The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-31

ington and not back again 10 Annapo-
lis. He had not tasted food since the
midday dinner of the day before, and
ne felt weak and faint There was
water to be found in the branch which
flowed through the wood, but the
month of April does not furnish food in
either garden or orchard, and Buckner
felt that he should never reach the
maven OF ms desires, unless he could
ma something with which to satisfy
the cravings Of hunger. In the distance
ne saw negro hut, and leaving the
track he approached the door and
asked for piece of bread. The uniform
of the naval officer seemed as the mar
tie OF the righteous to the poor slave
woman, whose husband was working
afar in the field.
Use got some cone pone, honey"
said She and little hawg, eff We Kin
eat SIGH trash
She gazed with amazement as this
young lord OF Great seized upon the
humble fare, and ravenously devoured
II, and she blessed him as, after giving
her some money, he took UP his march.
and with fresh hope and strength
stepped out again upon the ties. All
sthat bright, still Sunday morning he
tramped, and when the aun beat down
too holly, he laid himself down. this
time in the cool woods, where again he
rested. When the moon had risen. he
left his bed of grass and pursued his
way AS the stars grew faint, and the
moon sank in the west his spirits rose
for did he not discern in the distance
the wooded heights of the Potomac
and were not the first rosy beams of
morning gliding the spires of the Mecca
toward which he journeyedY
IL was a wayworn and dusty figure of
a lieutenant that FASTENED along Penn
sylvania avenue to the navy deparf-
ment that Monday morning. The doors
were closed; then he was stfu in tiuet
BY and by there began to be a mild
sort OF STIR The early birds were out
seeking the worm. a watchman opened
the doors; a sweeper came down the
street and. entering the department.
began to give the great halls the air of
neatnessl Jhatapublic building demands
Then the employees began to gather.
Buckner now entered the door and the
first person whom he recognized was
old Lindsay Muse. the coIored nessen-
ger who had served there since fhe
time of Andrew Jackson.
Can you tell me-" snid Buckner.
when the mail comes imp
Wen, sab, we have sevul nails
4 mean the mail from the north, the
Annapolis mall
We'll, sub, we gets sevuI, as tole
you-but 'spose the Annapolis mail
Will be along bout hawf paws o'clock.
sub"
What is the time? Ny watch has
stopped.
wen, sub. it's bout twenty minutes
paws g. sub"
Where do they take the mail when
it comes?"
Right in dat room, suh.''
Buckner's mind was in confusion. He
hardly knew whether he should try to
procure surreptitiously the document
for which he had come to Washington,
or whether he should trust to the see
retary's accepting his assurance that
he had thoroughly repented of his ac-
ton. He wondered II he V<uid be able
to face the secretary He had heard
of him as a stern, set man. What if
he should refuse to accept his prom
ise2 Buckner seated himself on a
bench in the hall and waited. When
finally he heard the mail wagon draw
up with a tremendous clatter at the
door, and saw the postman enter the
hail with some enormous bags, his
heart almost stopped beating. He
watched the postman disappear in the
mail room, ana when the messengers
began to leave il, carrying parcels Of
letters and documents to the. various
offices ard bureaus. he got up from his
seat and slowly mounted the stairs,