The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-08
THE IRON BRIGADE
Story of THE ARMY OF THE POToNAc

tOld Ellnor, ana 4 tell you, riSu, th<t' IL
had any ieda that duty demanded my going
back to the land of my birth-it is ended.
If people will only let me stay in peace
my place is here"
Good God, Paul. was the almost ex-
ultant answer. What load you've lifted
from my mindi What a facer this will be
to McKinnonr'
And So perhaps, ii might have been had
IL become known to him and to the public
that evening before he had finished his
imprisoned speech and exhibited a certain
letter, but even as they sat there, hand in
hand. stalwart Fred Benton and fragile
looking Paul Ladue the sound of cheering
grew fierce and frequent. Somebody with
a gift of oratory and the power TO move
mems souls was evidently swaying that
meeting at will. Elnor, who had gone
home to give her father his tea, was hard
ly surprised to find him still away. and the
evening wore on without him. In the dark
shadows of the broad veranda she sat.
looking at the dim light up the street
where dwelt the Ladues. and listening to
the cheering that told unerringy the stir
ring effect of the speakers words. Ten
o'clock had come and gone, and still she
could say what was going on at the square.
1t must have been half after ten when a
final and prolonged burst of cheering
seemed to announce the close of the ora
tors speech and presumably the breaking
up of the meeting, and then far down the
street there came the sound of swift run
ming footsteps, and presently. painting and
excited. young man, a near neighbor.
carted into view under the glare of the
nearest gas lamp and rushed on toward the
lake. Hurrying down to the front gate,
Elinor heard rather than saw him speed
ing eastward until nearly opposite the La
dues; then he went bounding across the
broad. unpaved and. in places. grass-grown
street. and family she could hear the chal-
lenge of manly young voices. What did
this portend?
Away to the west, down in the valley of
the river. confused murmur rose upon
the night--a murmur rapidly augmenting
in depth and volume as ii seemed to be
drawing nearer and nearer. Then. to her
amazement, Fred came to the front gate,
half lifting, half leading, a slim-built. re-
luctant youth, whose voice she knew on the
instant, whose form she knew at a glance.
You must, Paul." she heard Fred saying.
low and stern. at can't lick thousand
fellow-citiZens. The only thing is to get
you in some safe harbor until this blows
over. Yes, 1 know father forbade you the
house, but he never dreamed of this, and
were he home he would act exactly as /
am acting
So saying, he had half lifted. half run
the helpless young Southerner into the for
no
door, he plunged his unwilling prisoner into
the dark depths, took him a candle from
the kitchen, and bounded back to the front
gate just in time TO see a throng of men,
covering the street from curb to curb,
sweeping. silently up the wild thorough
fare. passing him by with hardly a CLEAN
OF recognition, and finally hating nearly
two blocks away in front of the little
homestead of the Ladues.
Just then the squire appeared. springing
from a hack that had driven swiftly on
the trail of the crowd. and started at sight
of his son standing there like sentry at
the gate. The elders face was pale, and
beads of sweat were starting from his
brow. us Elinor homer" was his first
question.
II am here, father came the answer,
clear. yet low, and with slow. deliberate
step the girl came forward down the gravel
walk.
II wish you to go to your room, child.
There-there may be trouble here present.
ly. The people are-over excited"
Trouble for whom, father?' was the
calm question. as, apparently ignoring his
injunction, EIinor came straight onward
until she stood by her brothers side. The
strong arm on which she laid her little
white hand was trembling. partly the result
of recent exertion, partly from intense ex-
element
"You may as well know" was the half
hesitant reply. Gust as / foresaw, young
Ladue yonder has got to face the music.
They have evidence to prove that he is in
the rebel service"
"Its lier swore Fred Benton, between
his clinched teeth.
Its the miserable truth" said his father
"Listen." Somebody was again haranguing
the crowd. now completely filling the street
from block to block only four hundred
yards away, while men and boys, jabber-
ing excitedly, were still hurrying by the
Bentons to join the throng. Presently the
voice rose higher and clearer. and they
have searched the house. fellow-citizens,
and have failed to find this misguided
young man. Moreover. 1 have the assur-
ance of his aged and unhappy father that
his erring son is not here-that. warned by
his own conscience or some still deluded
friend, he fled full half an hour ago. 1t is
not conceivable that he would remain here
over night. Already he is probably beyond
the suburbs Punishment from our midst
was what you demanded, and the sentence
is self-executed. Let me urge you, there
fore, in The interests of law and order, to
quietly disperse. Let me-"
But here the speakers voice was drowned
i'm shouts of wrath and Impotence, and be-
fore he could again make himself heard a
mighty bass was uplifted over the clamor
and in tones that could be heard four
blocks away these words were beloved
on the startled ear of night:
They tarred and feathered and rode our
teachers on a rail for no cause whatever.
/ move, by God! that before we let Paul
Ladue wear a rebel coat we give him one
of tar and feathers. 1 know where to find
him."
1t was the riff-raff OF the city. let ii be
remembered, that made up the bulk of the
crowd-the idler. the loafer. the saloon
hanger-on, the same class precisely that,
six weeks before. had mobbed the men of
Massachusetts in the streets of Baltimore