Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-23

are full of zeal They have not STOP
ped TO think that they should make
war in n certain fashion. They love
a life of freedom and dread the re-
straint of the military service
That's the hind for soldiers" add
ed Coleman. .'once they are trained
when you surprised us tonight
what do you suppose | was doing?
was trying TO persuade Carroll to take
| his men into the regular Confederate
service. Ever since he has been a
partisan leader ] have feared this re-
suit When last saw him resolved
/ that when he came again would not
cease nay efforts with him till ! had
secured his consent. Had you been an
hour later | would have gained it be-
fore you arrived"
The girls able pleading for her lover
and his men. whom she never failed to
! include with him. had frs effect on the
captain. The strain on his heart was
/ greater than the strain had been on
/ his nerves on any field OF battle. He
wished that be were the general. that
he might grant this girls request. that
he might spare the lives of these boys,
some of whom were barely sixteen.
many of whom were not twenty-one.
and none but few years past their
majority. Doubtless many Of them
were loved by some girl. A case Of
boys and girls on the one hand and
grim death on the other!
After the girls last words. seeing
that Coleman was thinking. Dolly re-
Trained from speaking. 1t was pic
ture-the young man in blue; girl
whose lovers life hung in the balance.
watching intently to catch a word OF
hope from the enemy. Finally Cole
man rose:
"Sit here he said. land write your
| request. REINFORCED with your argu-
ment. and will send it with my re-
port to the general"
With the light of a newborn hope
in her eye Dolly obeyed. What she
wrote was not expressed as the cap
tain's report-indeed. it formed a
marked contrast with that report-but
there was plenty of reason for the re-
quest, and Dolly's heart was in her
argument. 1t needed nothing to send
it to the heart Of the man II. was in
tended for, inaSmuch as it was that of
young girl asking for her lovers life.
When she had finished it she arose
and handed it to the captain, who.
without reading 1t, placed it in an en-
velope and, taking it outside. gave 1t
to one of his men, with orders to take
it to the general and bring an answer.
It was fifteen miles TO camp. and the
greater part of the day must be con-
sumed before a reply could be re-
ceived Captain Coleman could form
no opinion of what the answer would
be, except that it would be either an
order to shoot every man he had cap
tured at once or that the boon was
granted. He knew that the general
was a kind hearted man. but he did
not know whether he would consider
himself at liberty to spare what the
law Of war condemned or If he saw
justice in Dolly Peyton's request
whether he would consider that the
interests of the Union cause and the
army defending it demanded the death
of the partisans.
Dolly Peyton remained during the
day in care Of her mother and others
of the family. Coleman, understanding
the agony of suspense she suffered.
went 10 Bates and told him that he
was permitted to go to his betrothed.
Bates thanked him. went TO Dolly, but
remained only a short while. The
strain was great. and she was better
able to bear il with her mother.
As the afternoon wore on Dolly, who
was becoming uncomfortable, broke
away and went to a window. where
CHI IF
miles distant 4 cavalryman was
coming leisurely. He was machine
to carry orders or be shot as the case
demanded without knowledge, except
that he was doing what was expected
of him. Coleman. hearing Dolly wildly
calling on the messenger to Come, for
heavens sake cGme; l shall die"
mounted his horse and rode out to get
the dispatch.
When the captain on his return gal
Hoped up to the house Dolly stood on
the balcony. her lover beside her, her
eyes wild with suspense. He waved
the paper over his head 10 signal life"
instead of death" and Dolly fell limp
into the hands of the man whose life
was all the world to her. Then Cole
man ordered the captives to be brought
up before the house, and he read aloud
the generals order:
The request of Miss Dolly Payton that
her lover and his men be not executed as
guerrillas on condition that they fight no
moro against the United States except as
regularly commissioned or enlisted men in
the Confederate armies is granted.
Several of the men thus reprieved
tainted; a number staggered as If
drunk; the rest broke into wild cheer.
Later the partisans. having been
paroled, went in a body TO thank the
girl who Mad turned a certain death
into life. Then they scattered, most
of them going TO their homes.