The Washington times., 1911-06-22
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
THE VINTAGE
Bv JOSEPH STARTS
Copyright 1911. Frank Munsey Company.
By JOSEPH STARTS


II
within hearing, Captain Coombs seat
ed himself at the desk, laid a sheet Of
paper on 1t, took his cigar from his
mouth, laid 1t at his left elbow, and
When the general began to dictate.
Coombs wrote, throwing his left arm
around the top Of the sheet"
! You have heard the testimony Of the
case?" suddenly demanded Jefferson
mo, SIR"
But they were alone at the time
Lee and young Coombs?''
Yes, sir; absolutely alone; not anoth-
er. soul within a hundred yards. As q
rule. General Lee kept no guard before
| his tent and had none that day, al
| though there was sentinel posted over
! some ammunition wagons quite a dis
tance Off in the grove. The sentinel,
however, continued to walk his beat
! the whole time"
GOOD heavens. who are you who
can describe the scene thus?'
..rn I'm coming to that"
Just as the list was complete, Gen.
Jeb Stuart rode up, and he and Gen.
eral Lee walked together to a fire burn
ing few yards in front Of the tents.
| length General Lee returned to the
tent, obtained the list from Coombs,
walked back to Stuart, showed 1t to
him and Immediately afterward burned
fore General Lee came back for the
| list, Captain Coombs, after folding and
| brieflng the list, put his legs up on the
| desk and sat there smoking. Only one
That was a servant who brought in
freshly filled lantern for the night.
and began to straighten things up a
bit. Captain Coombs, however, consci-
not allow even the servant to touch II.
He picked 1t up and stood at the tent
door until General Lee came and got
it."
almost exactly" said President Davis,
crumbHng Delia's card in his
palm and casting upon the mar
fator perplexed look. Explain,
, tnen, how. If Captain Coombs is not
guilty. a copy Of that list could have
been made"
1T is very simple. The surface of
the desk was rather rough, and the
adtutant was In the habit of tacking
sheet OF paper upon it to make 1t
fresh paper had been tackled on the
lid Of the desk by one of the servants"
"Well?"
Under the sheet OF paper had been
slipped another sheet of paper and be-
tween them a sheet of carbon paper
in fact, this identical carbon"
From the breast pocket Of his gray
blouse Grigg drew a delicate sheet of
blue-black paper unfolded II. and hand
ed It to the President.
Sprtnging up with cry OF astonish:
ment, Jefferson Davis eagerly seized
the carbon and examined 1t under the
gas.
"AIl that 1 told you," Grigg calmly
continued, you can see corroborated
there. That shriveled spot is where the
cigar rested on the edge of the desk.
The smudge above is the impression Of
the writer's left arm, and those marks
show he must first have brushed some
thing from the lid Of the desk. There
is even an impression of General Lees
palm, showing that he must have leaned
on the desk while debating"
Davis turned excitedly upon him.
who placed this carbon under thereT
"a servant at headquarters had slipped
II under a short time before, at mo-
ment when the tent was empty-in fact,
the same man who entered with the
freshly-fllled lantern. When Captain
Coombs picked up tbs list and went to
the tent door and stood there, the ser
want seized his opportunity while the
others back was turned, withdrew the
carbon and the copy, and hid them in
his shirt"
by Heavens, that negro shall die for
this trickp' cried Jefferson Davis, shak-
ing the carbon paper In his clenched
fist, his voice tremulous from passion.
1T was no negro, SIR, but Federal
officer whose skin was stained. A few
days before Colonel Marshall's body ser
want had been taken i'll from typhoid.
Colonel Marshall hired man for about
a week from a family near Fredericks-
burg. But the man he got was really
q Federal officer who had ventured
across the river in search Of informa-
ton"
"A Federal ofhcer7 Who was the
daredevil?"
Your humble servant"
A h. 80 o-4l fv,er Ha1tuarcH
a bow and smile. President Davis went
backward a pace and stared at the au-
dacious speaker In blank astonishment
that gradually changed to anger.
Then who are your"
James Grigg, holding the commission
OF captain in the volunteer service Of
the United States"
Captain GriggT
Yes, sir"
AS one stripping for Q struggle casts
aside a useless garment, Captain Grigg
abandoned his previous affection OF
embarrassment and humility, and met
the Presidents angry stare by look
as high and bold. For a tense moment
they stood silent, eying each other. In
an angle Of the wall near the crate
leaned steel-headed walking-st the
sword-cane which Jefferson Davis some
times carried, and towards this weapon
the Presidents eyes wavered once or
twice. But as his visitor made no hos
tile demonstration. MS own pr1de ano
naughty courage forbade him to betray
apprehension.
He was the first to speak. With that
slow and cutting sarcasm which had
gained him so many enemies, he OBJ
served:
Captain Grigg needs no Introduction.
His exploits and reputation, such as
mey are, have spread hither before
him.
: Grigg bowed in silence.
"To what am indebted for the honor
of this visit?"
'Just what have told you"
Such touching solicitude for the life
and good name of one of my officers Is
indeed surprising exhibition Of Chris
tian charity in one whose deeds have
seemed inspired by quito a different
creed"
At the bitter speech Grigg flushed
darkly, but held his peace.
Pray give me credit for being less un-
sophisticated," continued the President
in the same deliberate and taunting
vein.
II beg pardon7'
Continuation of This Story VIII Be
Found in TOmorrow's Issue
of The T1me6.)