Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-17

Copy right, 1871 by q. W. Dillingham; CuD
Norman Holt, favorite son of an old Ken
lucky family, ~ reprlmanded at West Point
for duelng and is withdra ~n py his nigh
spirited father. His home coming in the
winter Of 1850 is celebrated by an od-fash-
ioned Kentucky Christmas gathering.
Among the guests are Daisy Lane. daugh-
ter cf Dr. IIolts lawyer. and !. Burnett
Malloy, both OF Cincinnati. The latter
partner, Mr.. Mcintyre, and Is cuurte1usly
received, but arouses the jea ousy of Nor
Malloy separates Miss Lane from the main
party during fox hunt and at the Christ
mas ball the same evening affects an air
of proprietorship distRstetul to Daisy and
obnoxious to hig rival, Norman Holt. But
sll ill-feeling Is forgotten when at midnight
all surround Dr. Holt TO drink the Christ
mas punch, which ceremony is interrupted
by midnight messenger. who announces
the dangerous illness Of Judge Mclntyre;
Investigation revens his financial AFFAIRS
IN a hopeless tnngle and the. Holt fortune
dissipated; Henry and Norman enter enter
enllsts as private In the Ohio infantry
Malloy, through political influence, is leu-
tenant in the same company, ana Henry
Holt joins the confederate forces. Norman
is ordered to conduct a skirmish party
under Captain Wing to Beleview In search
of prominen; rebels. Bellevlew raid fails.
treachery. Brain fever saves him from
trial and takes him to the hospital Charges
Norman rejoins his regiment and aids
Sheridan In capturing Henry Holt. Nor
man Hot drugged by Malloy while on
picket duty is found asleep at his post.
Court-martinl convicts Norman, who de-
mands that Malloy, whose testimony con
v.cted him. shall lead tho firing party on
the day of his death. Norman is pardoned
by President Lincoln and made lieutenant
OF Kentucky infantry Norman Is accused
has deserted, into the hands of secret
service men. Norman wins high praise
from Sheridan for gallant rally of troops
and when Malloy, now major of new regi-
ment, returns to camp he Is cut by Nor
man. Norman captured by confederates
while trying to save dispatches for Thomas.
But there had been strange doings in
Chattanooga during the week preceding
Bragg's enforced evacuation. Thither, late
In July, had they borne our wounded Nor
man. There had been few days for him
of imminent peril, for there were not lack
ing southern generals high in rank who be-
1ieved that he, not the secret service, had
brought those bogus" dispatches to the
front. with the deliberate design OF falling
into confederate hands, and throwing Bragg
and his corps commanders upon a false
scent. "It was no better than being a spy"
swore one furious leader, who had made a
long, tedious, toilsomc mountain march In
one direction to head off the federal force
that had gone in quite another. 1t was Van
Dorn's cavalry, far out at Columbia. that
ascertained just which way Thomas and
Crittenden were coming. There rarely was
time from beginning to end of the war
when the southern leaders were not quickly
and reliably informed OF every movement
made by our men. 1t took less than twenty
four hours to restore the situation. and
gradually the cries against the wounded
Yankee died away. There was his brother.
Major Holt serving for the time on Har-
dee's staff, ready to give his knightly word
that Norman had well-nigh lost his life In
the effort to prevent those very dispatches
from falling into confederate hands so that
disposed Of one peril, but left him another
faced by fever.