Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-17

rel aside that they might be Of service
to her and to soldier of the south
in the hour of such affection. More
over it was DR.. Chilton's old carriage,
with DR.. Chilton's old horses and driv-5
en- by Black Dan, that the journey to
the distant front was made. This
was no time to speak of the cruel
things said by the Lounsberrys Of DR..
Chiffon and Rosalie after Benton's es.
cape. The grave had closed over the
proud, impetuous head Of that now
doubly bereaved household. Ill for
tune had followed the fathers death,
and much of his little estate had been
| sold under the hammer. Small COM
fort had the handsome prodigal proved
| himself at that or any other
time, but much had he promised
as the result of his approaching
marriage There had been a mem
orable interview between the mother
and that wronged and trusting girl
when at last Maud Pelham's forebod-
! ings were realized. There had in fact
| been a violent scene, for Mrs. Louns-
berry had sought to shield her son at
Maud's expense. But that, too, was
| all ignored now. The other engage
ment had been broken summarily two
| weeks after Yellow Tavern, for one of
Wade Hampton's staff, sent home
wounded, had told at Charleston how
Floyd Pelham had struck Lounsberry
and why. There had been weeks in
which Maud Pelham would have met
| Lounsberry only with scorn and con-
tempt, but that was before his COM
rades sent him to Coventry, and never
again after news of his serious wound.
Though all Charlottesville knew that
he had been false to her, she went to
his mother the instant she heard the
tidings, and with her on the anxious
journey that followed.
They were searching the impover-
ished little village under the heights,
hoping somewhere to find ice to allay
| that burning fever, when the sight of
blue-jacket cavalry sent them back and
Benton followed. They, who over and
again had forgotten and forgiven the
| sins of the stricken man, were amazed
| when, early next morning, federal
officer drove over from the distant
camps beyond the Shenandoah and I'M
| loaded at their humble doorway not
the expected and hated guards, but a
box Of ice, packed in sawdust, and
certain supplies from the commissariat.
Then, while brace of soldiers were at
| tending to these, a gifted young physi-
clan on Sheridan's staff was gravely
studying the tossing patient. Nor did
charity end here-but details are un-
necessary The mother accepted all
with wondering and fearful gratitude,
the almost hopeless girl with humbled
and sorrowing spirit, and even the
| doomed soldier himself, when con-
seriousness returned, was too weak to
| resent or refuse, and so childlike and
broken that he could only bury his bag
gard face in the poor mothers breast
and sob out the story of his shame
and contrition.
1t was through sheridan's lines and
Benton's help they bore him away to
| his last resting place when the solemn
struggle was over. 1t was at Charlottes-
vile again that Maud Pelham and
Resale met beside the grave, and
| that later, on her knees, her face buried
in the lap Of the once imperious queen,
a poor, humbled, heart-broken girl
sobbed out in turn her own sad story
and Lounsberry's confession, little
dreaming that it would send still an
other to her knees, praying not alone
for mercy for the repentant dead, not
alone for the rescue, the safety, of q
beloved brother, but even for heavens
blessing on an enemy to Virginia and
the sacred cause.-the soldier she had
SO cruelty wronged.
He's past prayin' for, bedad!" said
the captain Of the Montgomerys, of
Benton, about this time-the captain
and most of his men being at home on
veteran furlough. "Ould Stanton's got
the devils own grudge agin him full
turnin' up in time to spoil hangin
all on account av Ladue that's dead.
1t was hardly felicitious, yet surely q
concise, way of settling the story. Al
no time during his incumbency was the
great war secretary in SO evil mood
as during the summer of "a. Grant
and Sherman had both pushed south
ward in the face of furious fighting
yet gold had scared to flights hitherto
unknown-so had the list of casualties
and great political party, having
pronounced the war failure, set per-
haps the greatest failure of the wal
at the head of their ticket and started
campaign to down the president
beloved of the people. Then the con-
duct of affairs in the field had slipped
from Stanton's hands. A greater than
Halleck or he was now in calm, mas
terful, imperturbable control, while
the head of the department Of war had
perforce to be content with managing
matters at the rear, where, it must be
owned, enemies were almost as active
as over the line. Many military
head he hit that summer and fall
summarily dismissing even regulars
without the form of trial-some.
times imprisoning suspects" without
sign Of a warrant, sometimes sending