The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1897-10-08
GAPTAIN CLOSE
nv CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
lCopyright. 1894. By J B LippiDcott Col
Nil.

Confined to her bed and room as was
Madam Walton. and only vaguely alive
10 " hat might be going on in the house
hoid-for there were days when she
Law dull and apathetic. yet Incredibly
spared from suffering-it was Esthers
duty and fondest care to minister to
her mothers needs even a a time when
her heart was torn with anxiety or &C
count of her husband, now prisoner
in the hands of the United States mar
shall AT the capital, and of her brother,
who. under the orders of the general IN
command of the department. had oeen
sent under guard to New Orleans. 'rere
10 await his trial by court-martiai Tor
the crime of desertion. The visits or
the old family physician We're 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, cling
To him, vet seemed unable to realize
that he was going from her. She once
or twice asked if Judge Summers had
written fun details of Floyd's trouble,
and the family united in urging him TO
make an appeal 70 certain influential
friends OF the ante bellum days, who
had standardized the Waltons by their
loyalty to the old flag. Then Lambert
wrote ;, 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. ventured on personal Letter
10 the general himself, pleading Wal
tons case and portraying the family's
distress. 1t was this letter that over
came Eether's objection to the advice
of Mr. Potts to the effect that they take
Mr.. Lambert in as day Doarder. And
within rs hours of his initial appearance
Mt their table Mrs. Scroggs, as he was
the first to address his blushing hostess.
was more than reconciled to the step.
but if she was. Miss Kate was not.
The wrath and Indignation of that
young lady can hardly be described. 1t
was one thing. she declared. for her to
BeIl.cggS and butter to a gentleman who
was friend of Floyd's. who told her be
who had enlisted only because he had
been promised Immediate promotion TO
II captaincy. and who never would have
done SO even then. had ne known that
soldiers could be used to prosecute the
people of the south. He was only wait
ing for his commission to cOme-or his
discharGe--to tell Capt. Close what he
thought OF his conduct. 1t was all very
well to make friends with gentleman
like MIR. 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 u 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
was n fraud and liar. and responsible for
mUch-though not ail-of his trouble. )
AS between MIR. Riggs and this new
Yankee lieutenant. who had dared 10
disguise himself and seek to make her
acquaintance. she had but one opinion :;
Riggs was driven to 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
lnS in her mothers room and being
served there. and was conspicuous by
her absence from the table for the first
As hours since Lambert.s admittancc,
despite Esther's pleading and Barton S
ridicule. You may think it fine TO Ike
money from such people, Mrs. Scroggs.'
: she declared. with high dis
dain: but you never would if mob
was well enough TO know whutw 60
ing on" (Moh is the only alpha betical
combination that | can think of hich
even approximately represents Miss
Rates pronunciation of the term by
which she was accustomed to refer TO
her ,mother). But if Miss Kate wer, in
dignant before. she was simply furious
when her married sister responded.
with eXaspeHting calm:
-And yet you took Mr.. Lambert's
money in payment for your butter,
katesie."
-.Ah didn't. How day-ah you say so,
Esthnh? 1t was Mr.. Riggs"
Floyd says it wasn't. Floyd says
that man had not had n cent for Zee
weeks. You know yourself it was Mr..
Lambert there at the fence both nights.
and you know why that wretch eouldn' t
have been there"
"AhIl wuhk every finguh to the bone,
then. till it's paid back" cried MissaNal-
ton. AN it was mean an contempt
jble an cowuhdly in him to fawee it,on
me as be did-to listen to whut WASH
meant TO his yuhs at all" BY hls
.yuhs' Miss Walton meant those or
gans of hearing that lay SO close under
the brown curls on either side of Mr..
Lambert's shapely head-ears which
she could gladly have pinched. or
tweaked. or 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 doub,
Miss Katesie would have hurled it 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, as he had feared and