The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-01-28
THE MAN IN
THE MIDDLE
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4 III 1H4OAA4
[OrfginaLl
'That was the proudest moment OF
my life," said Summers at the gather
ing of Confederate veterans.
"What moment" asked Venable.
"The moment when General Lee re-
ferred to me in dattering terms, which.
confess, did not deserve"
.'What? General Lee referred to you?
When? HowY'
1T was during the fighting before
Richmond. One night just before taps
/ lighted a fire and was making some
coffee
Coffee? Chicory, you mean. We had
no coffee" interrupted Venable.
81 say coffee, and mean coffee"
.sWhere did you get itY
''In a Yankee camp we had walked
over during the day. Well, as l was
saying, just as the coffee began to emit
its delicious odors the sergeant called
out, Summers, you're wanted And
you sAnd you speaking to different
men of our company"
II was there" said Venable. Il re-
member perfectly. He called me too"
''There were a dozen of US" Sum-
mers went on, assembled in an or
chard"-
"An apple orchard"
eyes, an apple orchard. Well, the
sergeant ordered us to fall in and
marched us to the coloners headquar-
tiers. The officer of the guard was
there with several Of his men and
among them a fellow-I don't know
who he was but he didn't belong to
our company or to the regiment The
colonel looked us over, and we were
taken, the stranger along with us, to
General Lee"
"And drawn up in line before his
tent. put in Venable, "the stranger
between you and me-"
Il have forgotten about the stran-
ger" Summers went on. "but remem-
Der that General Lee came out and
looked at us as If searching for some
one. Presently his eye lighted on me,
and he said:
"NThats the man. / wish had a
dozen like him. could use them all.'
"With that he went back into his
tent, and we were marched to camp"
sDo you mean to tell me-" said Ven
able, that all these years you have
thought the general referred to your
"Of course he did"
"Why, he not only looked at me, but
he pointed at me-"
"You?"
eyes, t.
"Well, now, like that Whatever
put it into your stupid NOODLE that he
referred to your"
Because shortly before l had been
detailed as his orderly, and when l
left him he commended me for my
faithful attention"
"And / had held his horse under fire
while he climbed to an eminence to
get a look at the enemy. 1 tell you
it was hot down there in the hollow,
the shells shrieking over my head"
Summers got up from his chair and
stalked about, with his hands in his
pockets, glazing like a tiger.
I'm sorry to destroy the illusion of
lifetime" remarked Venable, "but
truth is mighty and must prevail"
1.-The egotism of some people If fired
at an enemy would have more effect
than a machine gum"
"The self esteem of others is worse
than charge of dynamite"
At this moment white headed man
entered. The veterans made him well
come, placing a glass before him. He
| filed his pipe and sat smoking in that
stolid fashion especially to be noticed
among the German people.
Were glad you've come, Mark
HEINZ" said one of the assembled vet
Grams, mot only because we love our
enemy, but we needed some one to
stop wrangle between Summers and
| Venable"
"vat wrangleY" asked the old man.
sT'll state the case, and you, being a
Union veteran and consequently i'm.
partial. may be able to decide between
them"
"ven, go on"
/ OnC hight WHICH VIC NCAN Lighting
Mcclellan before Richmond. Summers
and venable were marched with a
squad of dozen men to General Lees
tent. They were drawn up in line. The
general looked them over and said:
That's the man. wish l had a dozen
like him. could use them ALL Sum-
mers claims that the general referred
to him, since he had served him faith
fully as orderly. Venable claims the
honor, since he had held the generals
horse under fire. Which Is right?'
"Neider. Sheneral Lee point to me. |
vas der man in der middle"
"You the man In the middlel'' cried
Summers. What were you doing
| there?"
II vas spy"
"a spyy' cried the company in a
breath. "Tell us about it"
"You see," said Markheim, 81 vas a
young feller shust come from Sherma-
ny, und l didn't know vat to do ven
| got to dis country, so l vent into der
Union army. Won day my captain dells
me Sheneral Mcclellan wants a man
| to go to Richmond to see how many OF
you fellers dere vas. CONT, und see
SheDeral Lee, und talks NIT him. Den
I vas arrested. Sheneral Lee vas a
ferry conscientious man und wouldn't
identify me unless he could bick me
oudt from udder men. Next day he
send for me, und l tell him don't care
nottings about der national droubles
und If he let me off go work farm in
Mort Carolina. been vorkin' dot farm
ever since till come here last week"
"By thunderw exclaimed the COM
pany.
81 nefer wants to be der man in
der middle again. If it hadn't been
for the kind heart of Sheneral Lee,
would hat been In der middle of a
guard, With a rope arount my neck.
We trink to Sheneral Leer'
MAURICE Z. BROKETT.