The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-02-12
CHAPTER VII.
One day a gun was fired.


All Cloverdell 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. 49,
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 contirmatory
shots. Innumerablo tugs, ferryboats,
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 over-what? Women
wept and waved their handkerchiefs in
a contagion of excitement over-what?
Boys joined in the general uproar
joyously, full Of 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
ly 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-
sponse to this bit of highly colored ora
tory scrawled on q letter back by his
friend Thatcher:
1.-THE time has come to act There is |
10 longer room for deliberation. He |
Who hesitates is lost. The state has
gone ont. We go out with it. How
ong before you can be ready to take the
ield?"
And as the colonel rode downward in
esponse to this fervid appeal he thought
# many things. Thatcher was right
words must now make way for acts. He
lad long since declared his intention of
quipping company of his own and
eading it into the field should bis state
ecede. Who would stay with Jessica?
gave his tender heart q twinge of
ain as he reflected on her peculiar at
itude toward this movement
She had come home at time when
he very air was surcharged with this
latter. Secession, as she read it, meant
fight for the continuance of slavery.
he had been educated into horror of
lie institution. She had no sympathy
, waste on the southern side of the
lestion. The colonel had received her
rades on the iniquity Of slaveholdiug
it'll lenient smiles.
ut was all due to Snorter's narrow
achings, and the pretty child, Of
,urse, had no convictions of her own
l the subject"
Now for the first time Jessica's atti-
lde toward subject which involved
lie entire community gave him distress.
It will make her SO Internally unpop-
ar, and, poor girl, she needs all the
lends she can make"
Then Jessica and her needs were
lased out of mind temp ~ by the
'mands of the moment There we're
iicers to be selected for his company.
eginald Belknap's tall, 1.-the figure,
stinguished features and superb he O.
anship arrayed themselves as claim.
It's to tho colonel's favor. He did !,
lieve he could do better than to take
elknap as his first lieutenant. 1t would
We the boy an opportunity to go into
O field with certain amount of pres
20 and help to dissipate the cloud of
friendliness which had lowered over
m since the story Of his folly had been
ade public. Yes, Belknap should 60 4
{ with him.
Then the company must be named. Tt
rs no part Of tho cblonel's plan Of pa
iotism to hs<e hisbwn name emLalm.
in the brave deeds of other men.
,Asrroint had already come W for DIS
(rrp diucu rsian In, friapAIv ,n,.,Inu. I q