Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-06
BY RANDALL PARRISH

voice. unless you obey my orders I'll ha,
you strung up by your own men. opf
that door,
The fat, puzzled face peered once mod
cautiously over the menacing gun barre|
rs dot you. captain"
Yes. come out: the fight is all over"
No. vos it?" and he fiung open the low'|
half of the door. We'll. vos not sorr1
Have We Wiped dem already?''
Yes, it's all done with. Take your m
cut of there, and go into camp somewhet
in the yard. Seek out our wounded AM
attend to them as soon Is possible. All
your men hungry
We'll. maybe dey vos not quite full b,l
dere is a ham in der pantry dot would n
bretty good NIT der stomach
Take 1t along with you: only hurry uI
and attend at once to what 1 have toll
you"
watched closely until they had aU paY
ed out, and then turned to the hight
amused federal lieutenant.
You surely have character in that fe|
low he said good-humoredly. land cal
bear witness he is a fighter when the tinI
comes"
left them. remembering then my ow
need. BY using the back stairway
avoided unpleasant contact with the tracd
of conflict yet visible at the front of II
house, and finally discovered a bath roo1
which afforded facilities for cleansing mi
flesh wounds and making my general an
pearance more presentable. l found l cou
do little to improve the condition of mi
clothing. but after making such changes I'd
the better as We're possible, soaking tn
clotted blood from out my hair and wash
ing the powder stains from my face / fe1
should no longer prove an object of aveI
sion even to the critical eyes of the womeI
who would fully realize the cause for mi
torn and begrimed uniform.
A glance from the window told me tn
federal cavalrymen were bearing out III
dead ana depositing them beyond view
the house in the deserted negro cabinI
Ebers and one or two of my own men wer
standing near carefully scanning the u
covered faces as they were borne past Will
scraps of conversation overheard brough
the information that the long dining roo1
where | had passed the night on guard had
been converted into a temporary hospital
lrresolute as to my next action | passel
out INTO the upper hall. Ii was deserte
and strangely silent, seemingly far remoy q
from all those terrible scenes so lately eu
acted IN the rooms beneath My head ID
TINS time throbbed with pain: [ desired d
be alone, to think, TO map out my futur
course before proceeding down stairs b
meet the others. With this in view | sam
down in complete WEAKNESS upon
convenient settee. | could hear the SCUM
or muftted voices below. while an Decd
slonal order was spoken loud enough d
reach me; but | was utterly alone, and mi
thoughts wandered as though the stra
Oh the past few hours had completed
wrecked all my mental faculties 1t wj
Edith Brennan-Edith Brennau-who I'D
NAMED constantly before me, and whe1
ever my eyes wandered they beheld I'll
same fair face, which tantallzed me by II
presence and Knocked me in every resolJ
L sought to form. There was no safety ID
me-and none for her as | now verify I'D
lieved-save in my immediate departure
We could be together no longer without mi
unlocking sealed lips and giving utterand
to words she could not listen to- word
she must never hear. | was yet struggiirI
to force this decision into action when coud
plete fatigue overcame me. Ny heavy heal
sank back upon the arm of the settoe, an
deep sleep closed my eyes
Go be continued tomorrow