Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-05-26
E)Y

shall hear me-"
He placed himself between her and
the door. Without indccorous violence
she could not avoid listening to him.
"The time will come, 1t must come
before very long, when you will Judge
my course by different standards You
will feel more lenient then. Just now
you, my mother. none Of you give me
credit for acting upon my convictions
Of what was right and what was wrong
I represent to you oowardly egotist,
content to let his nearest and dearest
SUFFER- 80 ttet he secured to himself the
flesh pots When you come, by the aid
Of that soberer judgment which time
will bring to us all. to look at this
monstrous war episode from the out
side, you will recognize the possibility
of consistent southern Unionist
"Governor Strong was one, but the
sentiment Of class was too strong for
his powers Of resistance. Countless num-
bers of men, now fighting on the side Of
the south, stand where I do, morally II
not physically. There were no class
rage A born pariah, the overseer's son
was free to choose his side. chose the
one which seemed to stand for liberty
and justice, the two consultations most
conspicuously absent from my own ex-
perience
"When you come to realize that hold
Ing slavery as did, to be black blot on
the face of Gods fair creation. l was as
much in duty bound to fight for its
abolition as Adrien Strong was for its
erpetuation-when. In short, you are
ready to say, after all, It was he who
was in the right-will you send for me,
my dear, and not leave mo to languish
under tho frown Of the woman love
any longer than need be? The time will
surely come. Mamie. but the waiting
for 1t will be dleary work, dear.
It was not easy to maintain her fro
zen attitude with that pale, passionate
face bending above her as he pleaded
for mercy. Were her standards already
toppling to their fallY Was she feeling
premonitory twinges of that foreshad-
owed leniency2 Or was she an out and
out hypocrito, not worthy to breathe
the same air with Adrien Strong's moth
er or Liza2 But il only ho could have
come back to her looking that way
wearing @ gray uniform instead OF q
bluel He was positively majestic
Her heart was truer than her lips
She looked away from him whilo an-
swering him. so that her eyes should
not betray this humiliating fact to him
IF the time ever does come when |
can bring myself to look upon O traitor
with lenient eyes, Major Strong Martin,
or If my standard of right and wrong
should ever be SO fully reversed as to
make your transgression your virtue, l
shall send for you promptly and rcbuke
myself in your presence for the unuttcr-
able detestation Of your course which
now has full possession Of ny perverted
Sensea
"You spoke Of being born pariah,
with no GLASS prejudices to conserve or
to defy. I loved Strong Martin the
overseer's son. / ahhor Strong Martin
the Federal officer"
She was trembling. He could detect
the passionate pain beneath the meas
ured ooldness Of her tones, and he slnil-
ed, quite sure chat he would be Oh the
winning side
He stood aside and opened the door
for the little cavalcade in homespun.
Seth lead the way, then Mamie, and
finally his mother. She turned wfstful-
ly upon the door sill.
"6trong, my boy Strong, I hate to
leave you here all alone, but it's your
own doin. You oughtn't to have flow
In the face Of Providence so brash Ma
mics words sounded mighty severe,
and I oc,uld see by the quiver Of your
mouth they was outtin you like whip
lash. Strong-I-think-Ill kiss you
JUS once, my boy. But we don't want
nothin Of you"
Was he on the winning side7 He
questioned it that night. sitting alone
ON the small roofess balcony that jut-
ted from the window easement Of his
headquarters and gave him the full ben
eft Of starry night He knew just
how those same stars grouped them
selves about the tall trees that shelter.
ed Sans Souci.
In that long ago past. icons It SEEM
ed, when he and Adrien Strong had
been good boy friends, they had climb
ed to the rallied roof gallery countless
times for the pure joy Of ignorant star
gazing.
From out the cool, dark stiffness of
the starlit night there floated to him
scraps Of song and laughter. 1t came
from the clustered tents that sheltered
the troops under his command. He felt
them to be aliens tonight as never be-
fore. In their songs and their laughter
he had no part
The tethered beasts under the shade
trees in the little courthouse square
munched their evening rations with au.
dible gusto. The unlimbered cannon,
which In It's unchanged formidableness
had caused such panic to the rural Ses-
sumsport urohins, showed darkly where
It had been rolled under the spreading
arms Of a sycamore. Sessumsport was
an encampment, and its subjugated in
habitants hid themselves behind barred
windows and doora Not even by the
dull CLEAN Of their homemade tallow
candles would they oountenance the
presence Of these invaders
No assurance from "Strong Martin,
the traitor" could relieve their appre.
tensions of impending doom. He would