Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-22

LOUISVILLE, ana uo HAL SouSnt seriously
to hamper or disturb them. From
Gainesville Dr.. Chiffon had penned a
letter to be sent through the lines.
notifying the commanding general of
the union force along Bull Run OF
Benton's capture after gallant effort
to cut his way through, in the course
of which he was quite painfully though
not dangerously wounded-that he waa
in good hands and would be we'll cared
for, and this news-a great relief-was
promptly transmitted to Fred's general
and by him telegraphed to the far
western home.
On a well-made stretcher lay the cen.
trail figure of household and local in
terest, Lieut.. Jack Chiffon, slowly but
surely gaining strength and spirits
with every day. And who wouldn't
under similar influences for two fair
young daughters of the old common
wealth We'd with each other in assidu-
Gus effort to entertain" the TROOPER
invalid. Lovely were they both, these
cousins Of the blood, and most carefully
had they been chosen for this special
duty by their acknowledged leader,
chief Of the little clan of kinswomen.
Brilliant, beautiful and daring, who
of their brave order could lay claim
to leadership so long as Rosalie cared
to hold it? They followed and obeyed
her eagerly, loyalty. though in years
she was but is, and five, at least,
of the sacred band We're her seniors.
Ever since the days of short dresses.
braids and pinafores, she had been
dominant among them. Tomboy had
they called Rosalie at ten, for she
could ride any horse within miles OF
Charlottesville, and preferred walking
stills, flying kites or running races to
the customary alluren.ents of girlhood,
She had one envy, one champion, one
idol-her brother, barely two years
her senior-and apparently but one
sorrow-that she could not do every
thing that Jack could, and not for lack
of trying.
Then as they grew older, and other
girls brothers began showing hither-
to unsupported fondness for Jacks So
ciety, and coming to see him at all
hours of the day, and other girls them
selves began making eyes at Jack, her
Indifference to the first and her fury
the second were comical to see. And
en-, when the war came on and Vir-
glnia sprang to arms and Jack to sad
die and his first commission in Jeb
Stuart's famous First cavalry, she was
all afire with fervor and patriotism on
the one hand and of mad jealousy OF
Maud Pelham on the other, for on
Maud had Jack cast favoring eyes.
And SO, when she brought her brother
home to nurse and pet and coddle to
her hearts content, while she was all
soothing sweetness on the side that
showed to him, she fairly bristled on
the other-that which all well-favored
feminine callers, inquirers and friends
must needs encounter when they asked
to see him. She established a regular
roster book and told off the list Of
the sacred band-her bench women, in
to four "reliefs" of two girls each-one
relief only to be on duty each day and
no outsiders to be admitted. Needless
to say Maud Pelham was not of the
elect, and Jack speedily showed he
wished 1t were otherwise.
And SO this sweet April morning,
with soft, dangerous air playing
about the wooded, sun-kissed heights,
she had two such awfully nice
young girls to cheer him, while she
herself turned dutifully to another
wounded officer, a youth in dark blue
and gold who had been for over an
hour a silent watcher of the merri-
ment about Chiltons cot, while he,
Fred Benton, sat lonely and longing
to get far away.
1t was not that they were cold, con-
strained or inconsiderate when speak
ing to him. but, the doctor had to be
much away now; Lieut.. Jack was al
ways surrounded by his fair body
guard; the one man Benton loved, his
boon companion Paul, had gone to sre-
join his regiment, and the one woman
who could have made Benton's stay a
world of strange, sweet, watching de-
light was beginning day after day to
show less inclination to approach him
at all. A fortnight. of watching that
beautiful dark face had done it's WORK.
Fred Benton was mending in body,
but not in mind, for doubly now was
he prisoner.
And this April morning the news he
heard had made him all the more rest
less and troubled. The federals were
landing in force and marching on
Yorktown, and Longstreet's whole
command had been sent away, with
others, to meet them. He doubted not
that his old comrades of McDowell's
corps would be in action ere ever he
could reach them, and the thought
drove his pulses up to fever heat again.
Resale Chiffon, without seeming to
look, saw it in the flush of his anx-
ious face.
"You will be having fever again, Mr..
Benton" said she, and the cool, white
hand that at first had arranged the
bandages Of his head and arm with
out a sign Of hesitancy. seemed now
to falter and shrink as though 1t had
to be forced to an unwilling task. 1t
stJIT)g Renfnn sore for manJike he