Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-08

every rebel from Maine to Mexico
We have had few as yet of these We
hement patriots in high places. We
have had far too many, storms Stanton
in Washington, of those who would
handle treason with gloves, furnish
guards for the homesteads of hard
fighting chiefs on the south ern side.
hold commerce and communion
through flags of truce with former
comrades across the lines. 1--WE must
stop it, by heaven!' says Stanton,
splitting a table top with one blow of
his fist. "We must drumhead and
shoot EN-" says Fred's new command
er, and I'll hang the first man of my
staff that / catch"
The winter of our discomfort" in
aaed With, gloomy heart and sad
anticipation Benton rides away through
the leafless woods to the old familiar
scenes about Fredericksburg. Word
from Washington has brought him lit
tie comfort. Rumor of his command
er's sayings has filled him with fore
boding. Dr. Chiffon, to whom he had
written on almost any provocation and
who had gratefully and promptly an
sWered his Sharpsburg missive, giving
young Pelham's message, now wrote
not at all. He seems sad and brood
Ing" said Jack, in the one letter that
young gentleman had managed to
send through since his incarceration.
Jack was well enough to resume duty
and most eager for exchange, but ne
gotiations hung fire unaccountably, SO
sold he, and Benton thought he knew
the reason why. Lounsberry had been
back again in Richmond over six
weeks now, exchanged and restored
to his old and influential post in the
war department Lounsherry could
be counted on to lose no chance to in
jure the Chiltons, father or son, and
SO long as it was possible he would
block all plan to exchange Jack Chill
ton, thereby lending color to the stories
spread about in Virginia that poor
Jack rather tried to be caught and to
stay caught, such hard fighting as his
fellow Virginians had to do being little
to his taste. 1t would have burned
his heart out with fury had he known
1t, but few of us begin to realize the
half of what is whispered to our detri-
ment, else there would be deportation
of sensitive souls or deserved destruc-
ton in the army Of detractors. Jack
was nearly mad with misery when told
of Stuart's impudent dash at Cham
bersburg and the second circfing of the
Army OF the Potomac. He was then
Just beginning to stump around quite
comfortably. Elinor and the squire
had returned to the west, the former
with red-rimmed eyes and pallid
cheeks. No one knew how she had
sorrowed over the sad news about
Ladue. 1t was that, though, that
seemed to break the ice of Rosalie's
reserve, for now, for the first time,
the Virginia girl read the secret of her
Wisconsin would-be friend, and melted
to her instantly. 1t was that, though
they rarely spoke his name, that led
to the letters now passing frequently
between them. 1t was through that
correspondence the sisterhood began
that. despite trial and trouble proved
eventually SO sure an alliance in time
of need.
But though Elinor wrote in many a
page of her brother, and in only few
referred to Paul-and then only as
he" or "him"-Rosalie would write
only of the latter. Ordinarily this
would have led to resentment and a
breach. Now it did not, for what Rosa
lie had to say was stirring new hope
into the somber current of the western
girls monotonous life. Resale had
amazed and rejoiced her, about the end
OF October, by the assurance that she
believed Capt. Lamar to be totally mis-
taken. 1t was true, she admitted, that
Paul Ladue had not been seen with
Ewell's division. but neither had Ew-
ell, as yet-for the latter had no be-