The evening world., 1912-10-10

- truds wrote regularly to
her Confederate brother. Robert Filing.
ham. Madeline West. on the other
side OF the Mason and Dixon line
also wrote to Robert. her rebel
sweetheart. In a non. partisan way.
which also was quite different from
| sisterly. or course. Bob wrote to
! both the girls. and It would have been
-, highly embarrassing II he had ever
got the cpistles mixed. Madeline
answered the copious letters and In
quiries OF her brother. kerchival West.
as best she could.
Jenny Buckthorn was heard to re-
mark that Capt. Heartsease's pen was
mightier than his sword. NO there must
have been some epistoiary Interchange
between these two also when the
captain was away from Washington,
As for Gen. Buckthorn. still at homs
slowly recovering from his wound. and
Col. Hnverili. pre-occupied with active
military responsibilities these two old
soldiers stuck doEgediy to their re.
spective duties. and kept their own
counsel.
Such was the complicated. morgan
ized system Of grapevine telegraph.
which In civil war time practically did
the service OF what In latter days would
he called tho wireless
Gertrude had been home In the Val.
ley perhaps u fortnight when she res
= CClyed tho following illuminative
eplstle from her brother:
Charlottesville. Juno IL.
Dearest Sister: Va have left tho
Valley. I suppose to Join In the de-
Tense OF Richmond You know what
that means under Jack son-this IN
the frst moment I have found TO
write to you since you decided to
aul. for home. know what you
have passed through, but do you
know how II came about that you
, got through as luckily az YOU did1
(. Probably MOI. Now will tell You.
, II was all very well for the Rich
mond Department 10 send you In GER
tain company by way Of Baltimore
hut when II came to the pinch Mt
IIarper's Ferry. influence at Wash
ington had TO be brought to bear.
Whose influence Gen. Buckthorn's
Gen Buckthorn must have acted at
the prompting OF some other Fed
eral officer, presumably Col. IT, And
how did our dear Colonel happen 10
he 80 alert I'm behalf ~ n couple %
Southern women travelling at their
o own risk
r Gertrude Knrchival W is-or was
n In Washington. either on sick leave
=, or On some confidential mission. He
must have moved heaven and earth.
and even strained a point or two OF
discipline, for your sake. I don't
know tho exact circumstances but
o I do know Old Kcrchival, God bless
y hlm--he can't help It n ne Is Ysnk.
4 Sow, you know what he dld for
4 you. and perhaps you will understand
the ugly iook u must nave taken for
D.. HIN AT Washington when I tell YOU
that YOUR DANGEROUS travelling conf
panion took advantage Of the situ,-
ton "a wheedle the Federal guard
at Bcrryv'lle into making an ex-
a change 81 prisoners with our guard.
4 and thus rescued a certain secret SER
). vlro ori'er whom YOU ana I know
! only too well and who II now back
again In the Confederate service.
y what Is - come ~ n all 7 don't
know Rut, SIS, ne careful--kcep
o THIS closely 20 Yourself and never
fore, a.
Whom you will next hear from mo.
D. and what YOU will hear no mortal
can nredict-cxceNt that I shall bo
. found IN the line OF dutv May
n heaven bless and keep VA all II the
u constant prayer Of your err NJ
brother. BOB
l. While Gertrude Fllngham read and
reread a-d pondered and cried over this
letter and Kissed II 'urtlvcly as ~ In
concehlment from her very self, the ~,
!. army corps Of Mcclellan, having en-
% countered the defensive Confederat,
forces no under direct command a
Ia Geu Robert r. Lee had fought the In
decisive battle : Fair Oaks. otherwis,
called Seven Pines. and were lined NJ
4. along the Chlckahomlny stream. almos
- within gunsho, OF Richmond.
~ They thought Lee had detached
D. corps and sent II westward to reinforc,
L Jackson m the Valley. Instead. Jack
IS son vas sweeping eastward to Join Lee
who. more than year after the com
mencement OF tho war. Wal a. last u