The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-28

S'The Uniforms were anything but
 uniform"
 allowed occasional visitors and receiv- ed presents of food and clothing from home. No such remembrances ever reached Lieutenant Bedloe. No letters came to him, nor was he known to, write any. It was even uncertain to what state he belonged, and if he had a home, relatives or friends he. never made any alIusion to them. War was war, not a picnic, he said. Once soldier, it was "all off'' with other ties. His one object was to win military distinction, meaning rapid promotion for conspicuous gallantry.
 Precisely the opposite of this fierce and somber obsession was the char acter of Ralph Hunt-frank, gentle, confiding, childlike in some qualities as well as in some weaknesses. But he loved Bedloe, and his own ambi- tons, as the tide of a b1ighted life slowly but surely ebbed, merged into one grand desire to do something for the strong, high spirited, dashing com rade who had contributed so much to cheer the horrible gloom of prison ex- istence.
 The opportunity came in an odd and unexpected way. Hunts kind southern friends had the happy thought to re- place his dilapidated uniform with a @G 41< of course, and of the good homely ma terial known as ssbutternut." As a matter of fact, txe whole Confederate army, especially after the first year of the war, was sprfnk1ed with butternut of various shades. The uniforms" were anything but uniform. A gray coat, a gray pair of trousers, or gray hat, suf1iced to mark the followers of Lee and Jackson, and some soldiers went through all the campaigns clad in their home garb as farmers or mountaineers. A supreme service was i devised for Ralph Hunts new suit the very day it arrived.
 'sYou are the man to get away with ] it, Frank" insisted the owner of the clothes. ''The opportunity is wasted on me.''
 sRalph is right" declared Captain Cox, tfYou can make as good use of your liberty as any officer here, Lieu tenant Bedloe. No, don't think of me. have something else in view for my 1 self.''
 So it came about that one morning when Captain Warner had been replac- ed by a subordinate named Turner as acting commfssary and the guard for the Potomac room had been newly l ioI, cd O oroU n hJ1ffo 1 Crank had contrived to shave off his beard and mustache) slipped out be hind the officer who had perfunctorily counted the prisoners and in twin king was mixed up with the free south erners who lounged about the place on one pretext or another, though he was still on the wrong side of the railing that constituted the dead line. Here Turner was stationed, sitting at desk just within the pale.
 Hello, cap-do they keep you busy? drawled the youth in butternuts matching his clothes with the assumed accent of a North Carolina tarheel.
 "Who the devil are you?'' demanded the official, glancing up from his rec ords, "and what are you doing here7''
 'I'm from Moth Ca'liny, and I fol lowed the gyard in so's as to git look at them ere Yankee prisoners. Tn goin' to the front tomorrow am l thought before went I'd like to sec what these Tanks looked rke.'
 ''Go to the front and be cursed, and there you'll see more Tanks than you want to. Now, get out of here and stay out"
 'All right, cap, you needn't be st sassy abaout it, retorted the supposed tarheel as he lurched out through the wicket and made for the door, where rolling a quid of tobacco in his cheek he winlked at the armed guard ant passed out.
 Here was where Lieutenant Franl Bedloe. daredevil, demonstrated his oIt self again. Instead of disappearing with all possible celerity, as any mar of ordinary nerve would have done once escaped from Libby prison, h, deliberately crossed the street to ths vacant lot opposite and stood there { minute or two with his hands in hi. pockets, gazing up at the barred from windows of the big brick building t. see if any of his late comrades in cap tivity had ventured across the deat line to catch a glimpse of his actua departure for Gods country A few pale faces could be dimly dis cerned within. To these Frank waved parting salute, murmuring, "Goodby 1 hope we'll meet again somewher, else.'
 Then he slouched off in the direction 7 of the Rockets. down the bend Of tn, James river.
 Gro Be Conrinued.)