and even when her table
was crowded with homeless people her
pockets were often empty. When
Sweets squadron of the TIL 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 TO a hotel, and suffered, as
they deserved. the pangs of indigestion.
Later 1t transpired that two of them
vent to church, ond this put an I'M
looked-for factor into the problem OF
how to treat these conquering but un-
popular heroes. Rev. Mr.. Pickett, of ST
Pauls might condone his parishioners'
refusal to supply them with bodily food,
but ii was impossible to refuse to min
:ster to their spiritual necessities.
Their religious faith was identical with
that of his flock; IL was in political faith
that they differed. One might decline
10 sit at meat with them, but could
hardly decline TO sit with them at wor-
ship. They could be forbidden TO eat
with the elect, but the elect would not
forbid them to pray. Even in the sane
tuary. however. only hostile OF averted
looks were vouchsafed 10 Col. Sweet
and Capt. yinton when first they sought
its doors; but in the course OF a few
months the women found that their sol.
diers-their husbands, brothers, or Low.
ers. whom the war had spared-wer'
actually fraternizing with the Yankee
invaders, and that between those wha
had done hard and honest fighting on
either side there was springing up firm
and honest friendship. The irreconcil-
sbles were limited, apparently, to the
noncombatants. When the squadron
was ordered elsewhere after a sis
months sojourn Of ouitman, the poPu'