Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-10-18

number, young staff captain. running
| back to say word of apology. Then
Fred and the stranger found them
selves for the moment alone.
You have done me a kindness,
suh," said the latter Did I catch the
name Alright? Lieut.. Fred Benton, of
of Wisconsin,"
Benton, yes" was the wary answer,
| for though the word Badger had been
i spoken, Wisconsin had not. Some
body had talked to this man of him be-
| fore and now light flashed suddenly
| upon the situation.
Are yOu-pardon me-Dr. Chiffon,
! of Charlottesville" asked Benton.
The same, sub. at your suhvice
have been to Gen. Mcclellan for per-
mission to take my son, wounded and
paroled, back home, sub. He treated
me like the courteous gentleman he is.
so | drank his health. Now, pardon
me, you have not eaten" and with that
DR.. Chiffon arose, and followed the
whispering Darby and Joan into the
lean-to, and when he returned it was
with an air of mild triumph.
| You shall be suhved, sub, in very
| few moments, also your orderly" Che
called it ''ohdly"). You ride on to
Fairfax"
NO." said Benton, 81 look to meet
my division somewhere about here.
They come by way of the lower fords,
as l am told"
Then they are retiring from the
Junction, too?" asked the veteran, an
eager light in his eye
Il cannot say" answered Benton,
colby now, for the sudden question
put him on his guard.
Pardon me, sub, if I seem over
pleased. I have no reason to rejoice.
l am too old to serve, even ii my peo-
pie had not opposed the ordinance of
secession, and no enemy could be so
courteous and considerate as Gen. Nc
Clellan and the officers of your own
division. My son, suh-and any other
Virginia boy would do the same,
| reckon-went with his state, went with
Jeb Stuart, sub, who is his second
cousin, and it is hard to say which is
the more distressed over his being shot
my son, because it was a southern
not northern bullet that did the bust
ness, or the unhappy fellow who gave
the order to fire.
who was that?" inquired Benton.
thinking more and more of the face he
had seen at the window.
''Mr. Ladue, suh-Lieut Paul Ladue,
of the Eleventh Alabama. He was on
picket duty that night
But Benton, with eager eyes, was
rising from his chair, unmindful of the
smoking supper the host was dishing
from the stove. Voices and the tram
ping of horses feet were heard with
out. One voice that he knew we'll
rang out clearly over all other sounds.
you look to it, captain, and find
Benton. The rest of us will ride ahead
after Gen. Mcdowell"
In no time at all Fred was hurrying
round to the front, but already the
general and the few staff officers and
orderlies with him had disappeared in
the eastward darkness, riding at spank
ling trot, leaving to represent them
only captain and one trooper-a
captain who gave a shout of joy and
relief when he heard Benton's glad
hail and caught glimpse of his face.
"The Lord be praised!" he cried
81 feared you had gone back the way
you came. If so you might run slap
into the rebel lines, for-they must
have heard of the fall-back orders
Stuart's cavalry are already up from
WarrentOn and his advance has been
skirmishing against our rear guard
toward BristOe ever since five o'clock.
was sent to warn our guards and
sentries at the Henry and Robinson
houses, and found them all in a state
of excitement-that pretty Miss Chiffon
disappeared during the hours between
seven and eight, just after it grew
dark
ITO Be Continued