The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-24

to let the secretary handle matters of the
kind. Now, your general, Mr.. Benton, is
being accused of having Southern leanings
because he has been protecting Southern
property there about Fredericksburg"
Some defenseless woman left all alone,
asked for guards and got them," answered
Benton, stoutly. IL shouldn't wonder If
their lords and masters are secesh, but
we're not warning on women, take it.
"As yet-no," was the thoughtful reply.
land may God forbid our having to come to
1t. But, my young friend, If you knew half
that we know-and we don't begin to know
half that those brainy, daring, scheming,
smiling Southern women are doing all
around us-you might think the time close
at hand when they, too, would have to be
made amenable to the laws of war. 1t isn't
a week since one of them ran of with one
of our prisoners here. and you know what
a trick was played by-Dr. Chilton's daugh-
ter"
And now indeed did Benton's face begin
to burn, thing the captain and the silent
listeners were quick to note.
"You have your receipt for your pris-
oner, 1 presume. Then I'll not detain you
further, only-come this way. We've got
to question your friend Jennings next" and
so saying the captain led his visitor
through second room, where at crowded
desks a score of clerks were writing.
when do you go to the White House?" he
suddenly asked
II don't know. / expected to learn here.
But hoped to have time to get freshened
up bit, and 1 need new
Nonsense! You look as though you'd
just stepped out of a bandbox in that uni
FORM Ask Mr.. Stone to come here" he
added to a statuesque soldier at the door.
1.-The uniform may be all right, but what
need is sash and side arms" said Benton.
| still weighted with the traditions of his
regular" regiment.
Never mind them! The President never
| notices what man wears or knows what
| he himself has on. / suppose he wants to
| hear what you saw and heard-and some
| thing about the Chiltons, for they seem to
| be in hot water. All, Mr.. Stone, what time
was Mr.. Benton to report at the White
| House?'
ST was to bring him over as soon as he
arrived. sir. Is this the gentleman" And
| a young man in civilian garb bowed cour-
|
| as there were matters on which General
| Thomas wished to question him, Benton
| hurried away.
| 1t was not yet o'clock. but already half
| a dozen carriages were halted along the
| semi-circular drive in front Of the mansion,
| and a number Of pallid. anxious women and
| grave-visaged men were gathered about the
| beautiful colonnaded portico. Through the
waiting group the messenger swiftly led his
| charge; through the massive doorway and
| UP the stairs to the left, past officers chat
ting in low zones along the broad corridor,
past the desks of badgered secretaries,
| striving to answer the questions of a dozen
| importunates at once Many glanced up
| curiously at the tall young soldier striding
| in the wake of his wel-known guide, and
many a man questioned, "Who is that?" as,
| with a whispered word to doorkeeper, the
two disappeared beyond green baize portals
that swung quickly shut-through another
large, airy room from whose windows one
| saw a lovely vista of the placid river and
| wooded Virginia shores, and even here
| some half dozen elders, gray-haired, i'm
| portant-looking men-privileged characters,
| evidently-werc waiting the coming of the
great head of an anxious and distracted
people. Through still another doorway they
| passed and into a smaller room, where
| stood a long table in the middle and smaller
| desks at the Sides whereat two silent Sec
| retaries were writing. One of these looked
| I'M. nodded and pointed with the tip of his
| nen to a door across the little ROOM DIR
| Stone led Benton to long window facing
| the river and the heights of Arlington be-
yond, left him there and disappeared. A
| moment or two later that door opened and
the two secretaries did not even rise or dis
continue their work. A tall. bony. black
ROBBED. black-haired and bearded man. with
deep-set, blacK-browed eyes and brown
| sunken cheeks came striding in, one great
hand crasping a batch of papers. the other
being grasped by both the sturdy paws OF
a merry-eyed, ruddy checked urchin who
lifting his booted feet clear of the carpet
was being swung through space like some
animated hopper at the end of the travers-
ing lib of tall travelling crane. Benton
| knew them at a glance-the chief magis-
trate of a mighty nation and the darling OF
the fathers great, fond, overburdeneC
heart-little Tad
Down went the batch OF papers on tn,
table: out stretched the freed hand to gree
| the young soldier at the window; a win.
some welcoming smile shone like sun
beam through wintry cloud. illumining ths
kind homely face. Glad to see you, lieu
tenant" said he. with cordial hand-clasp
as the little scamp. still swinging at hi.
side, now encircled the black-garbed lower
limbs with his own sturdy legs. Tad. m,
boy. this is Lieutenant Benton-just baci
from Dixie. Now, he's got darby worth