Iron County register., 1905-05-25

Little Mac" had sent his big corp.
forward TO the scene Of McDowell's
defeat of the previous July, and for
whole day Fred Benton and his Badger
comrades wandered about the juno
ton. the Henry house, the Warrenton
pike and the old Stone Bridge, gather
ing relics and information, and it was
while SO occupied that squad Of busy
searchers had stumbled on two or
three boxes in an abandoned hut
boxes that when burst open were found
to contain letters, papers and clothing
belonging TO men of the Eleventh Ala
bama. and as luck would have 1t, to
First Lieut. Paul Ladue.
Now, what have you got to say"
demanded officers of the Montgomery
guard, a home company, as one of
them shook under Benton's paling
face an open letter addressed to Ladue.
"Will you own up that he was a reb
all the timer"
NO" said Benton sadly. He would
have remained there taking care of his
old father if 1t hadn't been for that
mob, and more than one of your men
was in it, Capt. O'Kane, as you very
well know"
Eight months had passed and the
matter of that purloined letter was as
deep mystery as ever, and now here
at Manassas, and, of all others, to the
men of the Badger brigade had come
confirmation of the statement insisted
on by McKinnon and denounced as lie
and forgery by Paul Ladue-that the
fiery young southerner was actually
an officer of the Eleventh Alabama
The absent are ever in the wrong, and
with sad heart poor Fred listened to
the chorus of denunciation that fol-
lowed the discovery. He knew that
within 4S hours a dozen letters would
be flying homeward with the exciting
news, so what was the use of attempt.
ing to suppress it?
By his generals advice he wrote to
his father forthwith, telling him of the
finding of letters and luggage belong
show that he was now an officer of the
Eleventh Alabama-but that he, Fred,
still believed Paul's statement to the
effect that he had accepted neither
commission nor appointment up to
the time he was banished from his
northern home. The general added
some words Of his own, and then as
courier was to start for Washington
from McDowell's headquarters that
evening, Fred was given leave to ride
thither, and thereby assure their let
ters going ahead of the others.
1t was an unusually bright and beau.
tiful afternoon, as, followed by his or.
derly, the young officer took the Sud-
northward in search of the corps com.
mander. AS he came in view of the
now famous Henry house and the
cleared fields up the slope to the right.
it lacked two hours to sunset. He was
now barely mile from the Warren
ton pike and, with abundant time to
spare, he decided to ride to the crest
and have look at the battle ground
of the previous year. In front of him
100 yards away, stood the old Virginia
homestead about whose walls the bat
tie ragged that hot July Sunday of the
year gone by-beneath whose shattered
roof the poor mother died, stricken
by Whirring fragments of shell. Riding
thither and skirting the enclosure, he
passed on, unchecked by silent, salut-
ing guardsmen, and as he rode some
thing prompted him to glance toward
the house again, and there at jagged
shell hole, just under the caves, peer
ing at him between the shattered clap
boards, his keen eyes caught an instant
glimpse of haggard face-a face that,
at his glance, was instantly withdrawn.
Three minutes later. out on the
northward edge of the plateau, he un-
slung his field-glass to study the coun-
try outspread before him. Still think
ing of the face at that jagged hole,
some sudden impulse prompted him
to quickly turn in saddle, to bring the
powerful lenses to bear on little win
dow under the peak of the roof Of the
Henry house, and there was the face
again, furtive, frightened, he could
swear, and again, instantly 1t popped
out of sight.
But his heart had given leap as SUD.
den as the sight He whirled his
horse to the leftabout and rode
straight for the rear entrance to the
garden. Another moment and, dis
mounting, he raped loudly at the
door. A tall, slim man of middle age
appeared and, with grave courtesy but
without welcome in his tones, asked
the purpose of his coming
81 am Lieut.. Benton, sir-aide. de-
camp to the general commanding the
division guarding your premises, and
I have a question to ask as to the oc-
cupant of your garret."
Instantly there came from just with
in the doorway to an inner room a half
stifed cry-a gasp-a rustic of skirts.
The tall man turned thither a quick
glance Of warning and rebuke, then,
visibly paler, again faced his caller.
ITO Be Continued
FUtr-