Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-06-09
11a InaI was why Sergt. stcrht, q


officers of both regiments the follow
ing morning and hidden to eNpiaih'
which he did in few words. lie was
rcolv TO answer that the wounded
Cornornl Norton was the very same
Young man he saw in the adJulahts
Office of the ---teenth regulars at lamp
Merritt. and was then called Morton
And that evening the veteran sergeant
major of the ---tocnth was bidden 10
report at the reserve hospital III Hr'
mi,a. close to the Maa,e line, was con-
durtcd 10 the bedside Of pallid young
soldier whose ticket bore the name OF
Norton, and Nas asked to tell whether
he had ever seen him before
81 have. SIR said the veteran. sadly
and crayclv. 'IIe is dcserter from the
-tecnth. Ills name on our rolls was
Norton" And that night Col. Arm
strong cahlcd to "lrimatc, New ork,
the single word "1o,nd." Nor was II
likely the lad would soon be lost again
for a sentry With fixed bayonet stood
within ten feet Of mis- bed with orders
not TO let him out of his sight second
Mrs. Garrison appeared at the hos
pltal that very evening and heard OF the
episode, and reached Billy Gray's bed
side looking harassed, even baggard.
During the past three days she had been
accorded admission, for Gray was so
much improved there was no reason 10
longer forbid; but on each occasion tho
wounded volunteer officer and the brace
of attendants present had precluded all
possibility of confidential talk. She
must bde her time. Gray would be up
in few days, said the doctor; and then
nothing would do, said Mrs. Garrison.
| but he must be moved to their big,
roomy, lovely house on the bay SIDE,
and be made strong and well again
made to give up those letters, tSo'
thought she; for she had wormed it out
of a bystander that n packet OF some
kind had been given by the dying sol.
der to the lieutenant, and she well
knew what it must be. She had even
penned him little note, since not a
WHISPER could be safely exchanged, and
headed it: "Givc this back to me the mo-
ment YOU haveread it," Init she remind
ed him Of his promise, and-did he neeo
to be reminded of hers: She knew thai
packet of Nita's letters had been IN
trusted to his care. She assured HIN
she had it straight from the surgeon
who attended both Latrobe and hlm
self, and they must reach the hands o
no man on earth, but must come to her
Would he not give them at once or tel
her where she could find them?
lie gave back the note, but closed III
ewes and turned away. In the presenc
of Armstrong day after day, and in tn
recollection of Latrobe's dying face AM
the last parting touch of his strlcke
: haad, Gray's eyes were opening to NJ
own deplorable weakness. She plalnl
, saw her power was going, if not gone
s He had wrapped a silk handkerchif
' about the packet and still kept it, wit
: his watch and purse, beneath his PILLOW
. He would not tell her where it lay. Sh
q smiled archly for the benefit of the a
. terdant: but her eyes again eagerl
Y claimed look from his, her lips frame
t the word "to-morrow."
1 But neither on that morrow nor "
u the next day came her opportunit
y The gallant fellow who had lain thel
e for days, dumb and patient, but ba
IS rier to her plans, had taken turn II
e, the worse. and she was again denied az
II mission Then came the tidings TN
the barrier was removed, the long 1lgl
Ie was over; and the heartless woma
q actually rejoced. Now at last 81
! o,,,II an. v-.'' - ~---. riA'v', "of
II and weary, returning late from ii
s front, briefly announced that Ge1
Drayton plTposod visiting the hospit;
: the following afternoon, and long b,
u fore noon-long before visiting hour
4 in fact, she was there with flowers q
Winsome as her smile, and some iell
u as dainty as her own fair hands. Sh
was there. and the instant the hou
sounded was ushered in. and Bill
Gray, propped on his pillows, was wri,
ing to his father, and alone. No tim
. was to be lost. Any moment the at
PENDANT might return. She threw her
self on her knees beside the homely
Barrow cot, seized his hand in hers, an.
looked him in the face. "Where ar
; they,Will?' she pleaded. "Quick! mus
have them now." But well she realized
: that the spell was broken-that tn
! old Fascination had died its death. Thel
: it was useless to hint at love: and in ;
torrent of imprisoned words she bad,
him think of all he owed her, appealed
| to his sense of gratitude and. honor
and there, too, failed, for, admitting
all she claimed, he clulnsily, haltingly
Yet honestly told her he saw now tha
it was all for an object, all done in the
hope that he might become her instru
Ment for the recovery Of those com
promising letters; and now the fate had
delivered them into his hands he wa.
bound by honor and his promise-un
heard, unspoken perhaps, but all the
same his promise-to the dead to give
them to Gen. Drayton.
Then rising in fury and denuncation
she played her last trump. Trembling
from head TO foot, pale with bat1led pur-
pose and with growing dread, she bent
over him, both hands clinched.
"You mad fool" she cried. "Do you
know what | can do-will do--unless
you give them to me here and now
AS God hears me, VIII Gray. will give
that other packet to Gen. Drayton my
self and swear that Col. Canker was
right-1hat you were the thief he
thought you, and that got those let
| fnrc from, xc.,,,