The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-10-19
,dANlNT the MIDDLE

| The moment when General Lee re-
ferred to me in fattering terms. which.
! / confess. did not deserve"
"What2 General Lee referred to
you? When? HowT'
at was during the fighting before
Richmond. One night just before
taps l lighted fire and was making
some coffee
Coffee? Chicory, you mean. We
had no coffee" interrupted venable.
81 say coffee, and l mean coffee
when did you get it?'
"In Yankee camp we had walked
over during the day. Well, as was
saying, just as the coffee began to emit
! its delicious odors the sergeant called
out, Summers, you're wanted And
you And you,' speaking to different
men of our company"
81 was there" said Venable. II re-
member perfectly. He called me too"
"There were a dozen of u.s." Sum-
mers went on. assembled in an or
chard"-
"An apple orchardT
Eyes, an apple orchard. Well, the
sergeant ordered us to fall in and
marched us to the coloneps headquar-
tiers. The officer Of the guard was
there with several of his men and
among them a fellow-I don't know
who he was, but he didn't belong to
our company or to the regiment. The
colonel looked us over, and we were
taken, the stranger along with us, to
General Lee
"And drawn up in line before his
tent" put in Venable, "the stranger
between you and me-"
II have forgotten about the stran-
GER" Summers went on, but remem-
Der that General Lee came out and
looked at us as If searching for some
one. Presently his eye lighted on me,
and he said:
That's the man. I wish I had a
dozen like him. could use them ALL
with that he wont back into his
tent, and we were marched to camp"
"Do you mean to tell me-" said Ven
able, "that all these years you have
thought the general referred to your
''Of course he did"
why, he not only looked at me, but
he pointed at me-
Your
"Yes, l."
"Well, now, I like that. Whatever
put 1t into your stupid noddle that he
referred to your
Because shortly before I had been
detailed, as hts orderly, and when left
him he commended me for my faith
full attention"
"And l had held his horse under
fire while he climbed to an eminence
to get look at the enemy. I tell you.
1t was hot down there in the hollow,
the shells shrieking over my head"
Summers got up from his chair and
stalked about with his hands In his
pockets, glaring like tiger.
I'm sorry to destroy the Illusion Of
a lifetime" remarked Yenable, 'Dut
truth is miGhy and must prevail"
"The egotism Of some people If fred
at an enemy would have more effect
than machine gun"
"The self esteem of others u worse
than a charge of dynamite"
At this moment white headed man
entered. The veterans made him wei
come, placing a glass before him. He
filed his pipe and sat smoking in that
stolid fashion especially to be noticed
among the German people.
Were glad you've come, Mark
heim," said one of the assembled vet
Grams, mot only because we love our
enemy, but we needed some one to
stop a wrangle between Summers and
Venable."
"Vat wrangler asked the old man.
"I'll state the case, and you, being a
Union veteran and consequently i'm
partial, may be able to decide between
them"
"Vell, go on"
zone night when we were fighting
Mcclellan before Richmond Summers
and Venable were marched with q
squad Of dozen men to General Lees
tent. They were drawn up in line. The
general looked them over and said
That's the man. 1 wish had dozen
like him. l could use them ALL Sum
mers claims that the general referred
to him, since he had served him faith
fully as orderly. Venable claims the
honor, since he had held the generals
horse under fire. Which is right?"
"Neider. Sheneral Lee point to me
| vas der man in der middle"
you the man in the middle" cried
Summers. "What were you doinf
thereY
81 vas a spy"
"a spyw cried the company in {
breath. "Tell us about It,"
you see," said Markheim, 81 vas {
young feller shust come from Sherma
ny, und | didn't know vat TO do ven
got to dis country, so vent into de
Union army. Won day my captain dell
me Sheneral Mcclellan wants maj
to go to Richmond to see how many o
! you fellers dere vas. I cont, und Sc,
, Sheneral Lee, und I talks NIT him
Den vas arrested. Sheneral Lee va
ferry conscientious man und vouldn'
identify me unless he could bick nj
n,11f from, ,,1dar Ynap Navt dau d