Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-03-20


OF the worst. The comparative calm.
ness Of the earlier hours of repose Of
the quiet April evening gave way to
pandemonium. The works at Peters
burg. desperately held by the Confed-
crates, were miles away from the city
10 the southwark but such was the
tremendous nature of the CannOnading
that the shocking sounds seemed to be
close at hand. Children covered
women shuddered. and old men prayed
rs they thought of the furious on
slaughts in the battle raging.
The Richmond streets were filed
with people, mostly iuyalids, non-com-
batants, women and children. A ire
mendous attack was being launched
by the besiegers somewhere, It was
evident. Urgent messengers from
General Lee called every reserve out
of the garrison at Richmond. and the
quiet streets and country highways
awoke instantly to life. Such troops
as could be spared moved to the front
at the doubleDuick. Every car of the
dilapidated railroad was pressed into
pSlNACt. hOsSo wiz NOulu iOL NC
transported by train went on horse
back or afoot. The youngest boy and
the oldest man alike shouldered their
muskets, and with motley clothes, but
with hearts afame, marched to the
sound of the cannon. The women,
the sick, the wounded and invalid men
and the children waited
Morning would tell the tale. Into
the city from which they marched,
men and boys would come back; an
army nearly as great as had gone
forth, but an army hating, MANNED,
helpless, wounded, suffering, shot to
pieces. They had seen it too often not
10 be able to forecast the scene abso-
lutely. They knew with what heroic
determination their veterans, under
the great Lee, were fighting back the
terrific attacks of their brothers In
blue, under the grimly determined
Grant. They could hear his great war
hammer ringing on their anvil; a
hammer Of men, an anvil of men. Plan
Or no plan, success or no success Of
some secret service operations, some
vital point was being wrestled for in
photographic between two armies;
and all the offensive capacities of the
me and all the defensive resources of
ME other were meeting, as they had
been meeting during the long years.
In time like that, of public peril
and public need. private and personal
sffairs ought to be forgotten, but it
vas not SO. Love and hate, confidence
and jealousy, faithfulness and disloy-
atty, self-sacrifce and revenge, we're
still in human hearts. And these feel
tngs would put to shame even the pas
sions engendered in the bloody battles
Of the fearful warfare.
Edith Varney, for instance, had gone
BUT of the telegraph Office assured that
The sacrifice she had made for her
over had resulted in the betrayal Of
her country; that Thorne had had not
even the common gratitude to accedc
10 her request, although she had saved
his life, and, for the time being. his
honor. Every cannon shot, every crash
ing volley OF musketry that came faint
ly or loudly across the hills seemed
pointed straight al hnr heart For all
the knew. the dispatch had been sent.
The cunningly devised scheme had
been carried out, and into some unde-
tended gap in the lines the federal
troops were pouring. The defense
would crumble and the army would be
cut In two; the city of Richmond
would be taken, and the Confederacy
would be lost
And she had done It, Would she
have done it If she had known? She
bad certainly expected 10 establish
such claim upon Tborne by her iu-
deposition that no could not dlsre-
gard it. But if she had known posi-.
lively that he would have done what
she thought he did, would she have
sent him to his death? She put the
question to herself in agony. And she
feali2ed with nushes of shame and
raves of contrition that she would
bot, could not have done this thing
The must have acsed as she had, what
Wer vas to come of it. Whatever he
Sas, whatever he did, she loved that
nan. She need not tell him, she need
Yell no one, there could be no fruition
% that love. She must hide It, bury
In her bosom If she could, but fo-
veal or woe she loved him above
everything else, and for all eternity.
Where was he now? Her interposi
hon had been but for a few moments
rhe truth was certain to be discov
NraAa Gs..s Nlelsa ps AZ. S.ti:aAta. ~