The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-20
AN
ny JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.
Copyright, 1898. BY Joel chandler Harris.

COnrrtQhts iopo' w SotsS uNh HuTINs.
III.
To Mrs. Fitzpatrick and her daughters, watch
ing this vast procession from behind tho cur
tains of tho windows, the spectacle was by no
means nm enchanting ono. Their belief In the
righteousness OF the Southern cause amounted
TO n passion; 1T was almost a part Of their 70.
ligion; and they prayed for It's success with n
fcrvor impossible to describe. II was n cause
for which they were prepared to make any sac.
rince, and 1t is no wonder that they watched
the army go by with pallid and grief.stricken
faces. Their despair would have been of n
blackcr hue n they had not remembered that,
away Off in Virginia, Robert Lee was mastering
his army against the hostssopposing him.
The spectacle Of this army marching by was
so strange-so impossible in fact-that their
nmazcment would not have been materially in
creased II the whole vast array had been lifted
in air by n gust Of wind to dissolve and disap.
pear in the swaying and whirling ipist.
Presently they saw O'Halloran spur his horse
toward tho moving files. and touch his cap by
way of salute. Then another horseman, after
some delay, detached himself from the ranks.
joined the big Irishman, and tho two came up
tho avenue together. Mrs. Fitzpatrick, by an In.
,tinct rather than all impulse of hospitality. pre-.
pared to go to the door to receive them, paus-
ing in Jacks room to see that everything was
BnlpbnhTe. AS inc TWO CHTne up INC DrOhu, nlHn
steps, and delayed n moment on the veranda
to remove their waterproofs, Flora, --pecping
from behind the rcd curtains in.the parlor, saw
that the surgeon was.both.young and stalwart.
His brown hair was cut short, and the fierce
curl OF his mustache was relieved by a pair CT
gold. spectacles, that gave a benign and some.
what ministerial'air.to features that were other
wise firm and soldier.like. He was not as tall
as tho Irishman- Few men.in all that army were
but The bore himself moro easily; and grace.
fully.
When O'Halloran knocked Mt the door, Mrs.
Fitzpatrick opened it without O moments delay.
1T the surgeon, mum, to see the Captain"
Good morning. madam. Or. Pruden. Tho
man here tells mt that Capt. Jarvis of a New
York regiment is wounded here" He held his
cap in his hand, and his bearing was all.that
was affable and polite.
Como In. SIR said the lady. inclining her
head slightly.
He stepped into tho hallway. O'Halloran
following with n broad grin.on:his face that dis.
appeared by as magic whenever the surgeon
glanced in his direction. Mrs. Fitzpatrick led
the way to Jacks room, to which Flora had
fitted when the knock came at tho door. DR..
Pruden acknowledged her presence with n bow
and then turned his attention to his patient.
I'm sorry to see you on your back. Capt. Jar
Wis" no said sympathctically. And yet, with
such quarters and such nurses, I dare say you
are better off than the.rest Of u.s."
"Yes-well Off, replied Jack IN q weak voice
that was not borrowed for the occasion. In
fact, the surgeon had not arrived any too soon.
The wounded man had grown feebler and his con-
dition was not helped by an occasional fit Of
coughing that racked his whole body and
threatened to tear his wounds open afresh.
DR.. Pruden wiped his hands on n towel that
CHANGED to be hanging on n chair near by. and
then proceeded to examine into the wounded
mans condition.
You may thank your stars. young man." he
said after a while, that these ladies were
charitable enough to forget the color of your
coat there and %give.you shelter and the care and
attention that were absolutely necessary
The note of unaffected gratitude in the young
surgeons voice was so simple and genuine that
Flora felt a momentary pang of regret that he
shouldshave been made tho victim Of tho Irish
mans crafty scheme. But the pang was only mo-.
mentary; for what the Irishman had done he had
done for Jacks sake, and that was n sufficient
excuse. And yet the knowledge that the sur.
geon had been deceived made both mother and
daughter more considerate in their demeanor-
more genial in their attitude-than they could
otherwise have been.
O'IIalloran stood watching tho ladies and
the surgeon with a quizzical expression, keep.
ing his hand in the neighborhood of his mouth
20 screen his smiles. Finally ho seemed to dis
cover that he could not safely remain and
maintain his dignity.
OH be goin' Captain" he said to Jack. 'The
ladies'l look afthcr yure belongings. Termor.
rer, whin the rear guard comes by, maybe yell
be well enough for to BIO lifted in the ambu.
lance I brung We in
What amuses your inquired the surgeon,
seeing the Irishman trying to suppress a laugh.
Upon me word, sir, OF was thinkin' av the
drinch ye give me whin Oh was ailin'. Says OF,
'Ef It's as bitter to the CAPTAIN here as twas to
me. he'll be up on'his feet in a "iiffy.'"
Whcreupon OIIalloran turned on his heel
and went out, closing the door gently.
DIR. Pruden went to work with a will. He
smiled at the big poultice that Aunt Candace
had applied to the wound made by the bullet in
its exit, but found that the inflammation had
been controlled by it. Then, with the aid of
the fair Flora, who offered her assistance, he
proceeded to deal.with the wound on the shout.
der, which he found to BIO in a much moro seri-
Gus condition.
He had no need to probe tho wound, but saw
at once that while it was a painful and danger.
Gus hurt, no vital point had been touched. To
Flora, who asked many questions In a tone of
unaffected concern, he explained that the cough
vas caused by inflammation of tho lung It's.
sues, which would pass away as tho wound
healed. He said that it would be necessary for
him to give the wound only ono monSiressing. !
which could be done the next morning, IL the
ladies would put up with his presence for that
length of time. or, il they preferred, he could
call an ambulance and have the wounded man
carried along with tho army. though that
would be both awkward and dangerous. Tho
condition Of the lungs, he said, was such that
the slightest exposure might result In plcurisy
or pneumonia.
Both the ladies protested so earnestly against
tho removal of the wounded man that DR..
Pruden inwardly abused himself for having
formed the idea that Southern women had VIC.
lent prejudiccs against Yankees. During the
discussion Aunt Candacc had come in. She
know nothing of the scheme that O'Halloran
had employed to secure the services of n sur
geon for her young master. When she heard
the suggestion that jack could be placed I'm an
ambulance, and carried along with tine army,
she prickcd up her ears.