Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-01-03
Copyright. 1902. by C. W. Dillingham; Co.
CHAPTER XX.-CoNrINuED.

CHAPTER AA.-NONTINUED.
Or. Chiffon, to whom he had
written on almost any provocation and
who had gratefully and promptly an
swered his Sharpsburg missive, giving
young Pelhams message, now wrote
not at all. HE seems sad and brood
Ing" said Jack, in the one letter thai
young gentleman had managed to
send through since his incarceration.
Jack was well enough to resume duty
and most eager for exchange, but ne
gotiations hung fire unaccountably, SO
said he, and Benton thought he knew
The reason why. Lounsberry had been
Back again in Richmond over six
weeks now. exchanged and restored
to his old and influential post in the
war department. Lounsberry could
he counted on to lose no chance to in
fore the Chiltons, father or son, and
so long as it was possible he would
block all plan to exchange Jack Chill
ton, thereby lending color to the stories
spread about in Virginia that poor
Jack rather tried to be caught and to
stay caught. such hard fighting as his
To his taste. 1t would have burned
his heart out with fury had he known
II, but few of us begin to realize the
half Of what is whispered to our detri-
ment, else there would be deportation
Of sensitive souls or deserved destruc-
ton in the army of detractors. Jack
was nearly mad with misery when told
of Stuart's impudent dash at Cham
bersburg ard the second circling of the
Army of the Potomac. He was then
Just beginning to stump around quite
comfortably. Elinor and the squire
had returned to the west, the former
with red-rimmed eyes and pallid
checks No one knew how she had
sorrowed over the sad news about
Ladue. 1t was that, though, that
seemed to break the ice of Rosalie's
reserve. for now, for the first time,
the Virginia girl read the secret of her
Wisconsin would-be friend and melted
10 her instantly. 1t was that, though
they rarely spoke his name, that led
10 the letters now passing frequently
between them. 1t was through that
correspondence the sisterhood began
that. despite trial and trouble, proved
eventually so sure an alliance in time
of need.
BIT though E.linor wrote in many a
page of her brother. and in only a few
referred to Paul-and then only as
he" or "him"-Rosalie would write
only of the latter. Ordinarily this
would have led to resentment and
breach. Now it did not, for what Rosa
lie had to say was stirring new hope
INTO the somber current of the western
girls monotonous life. Rosalie had
amazed and rejoiced her. about the end
Of October, by the assurance that she
believed Capt. Lamar to be totally mis-
taken. 1t was true, she admitted, that
Paul Ladue had not been seen with
Ewelrs division, but neither had Ew-
ell, as yet-for the latter had not be-
come accustomed to cork leg-yet she
had tidings from ''friends"-who she
would not say-that Paul Ladue was
still alive when borne from the awful
front OF Gibbons guns, then belching
canister in double rounds. More dead
than alive he looked" said her inform
Ant, but while she had no tidings of
his present whereabouts, neither was
there any record of his death.
All this was presently sent to Fred
on the Rappahannock, and made him
the more eager to communicate with
some one across that modern Rubi-
con-some one who could speak adj
visedly. But though there were places
near the fords up stream where the
cavalry vedettes sat long hours in sad
: de, facing and often within hailing