Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-01-05
CLARENCE
BY BRET HARTE.

tSfSu W bt ~ tuuldttO WOIldn lying on
The slope. 1t was not Rose, but the
body of that very woman-the real and
only spy-whom you had passed
through h lines at daybreak. My
brother thinks she was accidentally
killed In the first attack upon you by
her own friends, and so fell a double
martyr. But only my brother and his
friend recognized her through her
blackened face and disguise. and on
the plea that she was a servant OF one
Of their friends, they got permission
from the division commander to take
her away. and she was buried by her
friends and among her people in the
little cemetery of Three Pines Cross
ing, not far from where you have gone.
My brother thought l ought TO tell you
this; 1t seems that he and his friend
had a strange sympathy for you In
what they appear to know or guess of
your relations with that woman, and
/ think he was touched by what he
thought was your kindness and chival-
ry to him IN recount of his sister. But
l do not think he ever knew, or will
know, how great is the task that he
has imposed upon me.
You know now, do you not, why l
did not speak to you when we first
met. 1t seemed so impossible to do
II in an atmosphere and n festivity
that was SO incongruous TO the dread
full message / was charged with. And
when / had to meet you later-perhaps
I may have wronged you-but 1t SEEM
ed to me that o were so preoccupied
and interested with other things that
! might perhaps only be wearying you
with something you cared little for, or
perhaps already knew and had quick
ly forgotten.
II had been wanting to say some-
thing else to you when l had got rid
of my dreadful message. / do not
know If you still care to e But
you were once generous enough to
think that ! had done you a service in
bringing n letter to your commander.
Although / know better than anyone
else the genuine devotion to your duty
that made you accept my poor service,
from all that / car hear you have never
had the credit OF II. Will you now try
me again? ] am in more favor here,
and / might yet be more successful In
showing your superiors how true o
have been to your trust, even IL you
have little faith'in your friend Matilda
Faulkner
For a long time he remained motion
less with the letter in his hand. Then
he arose, ordered his horse and gall
loped away
There was little difficulty In finding
the cemetery of Three Pines crossing
a hillside slope, hearsed with pine and
cypress and starred with white crosses,
that in the distance looked like flowers.
Still less was there In finding the newer
marble shaft among the older lichen
spotted slabs, which bore the simple
words: Alice Benham, Martyr" A
few confederate soldiers, under still
palmer and newer wooden headstones,
carved only with initials, lay at her
feet. Brant sank on his knees beside
the grave, III he was thrilled to see
that the base of the marble was stained
with the red pollen Of the fateful lily.
whose blossoms had been heaped upon
her mound, but whose fallen petals lay
dark and sodden in decay.
How long he remained there he did
not know. And then a solitary bugle
from the camp seemed to summon him
as 1t a once summoned him before
and he went away-as he had gone
once before-to q separation hat he
now knew was for all time.
Then followed a month of superin-
tendence and drill, and the ~infusing
into the little camp under his i%nstruc-
ton the spirit which seemed to be pass
ing out Of his own life forever. Shut In
by allen hills on the border land of the
great struggle, from time TO time re-
ports reached him of the bitter fight
Ing and almost disastrous successes Of
his old division commander. Orders
came fl ON Washington to hurry the
preparation of his raw levies for the
field, and a faint hope sprang up In his
mind. But following it came another
Dispatch ordering his return to the cap
ital.
He reached it with neither hope nor
fAar 90 hAn,,~lAl lal a -
1t under his last trial, and what
seemed to be now the mockery Of his
last sacrifice to his wife. Though 1t
was no longer a question of her life and
safety, he knew hat he could still pre-
serve her memory from stain, by keep
Ing her secret even though it's divul-
gence might clear his own. For that
reason he had even heslted to inform.
Susy of her death, in the fear that In
her thoughtless responsibility and i'm
pulsiveness she might be tempted to
use 1t in his favor. He had made his
late appointment n plea for withhold
Ing any present efforts to assist him.
He even avoided the Boompointers'
house, in what he believed was partly
q duty to the memory of his wife. But
he saw 10 Inconsistencies In occasional
ly extending his lonely walks to the
vicinity of a foreign legation, or in be-
ing lifted with a certain expectation at
the sight of it's liveries on the venue.
There was a craving for sympathy in
his heart, which Miss Faulkner's let
ter had awakened.
Meantime he had reported himself
for duty at the war department, with
little hope, however, in that formality.
But he was surprised the next day
when the chief of the bureau informed
him that his claim vas before the pres
ident.
II was not aware that / had present.
ed any claim" he said a little haugh-
tily.
The bureau chief looked up with
some surprise. This quiet, patient, re-
served man had once or twice puzzled
him before. Perhaps / should say
case general" he said, drily. But
the personal interest OF the highest
executive in the land strikes me as be-
ing desirable in anything
Il only mean hat / have obeyed the
orders of The department in reporting
myself here, now and before said
Brant, with less feeling, but none the
less nrmness, land l should imagine it
was not the duty of a soldier to ques-
case would imply"
He had no idea of taking this attl-
tude before, but the disappointments of
the past month, added to his first off,
cial notice of his disgrace, had brought
forward again that logged. reckless,
yet half-scornful, determination that
was part of his nature.
The official smiled. II suppose, then,
you are waiting to hear from the presi-
dent" he said. drily.
II am waiting orders from the de-
%partment," returned Brant quietly,
but whether they originate In the
president or commander-in-chief, or
not, 1T does not seem for me to in
quire."
Even when he reached his hotel this
half savage indifference which had
taken the place of his former incerti-
tude had not changed. 1t seemed to
him that he had reached the crisis of
Lie lisa x.LAs.