Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-06-18

that war or something very like 1t was
imminent. But love outranked logic,
in that particular camp at least.
At the very opening Of the campaign
the casualties took in Kerchival West
and his demure. dark eyed sister Made
line: also. as mutual offsetting to this
pair. the gallant Bob Ellingham and
his sister Gertrude. the latter spir.
tied girl, with warm bronze hair be-
fitting her emotional temperament and
vivid complexion to match.
The first cloud that appeared In this
roseate sky was Edward Thornton.
Thornton was rather a handsome fell
low in his insolent way and a few
years older than the two lieutenants-
that is to say, he was close upon thirty.
He had more than the assurance Of
manner that such advantage might
perhaps be expected to give him-espe-
cially with Mrs. Haverill, the colonel's
wife.
The young people frankly did not like
Thornton, though none of them had
said so, and probably any or all Of
them would have denied the charge
had it been made.
Meanwhile DR.. Ellingham and the
colonel and Mrs. Haverill and the
Pinckneys (South Carolina relatives of
the EllinghamO saw graver portents
than sentimental ones on the near hOri-
ZOn. Their conversation turned upon
r11oSfionc of cfoto covoro;rp+u tho ssoIl1
flag" and rights as to secession from
the Union.
IF the interests of your manufacture
ing and shipping states of the north"
observed Dr. Ellingham, land of our
agricultural and cotton states of the
south are not running in harmony, that
Is no excuse for family quarrel"
II quite agree with YOU" said Colo
mel Haverill. ut is an awkward thing
for soldier to take sides in such
dispute. Theoretically we don't have
to. The government settles all that for
us, and we simply obey orders. feel
confident they will find a remedy for
the present break as they have for
other and perhaps worse ones in the
past. If it were not for the slavery
question:
"Ah," sighed the southern conserva-
tive, IF l owned the 100000 slaves
would gladly give them all up for the
preservation of the Union"
swell, your friend, Major Ruttin, GER
tainly has more decided opinions on
the subject than both Of us put togeth-
err" laughed HaverilI. making the Gus
tomary effort to divert the conversa-
ton into lighter channels.
Ruftin was striking character, typ
lcal Of the time. They met him after
moons at the Charleston hotel or on a
sunny morning walking by the Bat
terry sea wall. gazing out across the
harbor to where the Sumter fortress
reared it's forty foot walls on an arti-
fetal island built on the shoals. This
was one Of the important Notifications
OF the seeding states whose status in
relation to the federal government was
in ominous dispute
"Sir." Ruffin would say impresslvely.
IF the status Of these federal forts in
the seeded states is not yet determin-
ed, 1t is high time it should be. If
an appeal to arms is necessary, and
can see that it is, sooner or later, let
It come right here and now"
But, major" Colonel Haverill would
protest, II understood you were Vir.
ginian? Virginia has not seeded"
mot yet. but she will-she must. l
am. as you say, sir, Virginian born.
But this hanging fire is so little to my
taste, sir, that have sold my Virginia
property and cast my allegiance with
South Carolina for the present. Ihave
enlisted with the state troops here, and
l await any minute General Beaure-
CARDS call to the batteries he Is plant
ing all around SUMTER
Major Ruff1n was a white haired, ell
derly man. sixty years old If day. In
his fiery fanatical zeal there was some.
thing humorous-and something tragic
Colonel Haverill, fifty-five years OF
age, was distinct1vely an American sol.
der type.
A veteran of the Mexican war, he
was happily married to his second
wife, New York belle up to the time
OF her becoming the colonels bride
some six years before the period with
which the present narrative is concern
ed. His only son, Frank. was at that
time boy Of fourteen. bright and
spirited; but, as the colonel declared
with real modification. evidently not
cut out for soldier. That most Ia
mentable deficiency-ln the fathers
eyes-gave color to the assertion, made
not by Mrs. Haverill alone, that the
colonel thought more of his young
southern wards. Robert and Gertrude
Dillingham;, than he did Of his own son
However this may have been, the
colonel's young wife more than made
up to the lad the deprivation of his
fathers full measures Of paternal con
fldence and affection. Having no chill
dren Of her own, she gave to the boy
what In his infancy he had never
known-a mothers loving care. AS he
grew up In New York amid good fami
~ associations and in comfortable cir
.cumstances, seeing little Of his father