Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-04-21


then. He would have found it pleas
ant relief at that moment to have
marched up to the mouth of loaded
cannon. A second later he was grind
ing his teeth in impotent rage. His
short hour of bliss was eliminating i'll
gloom aud bitterness.
With slight forward motion she
had set the heavy rocker in motion, and
looking at him with concentrated in
terest said demurely:
"You might take out contract to
supply the army with turnips. There is
no risk in that"
He grew white to the very edge OF
his lips. She turned her bright, dry
ewes from his tortured face to say in low
tone confidence to the backlog:
"And we need men SO much right
now"
"Mamie!''
1t was the cry Of wounded animal.
He looked at her across the broken
brick hearth, with all the agony OF his
soul stamped ON his face. The hot light
in her eyes was quenohed in sudden
tears. She flung out her hands with
passionate gesture.
How could you disappoint me SO?
You promised me you would do great
things for my sake, because l believed
in you straight through. Your opportu-
nifty, such a golden one, has come.
What are you doing with it? Rusting
out, Just rusting out, in ignoble ease,
in disgraceful idleness. never thought
to have found you here. OF course l
supposed you were fighting, but you
loved your ease better than you did my
good opinion
Ease! Good God"
eyes, ease, Strong Martin. Father,
my darling, delicate man of books, is
sleeping this moment, if he ever does
sleep these awful days, on pile of
straw, suppose, with snakes and things
crawling all over his blessed body. Per-
haps he tramped all day long on an
empty stomach too They say our SOL
diers are all half starved to death. But
what do you care? And his shoes-fa-
theirs, / mean. He made picture OF
them in his last letter, for my diver
sion, he wrote. 1t threw me into hys-
terics The letter was written on wall
paper too. But I'd rather, yes, ten
thousand thousand times rather, have
him tramp all over the state OF Nir-
ginia without any shoes at all on his
feet than to stay at home and have the
finger of scorn pointed at him. Bless
his dear old heart! l made him two
shirts out of the parlOr curtains last
week and sent them to him with some
socks knitted for him. do hope they
will fit Lim-the shirts, | mean, but
they did look dreadfully corkscrewy,
and perhaps, oh, perhaps, he'll get shot
in one of those very shirts, But don't
care, I don't care, he's doing mans
part, while YOU
A hot rush of tears rendered her next
words unintelligible Strong sprang
from his chair and began the circuit OF
the room like hunted thing seeking
point of egress.
Il am not worth one single tear from
good woman's eyes, he said, stopping
in front of her and speaking i'll stitied
voice.
From behind Miss Colyer's damp
handkerchief assent came with cruel
promptness.
Il know you are not. OF course you
are not. But l told you a woman had to
make fool of herself about somebody
II will enlist tomorrow.
what for:'
She emerged into view suddenly,
with recovered composure.
Because you want me to-
THAT is an excellent motive. Strange
it did not move you to enlist earlier III
the action.
"Mamie, will you hold your scorn in
hand a few moments? 1t cuts like
whiplash. Iwant to say few words in
self defense"
well"
He did not sit down. With his hands
folded behind him he stood in front OF
her, resolved for this one time only to
vindicate his attitude III words
Il don't think l am coward. Per
haps / deceive myself, but l am not in
sympathy with this thing l think it
is an accursed mistake from beginning
to end"
You are Union man. She looked
at him in horror, recoiling as from some
visible reptile.
II am. | repeat, the whole thing is
an internal mistake, according to my
way of thinking After awhile there
will be more men to hold my views.
Just now our people are intoxicated,
they are dashing themselves to pieces
Oh rock hidden from sight by the high
tide of frenzied emotion. They are fight
ing like heroes, but hopelessly, for an
idea. A starved child wrestling with .
well fed giant.
"But all this has no bearing on my
personal attitude This is the slave
owners fight. Lawn nothing but the son
of slave driver l had hoped to shed
some luster on name that had been
dimmed by centuries of low service,
but not by DOMINIC a gay uniform and
slashing my way into fame as a war
rior. All my soul went out in direction
Of the learned professions.
perhaps the idea of Martin dis
pensing justice from the judges bench
allured me with it's novelty The Mar
tins had been groveling SO long JUS
tice, the administration of even handed
justice, is alluring to the fancy of one
who has suffered keenly from injustice. "
81 know, know. Don't let us open
that wound.
She nodded her head quickly.
II was willing to forego every indul-
gence, almost every necessity, for the
means of purchasing books. l was 60
ing to be a great lawyer. Nothing short
of the tnnmnst round ON the legal lad