Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-13
DAILY STORY
A STAIN WASHED AWAY.


fore a fire of blazing logs, while his |
wife cleared the supper table. The |
door opened, and a yoCagst of sew
enteen, clad in the army blue of |
1S61-65, pale and emaciated, staggered
in. The woman flew to him, caught |
him as he was about to fall and held |
him tightly clasped in her arms. The
man arose and stood regarding the boy
with a look of mingled pain and Sc
verify.
""Sick leave, johnny" he asked.
NO, father" faltered the young SOL
der. Il couldn't get a sick leave. 1t
was chance for life with me if |
came and certain death with me If |
stayed there. The surgeon knew it,
and yet he wouldn't recommend me for
Il furlOugh."
Without word the father returned
to his seat before the fire. The moth
err supported her boy to an adjoining
room; he sank upon bed, and she
bent over him and kissed him again
and again.
John Clough still sat mOtionless and
in silence. He knew that in leaving
the front without permission his boy
had deserted and that dSSertiOn was
punishable with death. And this vision
the man saw in the flames:
A little child toddled toward him
with outstretched arms as he came
home The same child was going to
his first school His mother and IA
ther kissed him and followed him with
their eyes till he came to bend in the
road. when he turned and waved his
hand to them Again as half grown
boy he was reading by that same fire
light Robinson Crusoe" and Swiss
Family Robinson" Recently passing
from boyhOod to youth, he had gone
for a soldier.
And now the father sees another
sight-his boy disgraced, kneelinG be
side his coffin. about TO be shot for de
sertion.
An hour passed. The wife and moth
er looked into the room where John
Clough sat and saw him still meek and
motionIeSS. Going to him, she bent
over hi and whispered:
Hes little more than child, John"
Its the consequences of his act,
moaned the father. They take lads
for war and place them where mature
men find ii hard to stand"
Returning TO the invalid. the woman
laid her hand on his burning forehead.
Does father blame me-" he asked.
rising
NO, dear boy, but
'Yes, yes" And he fell back oD his
pillow.
When midnight came the woman
looked in where she had left her huS-
band. He had gone.
The army had been fighting for ten
consecutive days when one morning Il
man quite Old enough TO be exempt
from military service reported at the
headquarters of the general command
ing under the name of John Cluugh.
He admitted that he had deserted from
4 regiment that had since been trans
ferred to another field. He found the
| general in bad humor. There had
| been many cases of desertion. His pre-
scented an opportunity for an example.
| He was tried and sentenced to he shot.
At this time the Army of the Poto
mac descended from the heights on
| the northern bank of the Rappahan-
mock. laid their pontoonS. crossed and
| commenced a march over gently slOp
| ing plain to the heights Il mile away
where the COnfederates were ready
with their artillery to sweep them as
| they advanced. Some got halfway, i
less number nearly reached the objec
tive point while a few remnants OF
regiments marched to the guns. Thost
who lived went back again.
who is that man." asked the gen
eral, watching a private soldier who
had rallied the remnant of regimen
and turned its face toward the enemy
He was to have been shot for de
sertion. The fight coming on, he tool
his place in the ranks"
He shall be a colonel" muttered TIT
general rs he galloped to another par
of the field
When few years later Colone
Clough returned to his home he fOunC
a mound In the churchyard that GOV
cred his son. The father put head
stone over it on which was this in
scrfption:
JOHN CLOUGH.
| Died. aged seventeen years and re
months. OF wounds received in battle.
A private soldier, he rallied a regiment
r John Clough's commander one da
, called to see his old subordinate. Cole
, mel Clough was not at home. but tn
, general was told that he visited tn
churchyard every day and would b
found there. Thither the genera
, went and saw his old comrade stanC
ing over a grave. Approaching, unco1
cred, he stood behind the colonel an
read the inscription. Surprised. h
looked at his comrade for an explain;
ton. Colonel Clough spoke:
g HE who lies there was boy. II
. ran away and enlisted under the r.
/ quired age. Too young to fully weig
o the consequences, he committed an az