Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-16

looked up into the face Of her brother,
who commanded the troopers.
"He, this soldier, the Federal gyard,"
painted the girl-"hc saved us from
those wretches, an now you have killed
him for It, Walter. An l, only this
mornin, hated him an cyalled him
bad names," whimpered poor Polly.
"T'm sorry" said Walter Brundage,
"for that missent shot, but it couldn't
be helped. Anything blue, you know,
is q magnet for bullets" And he took
her in his arms and kissed her tenderly.
Good God. look at grandfather. Full
Of an awful dread, the pair ran to the
porch. General Brundage was dead,
literally slain by the violence Of his
own wrath and outraged pride, thin
trickle Of blood smearing his white
beard as 1t oOZed from the dilated nos
tril. The daughter who had loved and
nursed him so tenderly sat within
arms length, blindly winking, for her
wits had gone woolgathering, and 1t
was the sudden vision Of Walter which
pulled them together.
"Deah boy, welcome" she smiled,
and then her eye travelled with gather
ing light and ken from their confused
faces to the shock Of the dead face sag
ging Imply on the breast.
When the wounded Wentworth was
reused from the first torpor Of his shat
tered rib, there came to his perceptions
the loud lamentations Of the negroes,
the grief stricken faces Of the Brun-
dage ladies bowed over the chair,
where the majesty Of death was
throned, and the sympathetic group of
gray troopers standing apart. 1t SEEM
ed to belong to the imagery Of dream.
Then the torturing pain racked him
and cleared his brain for space. He
heard the words of command ordering
the body of the marauder, which had
been tumbled from the porch, to be
dragged away. That was beyond the
mending Of the gallows tree or the
surgeons trephine.
81 have no time to mourn" said the
Confederate captain, with a studied
control Of his voice. 1.-TWO hours more,
an we must ride. barely got leave
to cyome, an it was to such u grief as
this! Tomorrow at dawn-he glanced
about as II even there he would hedge
in a perilous secret-"we attack the
Federal right with crushin odds, for
'Stonewall' Jackson has arrived with
his whole army to strengthen General
Lee, an the Yankees suspect nuthin.
We shall grind them to powder an
end the waw, for the victory In our
hands will make the world ring
Fierce elation lifted his accent above
sorrow, though the tension quickly
gripped him anew.
"An now we must bury this deah old
man till we can give him propah fu.
neral honahs worthy Of the Brundages
Tomorrah the mem'ry Of this'll sharp
en- Yet, perhaps, Polly"-his voice
softened little-"that will fade away
with other things of life, for may be
what he Is now, an you alone' Witn liz
one to lean on"
His glance unwittingly roved, with a
frown Of annoyance, to the wounded
Wentworth, who quivered with n fee
BILE movement. The pressure of facts
was complex and immediate, and one
feeling clashed with the impact of an
other. 81 don't know what to do will
this man. Were he one Of those mis-
creants a few minutes would settle 1t. ,
His look of Interrogation was answer
ed by the nod of tall sergeant. "Bu
the fellows wounded an has done III
right gyallant service, even If 'twer'
his duty. BY heaven, the problem''
maddenin! 1 cyan't leave him, will
two women heah; cyan't send him In
to Richmond; he cyan't be returned t.