The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1906-07-12

peration, and her shapely head was
thrown back In splendid scorn.
Wen, sir. she said. and you ought
10 have heard the indefinite contempt
in the musical voice
Are you the mistress OF the pa
placer ! stammered
Il am she replied. with dignity.
My grandmother is so III she canno,
leave her bed. l am the only ons
left
Oh, the pathos of 1.-THE sickening |
pathos, and the tragedy. And. Bert. /
had to tell her my wretehed orders. |
For moment she seemed unable TO |
comprehend. Then. with a wild cry. |
the defiance faded from her face and |
manner, and before | could prevent 1, |
she flung herself at my feet.
Oh, not the house, please. please,
sir. not the house. she begged. Its |
all that Is left. and the only shelter
for grandma and the servants. And
grandma Is so Ill and the doctor says
she Will die II she Is disturbed. YOU
cannot, you must not be so cruel
i knew that moment that I woulo
not burn that house. | tried tc b.
stern. to remember the precepts OF the
Point. and do my duty. But with that
helpless. kneeling girl before me, thai
mere child caught In the resisS.ess
tragedy OF war and trying to stem the
tide, not for herself but for others
with her swimming, eloquent eyes fixed
pleadingly on mine, knew | had not
| the strength
| We'll. l temporiZed for time. and
finally ordered some of the barns ana
stores destroyed, but left the nonse
and plenty of provisions for immediate
| use.
Before ! left ! sought the young mis-
tress again, She thanked me with sim
pie dignity. but with evident graft
tude. AS | looked into her eyes
knew my heart was no longer my own
and something | saw there made me
think she did not hate me as much as
the situation warranted, and that I'M
der different circumstances. perhaps"
The general finished the sentence wit,
pun of smoke
Il asked her name" he resumed, aft
er a moments reverie, land learned
was Floridy Taylor.
! II know you have disobeyed youl
orders. SIR she said, and that you ar.
imperiling yourself. II you knew how
J grateful | am for myself and fol-
grandma and the people. perhaps yot
! would think 1t worth while. II we
can ever do anything TO repay you
) My eyes had caught a photograph
: of the girl in a frame on the mantel.
interrupted her.
: IF you would give me that photo
= graph with your name written on IT,
said, 1 would feel douhly repaid
"She flushed scarlet as she took
I down the picture and went to the ole
J desk. wrote her name on 1t. and gave
g it TO me Then | rode away"
And the sequel?" said Van Alstine
gently.
: The other shook his head. NO.
he said. Il never saw her again. Aft
err the war was over. went back ans
tried TO find her, but the house aat
: been destroyed by some better office
X than I. and the family scattered
: could get no clew. But Bert, she Il
the one woman in the world for me
i There never has been one since then
u and there never will be. | have KEEP
: myself busy with my profession. bu
e there is always an ache in my heart
u MAY see the photograph aske'
: Van Alstine.
Il The general took a worn wallet from
Il his pocket and unwrapped an old pho
2 tograph.
IS AS Van Alstines eyes rested upol
y II he gave little cry.
y I've seen that face somewhere!" b
y exclaimed "Ah. have it. In th
&c pension Office where | had occasion
n to look up matter awhile ago, AID
e clerk was detailed 10 assist me-onl
older and sadder. Tom. wait until to
s morrow Perhaps"
On the following afternoon Van Ais
10 tine broke into the Generals apar;
y. ment In wild excitement
ST 1T is She, be fairly yelled. yes,
T. he went on. grasping the general
10 shaking hand. Her name is Floiid
o. TAYLOR, and she comes from Georgi;
4 and she is unmarried. and poor an
as almost friendless, and a clerk in III
So pension Office. I'm hanged If haven
s. got the plot for a novel right In fror
n of my nose"
IL That evening the Generals card wa
r taken TO a hall bedroom ia a pal
boarding house. and a very bewilde-e
a woman came into the dlngy parlor |
y; see what II was all about.
IL This time II was the officer who va
OF on his knees. and that night Florid
Ut wrote her nearest Of kin:
he II am to he married next Thursda
n, TO Gen. Thomas Burton. Of the arm
d He Ii not of our people, and fought Q
to the other side, but he was our frier
IS in time of need. and | have loved ri
to ever since. We win be In Atlanta c
II our wedding trip. and ! hope you vi
not be 10 offended as To refuse us sol
We htazstnv and your hospifaltty"