Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-09-21
Cop, hight, 500. by G. W. Dillinghar
CHAPTER XVIII.
SURRENDER.

was gone, Dut SO was the last dlOm VI
his strength. Those two days he tossed
in deiirium, watched by one unhappy,
but devoted girl and that faithful old
nanny, and visited at such intervals
as her own failing strength would per-
NIT by his heartbroken mother. Word
of his peril reached Charlottesville
soon after the sharp fight at Smokers
Gap. Early's retreating force had
striven to bring him along, but, be-
tween the torment caused him by the
jolting of the ambulance and the per-
sistent attacks of union cavalry, they
had had to leave him by the way. Mrs.
Lounsberry and the venerable rector
of their church started within six hours
of the receipt of the news, by which
time all Charlottesville had heard Of it,
and almost the first to come to the
stricken mother was the girl her SOD
had wronged. a strange meeting was
that, and stranger still was one but
half an hour later when Rosalie Chill
ton appeared, and two Virginia girls
who had not exchanged a word since
the first days of the war, and neither
of whom had been a visitor at the
L~ounsberrys' for many a moon, buried
their differences with that sorrow
laden mother, and set their own quar-
rel aside that they might be Of service
to her and to a soldier of the south
in the hour of such affection. More
over it was DR.. Chilton's old carriage,
with DR.. Cations old horses and driv-
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. inNpetuous 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. H. o., &
It was through S%heridan's lines and
Benton's help they bore him away to
his last resting place when the solemn
struggle was over. 1t was atsC harlottes-
vile again that Maud Pelham and
Rosalie 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 9
beloved brother, but even for heavens
blessing on an enemy to Virginia and
the sacred cause.-The soldier she had
SO cruelty wronged. 9agJ ess 4
"He's past prayin' for, bedad!" said
the captain of the Montgomerys, oil
Benton, about this time-the captain
and most of his men being at home or
veteran furlough. "Ould Stanton's go1
The DEVILS own grudge agin him full
turnin' up in time to spoil a hangin
all on account av Ladue that's dead
1t was hardly a felicitious, yet surely 6
concise, way of settling the story
Winchester settled the matter for good
and all. The president shook the other
hand Of the tall. bearded Badger and
offered him two weeks leave and 9
chance to go home until his arm was
out of the sling. Benton begged in.
stead for a chance to soc Chiffon, and
the charges against him, and that very
day drove Stanton to the verge Of ap.
ploplexy, for when shown the fatal
notebook he said he knew it well ant
could swear it was all the work Of
Paul Ladue and not that of Jack Chill.
ton. Benton could not lift the gate
Of Lafayette, whittier poor Jack hat
been sent, but he shattered all chance
Of their lifting the prisoner at the
loop of a rope, and this news, too, went
by devious. but still speedy ways t
Charlottesville, where again, on hel
knees, by her fathers bedside, will
her arms about that fathers neck, Ros
allie Chiffon thanked God for his mer'
cies. and then found it harder thar
ever to begin the letter she had Ions
meant to write to Elinor Benton, ever
though now the sending Of it nigh
be impossible.
One more ride had Benton near thu
Iron Brigade, after long months of sep
,~aration from them, after many ant
many a day and night in saddle, mu,
and rain, in sleet and snow, up tn
Shenandoah. down the James rive
canal, around Richmond, and then
amidst volleys Of chaff and carcalls
around the rear Of the e%ntrenched Ar
my of the Potomac and out into tn,
dripping woods about Dinwiddie. On
' vehement, relentless, resistless day an
w pfuht ,.ida fn1J0wad aIOno q t0rmontn