Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-11-07

| from a hundred throatS In chorus an(
the game was human.
| "Of course, it was madness. W.
blew them down that hill like chaff be-
fore a hurrican. When the last mar
had staggered back or fallen, on came
this boy alone, carrying the colours ht
had snatched from a falling soldier, a!
II he were leading a million men tc
victory.
"A bullet had blown his hat from
! his head and we could see the blooo
streaming down the side Of his face
He charged straight into the jaws Of
one of our guns. And then, with 9
smile on his lips and a dare to DEATH
in his big brown eyes, he rammed thai
flag into the cannon's mouth. reeled
and fell! A cheer broke from our men
Your brother sprang forward and
caught him in his arms, and as we
bent over the unconscious form, he ex-
claimed: My God, doctor, look al
him. He is so much like me feel as
If had been shot myself They Were
as much alike as twins-only his hail
was darker I tell you, Miss Elsie, It's
sin to kill men like that. One such
man Is worth more to this Nation than
every negro that ever set his fiat foot
on this continent"
The girls eyes had grown dim as
she listened to the story.
II will appeal to the president" she
said. firmly.
"It's the only chance. And just now
he is under tremendous pressure
His friendly order to the Virginia leg
islature to return to Richmond, STAN
ton forced him to cancel. A master
hand has organized a conspiracy In
congress to crush the president. They
curse his policy of mercy as imbecility
and swear to make the south a Sec
ond Poland. Their watchwords are
vengeance and confiscation. Four fifths
of his party in congress are in this
plot The president has less than a
dozen real friends in either house on
whom he can depend. They say thai
Stanton Is to be given a free hand
and that the gallows will be busy. This
cancelled order Of the President looks
like it."
"Tn try my hand with Mr.. Stanton
she said with slow emphasis.
Good luck Little Sister-let me
know If 1 can help" the surgeon an
swered cheerily as he passed on his
round of work.
Elsie Stoneman took her seat be-
side the cot of the wounded Confeder-
ate and began softly to sing ami play.
A little farther along the same row a
soldier was dying. a faint choking just
audible in his throat. An attendant
sat beside him and would not leave till
the last. The ordinary chat and hum
Of the ward went on Indifferent to
peace, victory, life, or death. Before
the finality of the hospital, all other
events of earth fade. Some were play
ing cards OF checkers, some laughing
and joking. and others reading.
hn
er, The games ceased, and the reader
put down his book.
The banjo had come to Washington
with the negroes following the wake
of the army. She had laid aside her
guitar and learned to play all the stir
ring camp-songs Of the south. Her
voice was low, soothing, and tender
1t held every silent listener in spell.
AS she played and sang the songs
the wounded man loved, her eyes lin
gered in pity on his sun-bronzed face
pinched and drawn with fever. He was
sleeping the stupid sleep that gives no
rest She could count the irregular
pounding Of his heart in the throb OF
the big vein on his neck. His lips
were dry and burnt and the little boy
ish moustache curled upward from the
row of white teeth as If scorched by
;he fiery breath.
He began to talk in flighty SEN
teSces. and she listened-his mother
his sister-and yes, she was sure as
she bent nearer-a little sweetheart
who lived next door. They all had
sweethearts-these southern boys
Again he was teasing his dog-and
then back in battle.
At lergth he opened his eyes, great
dark brown eyes. unnaturally bright
with a strange yearning look in their
depths as they rested on Elsie. He
tried to smile and feebly said:
Here's a fly on my left ear-my
guns can't somehow reach him won,
you"
She sprang forward and brushed the
f1y away.
Again he opened his eyes.
Excuse me for asking, but am
alive?"
Yes. indeed" was the cheerful an
swer.
well. now. then. is this me. or is
II not me. or has a cannon shot me, OF
has the devil got me?"
ITS you. The cannon didn't shoot
you but three muskets did. The devil
hasn't got you yet. but he WILL unless
you're good"
"I'll be good If you won't leave me-
| Elsie luTleu HST nSdu away SllllllH6
and he went on slowly:
But I'm dead. I know. I'm sleeping
on a cot with a canopy over it. AIM
hungry any more, and an angel has
been lowering over me playing on 6
harp of gold"
"Only little Yankee girl playing the
| banjo"
cant fool me-Tm in heaven"
You're in the hospital"
Funny hospital-look at that harI
and that big trumpet hanging close by
it-that's Gabriers trumpet"
No" she laughed. This is the pa
tent office building, that covers two
blocks now a temporary hospital
There are seventy thousand wounded
soldiers in town, and more coming OF
every train. The thirty-five hospital!
are overcrowded"
He closed his eyes a moment In 81
lence. and then spoke with a feeble
tremor:
I'm afraid you don't know who
ami can't impose on you-Pm a reb'
| ell"
Yes. I know. You are Colonel Bel
| Cameron. 1t makes no difference t
me now which side you fought on"
well. I'm in heaven-been dead {
long time. l can prove it, If you'll pla!
again"
What shall play?"
First % Johnny Booker Help Di
Niger"
She played and sang 1t beautifully
Now. Wake Up In the Morning.
| Again he listened with wide. staring
eyes. that saw nothing except vision
within.
Now. then. The ole Gray Hoss.'"
AS the last notes died away, he triet
to smile again:
"One more-'Hard Times an Wus
er COMM"
With deft sure touch and soft negr
dialect she sang it through.
Now. didn't ! tell you that yo'
couldn't fool me? No Yankee gil
could play and sing these songs. In
in heaven, and you're an angel"
Aren't you ashamed of yourself I
fiirt with me, with one foot In tn
grave?"
That's the time to get on goo
terms with the angels-but I'm don
dead"
Elsie laughed in spite of herself.
II know It," he went on, "becaus
you have shining golden hair and am
ber eyes, instead Of blue ones. I neve
saw a girl in my life before with sue
eyes and hair"
But you're young yet"
Never was such girl on earth
you're an"
She lifted her finger in warning. an
his eyelids drooped in exhausted stu