Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-09-07


they realized the force of 1t from their
fathers look and were surprised when
he quietly said:
"'You declare yourself to be the only
man on the commission who is ac-
quainted with tie facts you are pleased
to style traitorous|
1.-THE generals lips curled Have 1
not said?' lie asked.
Something in this stern honesty
seemed to affect the father His face
turned away, and 1t was the others
voice which was next heard. A change
had taken place in it, and it sounded
almost mellow as it gave form to these
words:
"Alpheus, we have been friends.
You shall have two weeks in which to
think over my demand and decide If
at the end Of that time you have not
returned to domestic life, you may ex-
pect another visit from me which can
not fail Of consequences. You know
my temper when reused. Do not force
me into position which will cause us
both endless regret
perhaps the father answered; per-
baps he did not The children heard
nothing further, but they witnessed the
gloom with which he rode away to
the White House the next day. Re-
Numbering the generals threat, they
imagined in their childish hearts that
their father had gone to give up his
post and newly acquired honors. But
he returned at night without having
done so and from that day on carried
his head higher and showed himself
more and more the master both at
home and abroad.
But he was restless, very restless,
and, possibly to allay great mental
uneasincss, he began having some
changes made in the house, changes
which occupied much of his time and
with which he never seemed satisfied
Men working one day were dismissed
the next and others called in until this
work and everything else was inter-
rupted by the return of his late un-
welcome guest, who kept his appoint
mcnt to n day.
'.At this point in her narrative Mis-
tress Cullista's voice fell and the fame
which had thrown n partial light on
her countenance, died down until
could but family discern the secretly
lnquiring look with which she watched
me as she went on to say:
"'Reuben and T-Reuben was her
brother-'were posted in the dark cor
ner under the stairs when my father
met the general at the door. We had
expected to hear high words or some
explosion of bitter feeling between
them, and hardly knew whether to be
glad or sorry when our father well
coined his guest with the same elabo-
rate bow we once saw him make to the
president in the grounds of the White
House. Nor could we understand what
followed. We We're summoned in to
supper. Our mother was there, great
event in those days, and toasts were
drunk, and our father proposed one to
the generals health. This Reuben
thought was an open signal of peace
and turned upon me his great round
eyes in surprise, but l, who was old
enough to notice that this toast was
not responded to and that the general
did not even touch his lips to the glass
he had lifted in compliment to our
mother, who had lifted hers, felt that
there was something terrifying rather
than reassuring in this attempt Mt
good fellowship. Though unable to
reason over 1t at the time, have often
done SO since, and my fathers attitude
and look as he faced this strange guest
has dwelt SO persistently In my mem.
ory that scarcely a year passes With
out the scene coming up in my dreams
with its accompanying emotions of
fear and perplexlty. For-perhaps you
know the story-that hour was the
generals last. He died before leaving
the house-tlied in that same dark IL
brary concerning which you have
asked SO many questions.
81 remember the circumstances well
how well!-down to each and every
detail. Our mother had gone back to
her room, and the general and my fa-
ther, who did not llnger over their
wine-why should they when the gen.
eral would not drink ?-had withdrawn
to the library ut the suggestion Of the
general, whose last words are vet lin.
gering In my ears.
"'The time has come for our little
talk said he. Your reception augurs'-
You do not look WE'LL my father
here broke in In what seemed an IN.
naturally loud voice Come and sit
down.
"'Hcrc the door closed.
"'Wc had hung about this door. curl.
GUS children that we were in hopes OF
catching glimpse of the queer new
settle which had been put into place
that day. But we scampered away nj
this and We're playing in and out of the
halls aclen the library door again opened
aud my father came out.
'"|Vhcre's Sansbo3" he cried. 'Tcl him
to carry glass of toinc to the general. l
do not like his looks. / am going upstairs
| for some medicine" This he icAispCrcd In
choked tones as he set foot on the stairs
Why / remember 1t do not know,
for Reuben, who was standing where
| AAS NooAd Aooh 4Ato ucll Jul
father came out and saw the settle and
the general sitting at one end of 1t, was
chattering about 1t in my car Mt the
very moment our father was giving his
orders.
Reuben is n man now, and have
asked him more than once since then
how the general looked Mt that critical
instant. 1t is important to me, very,
very important and to him, too, now
that he has come to know mans pas.
sions and temptations. But he will
never tell me. never relieve my mind,
and can only hope that there were
real signs Of illness on the generals
brow, for then could feel that all had
been right and that his death was the
natural result of the great distress he
felt Mt opposing my father in the one
desire of his heart. That glimpse which
Reuben had of him before he fell has
always struck me with strange pathos.
| A little child looking In upon n man
who for MI his apparent health will in
nnOthar ,nom0uf In In atarpitv IN