Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-26

TRAMPLING OF HORSES FEET WE'RE HEARD.
 '"Then they are retiring from the l Junction, too?' asked the veteran. an eager light in his eye.
 | T cannot say," answered Benton. coldly now, for the sudden question l put him on his guard.
 Pardon me, suh, if seem over I pleased. have no reason to rejoice. I am too old to serve, even if my pee- pie had not opposed the ordinance of secession, and no enemy could be so courteous and considerate as Gen. Me- Clellan and the officers of your own 1 division. My son, suh--and any other ! Virginia boy would do the same, ! reckon--went with his state, went with Jeb Stuart, suh, who is his second cousin, and it is hard to say which is the more distressed over his being shot my son, because it was a southern not a northern bullet that did the busi- ness, or the unhappy fellow who gave the order to fire"
 "Who was that?" inquired Benton. thinking more and more of the face he had seen at the window.
 Mir. Ladue. uhLieut. Paul Ladue, I ef the Eleventh Alabama. lie was on 1 picket duty that night
 But, Benton, with eager eyes, was rising from his chair. unmindful of the J smoking supper the host was dishing ! from the stove. Voices and the tram> bling of horses feet were heard with out. One voice that he knew we'll rang out clearly over all other sounds.
 You look to it, captain, and find Benton. The rest of us will ride ahead after Gen. McDowell. (
 Tn no time at all Fred was hurrying round to the front, but already the l general and the few staff officers and 1 orderlies with him had disappeared in the eastward darkness, riding at spank ing trot, leaving to represent them I only a captain and one trooper-a captain who gave shout of joy and ] relief when he heard Benton's glad hail and caught a glimpse of his face
 The Lord be praised!" he cried. T. feared you had gone back the way < you came If so you might run slap into the rebel lines, for-they must have heard of the fall-back orders $ Stuart's cavalry are already up from
 
 l skirmishing against our rear guard toward Bristoe ever since five o'clock. was sent to warn our guards and sentries at the Henry and Robinson houses, and found them all in state of excitement-that pretty Miss Chiffon disappeared during the hours between seven and eight, just after 1t grew dark.''
 l, CHAPTER VII.
 A woMAN'S DARING.
 With infinite sympathy Benton and the orderlies aided Dr. Chiffon to har- ness his horses to the old fashioned, side-seated, half bus, half ambulance l he had brought with him from Warren. ton-borrowed from some field hos pital, as the best available vehicle in which to go for and convey his wounded boy. The doctor was tremu- lous with dread and distress on account unable to account for her strange dis appearance.
 He drove away, with all speed toward stone bridge, pass and papers in his outer pocket, so as to be able to promptly show his credentials to any sentries or patrols, and Benton was trying, half an hour later. to satisfac- tOrily account for what he had heard and thought he had seen that day, when Carver came for him to say his horse was dead lame He had been directed to remain behind and to see the last detachments across the Run, then to rejoin the chief as soon as he had found Benton. This, therefore. was Benton's chance and he begged
 Let me go back said he, "and you take your orderly's horse, if you can't get another, and report to the general in the morning.
 And so, about ten o'clock Fred had reached the stone bridge, found it I held by a small guard, and with that guard was a young officer who had been at the Robinson and Henry houses two hours before and had heard all about the circumstances connected with Miss Chilton's disappearance-had indeed been there for some time and had seen her. She had come to the rear door with MT. Henry about five o'clock, and very sweetly and smilingly had told the guards her brother was sleeping at last and that she needed little fresh air. Lieut.. Ferguson was in command of the guard, And you know what an eye for Q pretty girl Ferguson has, and he begged her to consider the pre- mises hers, and probably wanted to walk with her, but for 20 minutes she tripped about the old, dismantled garden, going all around 1t as though interested in what was left of the hollyhocks and sunflowers, and, about six. Lewis came and called her and said supper was ready, and she seemed , reluctant to go in, but finally yielded