The National tribune., 1903-08-06


and battalions of cavalry. and a thousand
other startling sounds revealing the intense
excitement of the populace, they were all
soon fast asleep, to be awakened even be-
| fore the first flush of dawn by the news
| boys crying their papers.
The Deacon Immediately dressed and
went out to purchase some.
Nature had changed her mood to CORE
spOnd with the awful tragedy. Instead of
the bright. warm sunshine and soft ar
laden with the fragrance of millions of
sweet flowers, they had the bleak, lower
ing. fearful April of the chill North. Dash
es of rain swept over the dirty, rough
pavements. filled the deep ruts cut by
the heavy army wagons. and choked
the open sewers with the unseemiy
trash of the il-kept, crowded city.
Washington, now the cleanest, most
beautiful city in the world. was then
as forbidding and untidy as only the de
pot of great army in the exigencies of a
terrible war can be. Nothing was kept
in order. Every man only did what was
necessary to carry out his immediate plans
and purposes. and left all his trash, wreck
age and debris for those who came after
him to take care of.
The Deacon came back with his papers,
and they all met at the breakfast table to
hear Maria read the news. She went over
u
lines. the long descriptions. the wordy
| speculations, the labored editorials.
The sum of it all was that the President
was still living, but his death was only a
matter of hours, possibly of minutes. He
had been shot in the brain at close range
by ball from a heavy Derringer. Sec
retary Seward had been severely stab
bed, as had been his son and nurse, but
was alive, and would recover. Undoubt-
Inil had 70 cir, ,,,1l
taneously murder every prominent officer
of the Government, but the assassins told
off to kill Vice President Johnson and the
members of the Cabinet had ether weak
ened or been fOied. Gen. Grant had un-
expectedly left the city. and was safe
unless his murderer should follow him up.
There was sickening apprehension as to
this. If the great, strong man who had
just crushed the rebel military power were
only spared, the Government would be
secured. The hearts of everybody went up
in prayer for this. The silent, modest
chieftain had more of the peoples hopes
and confidence than the Vice President
and all the Cabinet. Speaker Colfax had
left for California, SO he was safe, for the
| time
"Well. let's finish our breakfast, Mother,
and get ready" said the Deacon, after
they had discussed the news. 1T is not
erable to do. l really think you girls
ought to go with us. I'm in doubts about
leaving you here. There's no telling what
may happen in this town inside the next
"a hours. 1t looks almost cowardly for
me to go away, and when all loyal men
may be needed, but l hope that 1 won't
be, and I'm going to give my corn the
benefit Of that doubt But 1 don't feel
at all right about leaving you girls here"
stTpHaod d.
Maria firmly. "We'll not stir step from
tho boys, until they're well. This is
very dangerous time for them, and they
need looking after every minute. Well
not go, under any consideration. VIII we,
Annabel?"
"No, indeed" Annabel plucked up heart
| to say. She was terribly frightened over
the appenings-much more than she had
been since they had left home, and longed
to be out Of that whirling, dazing city,
| and back into the quiet peace Of Posey
| County. But her love for Si, and the e1-
! ample of her overawing sister-in-law con-
| strained her. She would stay, though she
was in tremulous dread every instant of
something awful happening.
In spite Of the rain, 81 and Shorty
would go the depot to see the old folks
off
The sidewalks. the streets, the rumbling,
Joouihs oiu uorse-cars, were nlled with
white-faced, set-lipped men and women,
who rarely spoke to one another, and then
only in whispers. Even the rugged faces
OF strong, hard men were wet with un-
controllable tears. Occasionally some ex-
citable man would buster out threats of
revenge, and the rest would look at him
curiously.
What possible revenge, what punish
ment to anyone would compensate for this
terrible bereavement? The grotesaue in
adequacy Of any suggestion was sickening.
As they descended from the cars at the |
dingy, smoky shed which served the Balti- |
more & Ohio Railroad as its Washington
Depot, heavy gun doomed out from one |
Of the forts.
There was something in its dull roar, !