The Portland daily press., 1898-02-18
Continued
CHAPTER VII.

One day gun was llreo.
All CIoverdell heard it. All the coun-
ty of Apologize heard it. All the world
heard it. The echo Of it is still rever-
berating down the aisles of time.
By token Of it all men knew that an
other state had rashly seeded from the
great sisterhood of states.
Cloverdell was thrown into frenzy
of excitement at sound of it.
Counting houses were deserted, shops
were closed, schools were dismissed, ap-
pointments were forgotten, promises
were Cancelled.
The town promptly emptied itself
into the little park on the bluffs which
overlooked the river. From that high
vantage ground as from no other spot in
the town could be seen the gayly be-
tagged steamer from whose deck that
momentous shot had been fired.
Like some sentient envoy proud Of his
tremendous embassage the steamer cir
cled and coquetted about the other craft
in the harbor, inviting them to lift up
their voices and aid in the proclamation
Of its mighty message. Bannerets foated
from every available inch of space. The
cannon which announced the folly Of
people belched forth other confrmatory
shots. Innumerable tugs, ferry boats,
steam barges and launches added their
discordant voices to the clamor.
Men flung their hats high in air and
wrung other mems hands in fervent
congratulation oyer-what? Women
wept and waved their handkerchiefs in
a contagion Of excitement over-what?
Boys joined in the general uproar
joyously, full of a wild glee simply
because the monotonous routine of the
days was to be set at naught. A few
gray heads were shaken in secret, few
ominous prophecies uttered in whispers.
Old women anxiously questioned their
hearts concerning the loved ones they
could best spare. Young women proud
~ pinned on the blue cockade of seces-
sion. Reason abdicated in favor of emo
ton.
From one end Of the county to the
other the contagion spread with the
rapidity of prairie fire.
Colonel Merriman Bascom mounted
bay Tom and galloped into town in re-
Spouse to this bit of highly colored ora
tory scrawled on a letter back by his
friend Thatcher:
''The time has come to act. There is
no longer room for deliberation. He
who hesitates is lost. The state has
gone out. We go out with it. How
long before you can be ready to take the
feld?''
And as the colonel rode downward in
response to this fervid appeal he thought
of many things Thatcher was right
words must now make way for acts. He
had long since declared his intention of
equipping company Of his own and
leading it into the field should his state
secede. Who would stay with Jessica?
1t gave his tender heart a twinge Of
pain as he reflected on her peculiar at
titude toward this movement.
She had come home at time when
the very air was surcharged with this
matter. Secession, as she read it, meant
a fight for the continuance OF slavery
She had been educated into horror OF
the institution She had no sympathy
to waste on the southern side Of the
question. The colonel had received her
TRADES on ths iniquity of slaveholding
with lenient smiles.
: ~ft was all due to Shortet's narrsw
teachings, and the pretty child, OF
course, had no convictions OF her own
on the subject. -
Now for the first time Jessica's atti-
tude toward subject which involved
the entire community gave him distress.
SIT will make her SO Internally unpop-
ular, and, poor girl, she needs all the
friends she can make.
Then Jessica and her needs were
chased out of mind temporarily by the
demands of the moment. There were
officers to be selected for his company.
Reginald Belknap's tall, 1.-the figure,
distinguished features and superb horse
manship arrayed themselves as claim
ants to the colonel's favor. He did not
believe he could do better than to take
Belknap as his first lieutenant. 1t would
give the boy an opportunity to go into
the hello Win certain dlsDuuo VI pres
tige and help to dissipate the cloud OF
unfriendliness which had lowered over
him since the story Of his folly had been
made public. Yes, Belknap should go
out with him.
Then the company must be named. 1t
was no part of the colonel's plan OF pa
triotism to have his own name embalm-
ed in the brave deeds of other men.
This point had already come up for des-
ultory discussion in friendly conclave.
Thatcher wanted the "Bascom Light
guards. He had downed the sugges-
tion at the outset. On the whole APP
plegate sharpshooters'' appealed to
his fancy more strongly than any name
yet thought of, and as he dismounted
in front of Thatoher's Office he had got
so far as to decide that the apple
gate sharpshooters" should be uni
formed with dark crimson stripes down
the trousers legs and small crimson POM
pons in their military caps.
The city fathers heard it and called
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