The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-06

man of his staff. and meekly the President
succumbed till the fight was overland then
IL was Sheridan, not Stanton, who sent In
our aid-de-camp. with hearty praise Tor
his pluck and shot through the shoulder.
Winchester settled the matter for good and
all. The President shook the other hand
of the tall bearded Badger and offered him
two weeks leave and a chance TO go home
until his arm was out of the sling. Benton
begged instead for chance to see Chiffon,
and the charges against him, and that very
day drove Stanton to the verge of apoplexy.
for when shown the fatal notebook he said
he knew tx well and could swear il was all
the work of Paul Ladue and not that of
Jack Chiffon. Benton could not lift the gate
or Lafayette, whittier poor Jack had been
sent. but he shattered all chance of their
lifting the prisoner at the loop bf a rope
and this news, too went by devious, but
still speedy ways TO Charlottesville. where
again. on her knees. by her fathers bed
side, with her arms about that fathers
neck. Rosalie Chiffon thanked God for His
mercies, and then found IL harder than ever
TO begin the letter she had long meant to
write to Elinor Benton, even though now
the sending of it might be impossible.
One more ride had Benton near the Iron
Brigade, after long months Of separation
from Them after many and many a day and
night in saddle. mud and rain, in sleet
and snow, up the Shenandoah, down the
James river canal, around Richmond, and
then, amidst volleys of chaff and catcalls,
around the rear of the entrenched Army
of the Potomac and out into the dripping
woods about Dinwiddie. One vehement,
relentless. resistless day and night ride
there followed along n tormented flank,
and then, that soft, sunshiny April morn
, ing, after weeks of gloom and rain, the
curtaining cavalry drew aside, revealing
to the now hopeless eyes of the great Con-
Firth Corps-the Iron Brigade in their
midst And then, the historic surrender
ended, while the blue columns tramped
ieisurely northward past the scenes of
thelr nerceSt endeavcr, one command, fol-
lowing the line of the old Virginia Central,
round itself, late in April, marching sturd-
ny into Gordonsvile. long time the abiding
place of grim, unrepentant old wardog
EWeH and their veteran antagonists of
JaeKsons famous corps. Some of these
IenoWs. In worn gray uniforms, were at
nandS with tall staff officer in blue I'VE
hoped to have Jack here by this time,
major. said Winston His release was
ordered soon as General Grant got back
10 Washington, but he had to stay because
of-other matters" and a flush of deep
embarrassment burned the Southerners
cneek Even then they could not without
srlef and shame refer to the great tragedy
| that stilled even the joy of dawning peace
ana hushed forever the voice OF him who.
| malice toward none, had never failed in
boundiess charity for ALL Jack though
| gwen his liberty. found himself still in
| neea OF war Department clearance papers
| tnat, In all the horror of those mid-April
| Gays ana the excitement of the chase for
| iugitlves, were possibly inadvertently with
| held. And so IL happened that, with other
! sorrow-stricken Virginans he was still nm
| der detention at Washington, while every
| nook of the river counties was being
| searched. and that it should be his lot TO
encounter stlll further annoy. A steamer
| from down the Potomac brought in three
/ wounded men. victims of a possibly avoid
| able ARRAY between a searching party and
Sersa mn usher people whose huts and sheds
| ness that precedes the dawn. Shots had
been exchanged due. il was claimed to
Ine CONFUSION and excitement; but the tall
iank woe-begone civilian who guided the
| party and got three serious wounds as his
| snare or the casualties, Swore he had been
SSinsieu OUT Tor vengeance because he had
been the means of breaking up more than
| one well-planned escape of Confederate
| prisoners. IL was Jennings, and Jennings
| DeIore breathing his last wished TO see
| captain Chiffon, who swallowed his repug-
nance and went: for. in common with most
| or MS people, he believed the stricken man
two-taced spy and the seller of informa-
| tlon-whlch he probably was yet hoped to
| play his game to the last and induce Chill
| ton now to believe it was the dead and de-
Ienseiess Lounsberry that threw the cav
| airy on Ladue that night below Matthias
| 1t was Southern lead however that end
ed Jennlngs's career, and he, at least had
ne lived could never have set foot again
These things they told Fred Benton that
| SOFT April evening on the way up to Char
iotteSville, as the sun was sinking behind
| the ragged Mountains. and the Rivanna
| Dank full, came rushing and foaming down
from the beautiful Blue Ridge They led
MN from the wreck of a railway, through
r.
| GINA homestead, where leafy trees chung
| thick and protecting about the coIumned
portlco and the widespreading caves. There
| these TWO war-trained young cavaliers still
| wearing their uniforms of gray. left him
| Tor a brief hour, and went their way to
answer many question. doubtless. from
| the lips or loved ones, not so entirely all
| sorbed in their own bliss as to feel no in
| terest in the possibilities of another af
| fair. Every girl in Charlottesville had at
| least one lover in the war Some had MANY
n hn1
only one. Was it like that Queen Rosaiie
should care for none? Queen ROsaIie she
was again in the hearts of MANY OF her
old coterie. but imperious. wilful domineer-
ing no longer-changed to one and all, as
| all could see.
The trees end shruhbery We're ringing
| with a riot of melody as Benton softly
| closed the gate behind him and stood q
moment waiting for his heart TO cease the
violence cto of its thro6bing Bluebirds. wrens
fore the close of day. The hedge rows
and the lofty boughs alike seemed thrilling
| with life and ecstacy and song. Only the
old white mansion was still. The broad
doorway to the lower hall stood invitingIy
| open. An easy chair, cushioned. stood close
beside it, and other chairs, with a foot
stool or hassock. an old gray travelling
shawl and a book or two were scattered
| about. venerable horse, wheezy and
sedate. was cropping the grass and switch
ing at gnats under the blossoming fruit
trees on the southwark side. The Iocusts
dropped over the old fence along the cross
| street, where tnat fSatnered, draD felt hat
first caught Benton'S weary eyes. But on
this lovely, breathless evening no human
form appeared. no human voice was heard
| in concert with the vesper hymn of the
| myriad songs+ers of the air. Purposely had
Benton given no hint of his coming. In
deed to whom should he send word? why
should he send TO anyone? Why, indeed
should he have come at all?
Three years before, this very month. he
had escaped in the darkness of midnight
from these surroundings. and it was
Rosalie who pointed the way. Two years
before, this very month. she had driven
him forth from her presence or turned from
him in a fury of disdain, with insult on her
lips with wrath and contempt in her flash
ing eyes. Surely, encouragement he had
none: yet the moment military duty would
permit here again he stood the knight the
| champion, the lover she had spurned ano
never again even by faintest sign had sum
moned.
He wished her not TO know of his com
ing Men who deeply love and deeply Iona
| for answering symptom throw to the winds
| their every chance in coming heralded, foi
the fondest woman, given time and warn
| ing. lis a consummate dissember. TIL,
| warmest heart will coat itself with ice i'm
penetrable No he meant TO take her by
| surprise as completely as Gordon's fellows
| had amazed the men of the Eighth Corp:
| that dark dawn under the shadows of ole
Massanutten and only TO Winston at Rich
| mond had he spoken of the possibility OF
| his stopping over a day at Charlottesville
| Halt a dozen girls, however. knew of tn,
presence of the invader before RosaliC
| Chiffon, but none learned IL in just such