The Washington times., 1911-06-29
THE VINTAGE
BY JOSEPH STARTS
Copyright, 1911. The Frank A Munsey ompany

she cried with soft laughter, and pinch
ed his ear when he tried to turn and
look at her. Perhaps a patriotic duty
might require Miss Della Coombs to ask
| 1t OF you. It's such a relief to my Con-
| federate conscience to be able to say
Pm going to marry Yankee on COM
be released you Neutrality-suspicious. why
| wouldn't your"
Because, even when you knew who ]
was, back there in Richmond, you must
have cared something for me. And to
give you up after that
She was downright indignant.
Never! l never showed you cared
for you in the least-not when ! found
out who you were. How mean of you
"Ah, but you did show 1t, once. And
did you think could ever forget?'
''Of course, when I discovered you'd
kept those poor, clumsy mittens that
had knitted for you, it-sort of-touched
you of such foolishness, aad-and 1t
made you seem more human. Maybe
did show a little frtendliness after that.
But you had no right to assume it was
anything moreP'
1T was long before that"
Long before? You mean the night
they captured your She shuddered, re,
wronged and betrayed you, and that
dreadful old man and all those soldiers
aimed their guns at you, and You stood
there looking at mech, obi I can't
bear to think of that night! Do you
know, dear, my heart, all the time,
there was a kind Of praying for you.
prayed to God to strike me dead II
only you might be saved" She put
her hands to her face, and the warm
tears trtckled down on his pillow.
But 1t was before then"
'NeverI NeverI When 1 found you
were the Captain Grigg everybody was
telling such dreadful tales about, only
thought of you with kind Of bewtlder-
ed horror. 1 hated you! Indeed did
dear"
do you remember the night Freneau
surprised me IN your house and recog-
nized me?"
''Well?"
what was It you said to me at the
How should I known I was too
scared and bewildered."
You cried to me to go away or I
would be killed. All. love. love. my
days that followed, lived on for those
words. I never forgot them. never. They
were my CLEAN of hope, even when be.
lieved you had betrayed me. You did
care for me. Say you didE''
trembling as she slipped her arms
around his neck from behind. You
must never tell on me. You must never
say Della COOmbS'6 heart proved traitor
to her people. How 1 hated myself af-
terward for that 1 never admitted, even
to myself, that 1 really said it-no. not
even to myself. / despised myself for
it And you won't tell? Oh, oh, you
don't let me get my BREATH Stop now,
Your beard is so rough against my
face"
throughout James Grigg's long
struggle upward from poverty and OBJ
security, his enemies-and when did a
man Of force of character lack enemies?
alleged with truth that he allowed
himself to be swayed much by his wife,
and that he kept nothing secret from
her. No great harm resulted to him
from this weakness. however, as she was
snub she administered to the wife of
leading journalist at the time Governor
GHggs war record was assailed was
spoken Of in the northwest with disap.
prevail Otherwise, her wtfely conduct
received much praise.
1t was during Governor Grigg's second
term that a rather odd scene occurred
at the State house. A curious religious
ment tmpended, had gathered from all
parts Of the country. and delegation
Of their leading men waited upon the
governor to prefer request.
He was listening to the long harangue
of their chairman. when his attention
was drawn to one of their number,
man of great size, whose white hair
and snowy beard gave him patrtarchal
appearance. This venerable man. tow
eTing in stature above his fellows, and
plainly occupying a position of author
lty among them, stopped the chairman's
speech, and stood gazing at the COVER
nor with a fxity of expression quite
startling Under the scrutiny the COVER
nor passed his hand across his forehead
as though trying to recollect. After hest
tating a moment he spoke.
Pardon me-" said he. Your eyes
have a strangely familiar look. May I
ask where have met you before?"
Tn the house OF Jefferson Davis, in
the place called Richmond" replied the
patriarch in a deep. harsh voice.
WHAT Colonel Bledsoe?"
Nay. All titles, all marks of rank,
are but vanity and shame before the
Most High. I am that Elijah Bledsoe
who was formerly Of the sinful world
militant but is now at peace in the
word"
And with an energy surprising in
one Of such extreme age, he graspcd
the governors outstretched hand.