Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-03-12
BY Cyr<ss TosO,1Send Brodr
copyrxont, 1909, by Cyrus 7osonsond Brady
AusEor of "WsveM With the Ship "hohenzoIlern." ....,,.... "Tke Quaberoa Touch." Etc. ..:...,

| "Explosion-Just- Can't -see-on-account-- -of-smoke--wheth -tnonitor-or-the- e-Tennessee.p
 o God, those awful breaks, those sinister siiences, filled with forebod- ings which drove one mad, especially if one were a woman, a mother. The Tennessee was Willis ship. Merciful Providence-could it have been-ah, 1 the wire again:
 Monitor-torpedoed Sinks-with- all-on-board. Tennessee safe"
 Thank God, thank Godv' murmured the woman in great relief, forgetful that for her thanks hundreds of others aye, mothers, too-would have to suffer when they heard of the loss of the Te- cumseh.
 | Once more the wire clicked.
 "Enemy's- -ships-stopped. Swung around-opposite = fort--two--hundred -yards-away. Water-battery--do fearful = execution. Leading-ship- Brooklyn-being- -raked-with- shot. hips-in-huddle-in - channel. Believe they -beaten" l The room rang with cheers. Men jumped up and down like mad and hugged each other like boys. Hats were waved. They shouted and danced as crazy people might have done.
 "Silence, gentlemen, pleaseV' cried the operator, 'I can't hear the mes- sage"
 "Ships = -pour--in-tremendou re-" ran the message. "Shell-from-Har ford second ship-bearing -admiral's flag rikes-parapet- et-near-command ing officer"
 Mrs. Peyton rose to her feet and stepped forward. A deep groan broke from her lips. Now it was her hus- band. Her daughter clasped her moth CTS hand. Her lover, too, was by her fathers side. One of the officers stepped to the older woman and assist ed in supporting her.
 s'Wait, Mrs. Peyton; waitv' cried General Maury, reassuringly. T am sure he has escaped"
 "Genera1-Peyton - htly-wound- ed,' clattered the impassive key, E'keeps-p1ace-on- Channel --covered--with-s Hartford-ap- pears-to = be = on = fire. Fleet-in- hopeless = confusion. Our = gunners- make-fne-practice-o = them. Rest -of-feet-close-up."
 l The woman was almost distracted. l There was no excitement, nothing 1 thrilling in the scene for her. First her husband, then her boy Oh the Tennes- see, then her boy on the Hartford in that hideous network of death and de- struction, in that awful hell of war; Wherever she turned she was struck to 1 the heart No matter who won or what happened, she lost. It seemed as if her whole being was there in the very cen ter of it all, as if every shot that was fired passed through her heart. She had gone through some terrible experi- ences, but this was the worst of all. She could bear it no longer. Stop! That awful wire was clicking againl
 A-ship-disengage ges = itself = from fight. Swings around = Brooklyn = heads = up = channel. Fire = of-gun- boats-and < ssee-concentrated -on-it-aIone Bears-admirars-b blue 1 flag. Impossible-to-p pass except-over --torpedo-line. Hartford = approach l ing g-the-line."
 Another of those soul racking breaks. Was the Hartford to meet the fate of the monitor?
 Small boat flying Union-f1ag- observed pulling = between-ships- and-fort. Purpose - o-rescue-few- monitor 's-men-surviving General Peyton-orders gunners-not-to-dr on -brave-fellows- -saving-life."
 What did she care for small boats or anything but for that ship on which her oldest son fought, now perhaps right over those deadly torpedoes? Oh, why was that key silent? Didn't they know it was playing with a mothers heart? The strain was killing her. Unless it began again she should go mad She was trembling and shaking like an aspen leaf. No one paid atten- tion to her, so eagerly were they listen ing.
 Hartford = nearing = torpedo-line. Boyd-Peyton - ecognized-as-oficer I-on-small - boat. Can-scarcely-es -fort-and-ships.'
 "Boydl Boydl It can't bev' screamed the woman.
 'He may be a traitor to the south," cried one of the men, "but he's brave man, hero?' t.
 Boat oat-picks-up--few-men. Turns -back-to-ship. Right - in-center- lline-of-fring. Not - possible-to-es- l cape. -running-for-Hart- ford. Hartford-right-over
 The sounder stopped calling.
 Mrs. Peyton, exhausted human na- lure at last giving way, sank gently to the floor in her daughters arms.
 No more messages came over that wire. They waited in great anxiety for minute or two and then the opera tor strove to call up Fort Morgan. In | vafn-the connection was broken. A shot from the Richmond had demol- ished the telegraph office, wounding the brave operator, who had watched the fighting from a vacant embrasure whence he telegraphed the news.
 There was nothing to do ill Mnhile but wait.
 l CHAPTER XXXVIf. IN THE MET CoNfET'S CITTTER