Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-02-13
THE MAN IN
THE MIDDLE
[Original.]

[OriginaL]
"That was the proudest moment Of
my life" said Summers at the gather
ing of Confederate veterans.
What moment?" asked VenaDle.
''The moment when General Lee re-
ferred to me in f1attering terms, which,
1 confess 1 did not deserve"
What? General Lee referred to you?
When? How?'
ct was during the fighting before
Richmond. One night just before taps
l lighted fire and was making some
coffee
Coffee? Chicory, you mean. We had
no coffee" interrupted Venable.
81 say coffee, and mean coffee" !:
"Where did you get it?"
"Ln a Yankee camp we had walked
over during the day. Well, as I was
saying, just as the coffee began to emit
its delicious odors the sergeant called
out, Summers, you're wanted And
you And you, speaking to different
men of our company"
II was there" said Venable. "I re-
member perfectly. He called me too"
''There were dozen of u.s." Sum-
mers went on, assembled in an or
| chard"-
can apple orchard"
eyes, an apple orchard. Well, the
sergeant ordered us to fall in and
marched us to the coloneFs headquar-
tiers. The officer of the guard was
| there with several of his men and
among them a fellow-I don't knowa
who he was, but he didn't belong to
our company or to the regiment. The
colonel looked us over, and we We're,
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-"
81 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:
That's the man. 1 wish l had
dozen like him. could use them ALL
"With that he went back into mis-
tent, and we We're marched to camp"
do you mean to tell me-" said Ven
able, that all these years you have
thought the general referred to you?"
"Of course he did,"
"Why. he not only looked at me, but
he pointed at me-"
"You?"
Eyes, II
"Well, now, like that. Whatever
put it into your stupid noddle that he
referred to your
Because shortly before had been
detailed as his orderly, and when 1
| left him he commended me for my
| faithful attention. Z
"And had held his horse under fire
get look at the enemy. l tell you
it was hot down there in the hollow,
the shells shrieLing over my head"
Summers got up from his chair and
stalked about, with his hands in his
pockets, glazing like tiger.
Pm sorry to destroy the illusion of
lifetime" remarked Nenable, "but
truth is mighty and must prevail"
1.-The egotism of some people if fired
Il
than machine gun"
1.-THE self esteem of others is worse.
than charge of dynamite
At this moment a white headed man
entered The veterans made him well
come, placing a glass before him. He
filled his pipe and sat smoking in that
stolid fashion especially to be noticed
among the German people.
"We're glad you've come, Mark
heim," said one Of the assembled vet
Grams. mot only because we love our
enemy, but we needed some one to,
stop a wrangle between Summers and
Venab1e.'' J
Vat wrangle?" asked the old man..
''I'll state the case, and you, being a,
Union veteran and consequently i'm
partial, may be able to decide between
them" .x.ssss-ss:ss,,
'Vell, go on
Zone night when we We're fighting
Mcclellan before Richmond, Summers
and Venable We're marched with
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 had 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. l
vas der man in der middle"
"You the man in the middle" cried
Summers. What were you doing
there?'
81 vas spy"
"a spy" cried the company in a
breath. Tell us about it,
"You see," said Markheim, 81 vas
young Teller shust come from Sherma-
ny, und didn't know vat to do ven
got to dis country, SO vent into der
Union army. Won day my captain dells