The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-19
GALL RIGHTS REsERvED.)
(Chapter ". continued


(Chapter ". continued)
Hi e reconciliation between himself and
Mrs. Jeffcourt was specifically effected
so fa- as a daily visit by him to the
house indicated it to the community, but
it was also known that Julia was in
variably absent on these occasions. What
happened at those interviews did not
transpire, but it may be surTnised that
Mrs Jeffcourt, perhaps recognizing the
fact that Corbin was really giving her all
that he had to give. or possibly having
some lurking f. ar of Col. Starbottle, was
SO far placated as to exhibit only the aver
age ing attitude of her species towards q
regular benefactor. She consented to the
erection of a small obelisk over her sons
grave, and permitted Corbin to plant n
few Towering shrubs, which he daily
visited and took care of. 1t is said that
on one Of these pilgrilnages he enooun
tered Miss Julia-apparently on the same
errand-who haughtily retired. 1t was
further alleged, on the authority of one
of Nanny Judy's little niggers, that
those two black mourning figures had
been seen at night fall sitting opposite to
each other at the head and foot OF the
grave and ''glowerin' at one another
'like two hants." But when it was as
serted on the same authority that their
voices had been later overheard uplifted
in some vehement discussion over the
grave Of the impressive dead, great curl
osity was aroused. Being pressed by the
eager Miss Sally to repeat some words or
any words he had heard them say, the
Ii title witness glibly replied, "Marse
Linkum" (Lincoln) and 1.-The Souf"
and SO, for the time, shipwreeked his
months afterwards. 1t WAS then that a
pleasant spring day brought madness and
enthusiasm to majority of Pineville,
and bated breath and awe to a few, and
it was known with the tidings that the
South had appealed to arms, that among
those who had first responded to the call
was Joseph Corbin, an alleged Union
man." who had, however, volunteered to
take that place in her ranks which might
have identified by the man he had killed.
Andothen people forgot all about him.
A year passed. 1t was the same place ::
the old familiar outlines of home and gar
den and landscape. q Butsseensnow,,i in the
choking breathlessness of haste, in the fit
full changing flashes of life and motion
around it, in intervals of sharp suspense
or dazed dewilderment, it seemed to be
recognized no longer. Men who had
known it all their lives, hurrying to the
trent in compact masses, scurryiDg to
the rear in struggling line, or opening
their ranks to let artillery gallop by,
stared at it vaguely, and clattered or
masked battery in the woods struggled
and writhed to free itself from the cling
ing tree tops behind it, and sank back
into grey encompassing cloud. The
dust thrown up by column OF passing
horse, poured over the wall in one long
wave, and whitened the garden with its
ashes. Throughout the dim empty house
one no longer heard the sound of cannon,
only dull intermittent conclusion was
felt, silently bringing flakes of plaster
from tbs walls, or sliding fragments of
glass from the shattered windows. A
she'll, lifted from the ominous distance,
hangs uncertain in the air and then de-
sends swiftly through the roof; the
whole house dilates with flame for an in
slant, smoke rolls slowly from the win
lows, and even the desolate chimneys
tart into a hideous mockery of life, and
taen all is still again. At such awful in
ervals the sun shines out brightly
ouehes the green of the still sleeping
GODS and the red and white of a flower
IN he garden, and something in grey
uniform writhes out of the dust of the
road, staggers to the wall and dies.
mile down this road growing more
and more obscure with those rising and
falling apparitions or the shapeless and
rug Ied heaps terrible in their helpless in .
ertia by hedge and fence, arose the ceme
terry hill. Taken and retaken thrice that
afternoon, the dead above it far outnum-
bered the dead below; and when at last
the tide of battle swept around it's base
into the dull, reverberating woods, and
it emerged from the smoke, silenced and
abandoned, only a few stragglers re
manned. One of them, leaning on his
museket, was still gloomily facing the
woods.
Joseph Corbin,'' said low, hurried
voice.
He started and glanced quickly at the
-k<zn l. o. L
cause he had been thinking of the dead
but the voice sounded like his. Yet il
was only the sister, who had glided, pale
and haggard, from the thicket.
'They are coming through the woods -
she said, quickly. run or you'll be
taken. Why do you linger?"
You know why he said gleomily.
Eyes but you have done yo' duty. You
have done his work. The task is finished
now, and yo' free"
He did not reply, but remained gazing
at the woods.
Joseph" she said more gently laying
her trembling hand on his arm, "Joseph
fy-and-take Inc with you. For 1 was
wrong, and | want you to forgive me.
knew your heart was not in this and
ought not to have asked you. Joseph
listeni l never wanted to ayenge myself
nor him when I spat on your face.
wanted to ayenge myself on her. l hated
her, because L thought she wanted to
work upon you and use you for herself. -
Your mother" he said, looking al
her.
No. she said, with widely-opened
eyes; 'tyou know who / mean, Miss
Sally"
He looked at her wonderingly for a
moment, but quickly bent his head AGAR
in the direction of the road. '"'bey arc
coming he said, starting. "' o. must
go. This is no place for you St p! ite
too late; you cannot go now until they
have passed. Come here-crouch down
here-over this graye-so."
He almost forced her-kneeling down
upon the mound below the level of the
shrubs, and then ran quickly himself a
few PAGES lower down the hill to more