The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-03-04
IwoKnaves
Of Hearts:
And the Result Of Their
Meeting
BY ARNOLD HORTON
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The soldier boy of 1S61-e5 was very
different parsonage from the white
haired, wrinkled, tottering old man of
the present day. Bob Meriden entered
the Union army at eighteen and came
out at twenty-five. When he was mus
tered into the service he was a rosy
checked boy with perpetual smile on
his face. To look at him no one would
have thought that he was going south
to stand up to be shot at. Yet the
only time when he looked serious was
at being ordered north on recruiting
service. He was afraid he would miss
a fight
But this was in the beginning OF it.
The enthusiastic young men of that
period got quite enough of fighting be-
fore they were through with campaign
ing, and those who struggled with dis
ease and wounds had a harder time
still. But this story is Of the earlier,
reckless, devil may care period when
the youngsters who went into the war
felt that they were off on a picnic.
Bob Meriden was as full of the ro-
nance of war as any soldier in the
northern army. He had read stories of
spies and their doings and was espe-
-cially ambitious to do secret service
work. So he told his captain that If
there was any call from headquarters
for volunteers to go south for Informal
ton to let him know One day Bob
was notified that such service was re-
quired, and IL he cared to undertake 1t
he was to report in person at head
quarters. He lost no time in doing so,
and the general after looking him over
said to him:
"Can you talk like a southerner?"
Reckon" was Bobs reply.
LET me hear you say New York"
''Nieu Yauk"
81 expect you'll get on in that re-
spect Have you ever done any secret
service work."
mo. general"
The general was silent for few
moments He realized the dangers
the boy was about to meet and hest
tated to send him. He told Bob that
he ran a considerable risk Of being
hanged and advised him not to under
take the job. But the young soldier
begged to be permitted to go, and the
general finally consented. Bob was to
proceed south to the Confederate lines,
note the positions and numbers of the
troops and secure such other informa-
ton as would be valuable to his COM
mander
That evening after dark the spy,
dressed in a suit of "butternut" and a
faded straw hat, presented a pass at
the picket line for Abner Shock. He
was permitted to go forth and after
walking few miles. in order that he
might not be found near the Federal
lines, went into bivouac in a wood
In the morning he was awakened
by the sun shining through the trees
and, sitting up, looked about him. The
birds were chirping in the trees, the
air was balmy. Indeed, the scene was
as peaceful as any the young man had
ever experienced. 1t was difficult for
him to realize that he was between
two armies, whose business 1t was to
slaughter each other, and that If he
were known to be Union soldier in
disguise he would be swinging of
from the limb Of a tree.
Arising from his earthly bed, he
made his way to the turnpike and
walked southwark. Coming to a farm
house, he asked for a breakfast and
received some corn pone and cup of
chicory in lieu of coffee. Being asked
where he came from and where he
was going, he said that the Yanks had
destroyed his fathers farm and he
was going down to enlist in the Con
federate army.
After breakfast, for which he paid in
Yankee shinplasters of the period, he
took to the road again. He had not
gone far before he met a slip of a girl
walking In the opposite direction. She
was country girl of the better class
and quite pretty. Bob, who had seen
nothing but men since he came to Vir
ginia. was not minded to let this young
creature go by without a word with
her She was carrying basket on her
arm containing eggs and butter, and
Bob, by way of opening conversation.
asked her If they were for sale. She
replied that they were not, but he was
at liberty to help himself He had no
use for either at present and declined
Then they fsat down beside the road
and began to chatter like magpies.
The girl, much to Bob's surprise, told
him that she belonged to Union fam
lily; that they were all being treated
very badly and that she would like to
go north to Harrisburg, where an aunt
Of hers was living But she feared she
would not be permitted to pass through
the Union lines and wouldn't know how
to travel if she were Bob asked her
where she lived. and she said her home
lay within the Confederate lines not
far below. She was taking the butter
and eggs she carried to a house she
pointed out What she would do next
she didn't succeed in making clear to
Bob
The upshot of the dialogue was that
Bob changed his mind about enlisting
In the Confederate army and told the
girl that he would be back that way
In a day or two and he thought he
might help her on her way to her aunt
in Harrisburg To this she replied that
he might find her on her return and
he might not.
Leaving her, Bob pursued his way
down the road thinking more Of her
than his mission. Just before coming
to a depression in the road that would
hide her from him he turned for a last
lock. She turned at the same moment,
and they both smiled. Then Bob, see
ing a cluster of white tents before
him, began to remember what he was
there for
The next evening about dusk Ella
Carneal, the girl Bob had met on his
way south, looking out through win
dow. saw half a dozen Confederate
troopers riding rapidly up the road
One of them left the others and, COM
ing to the house, called. Ella opened
the window, and he asked If she had
seen anything of young fellow In a
butternut suit. She said she hadn't,
and, riding on, he Joined his comrades
Some twenty minutes later, when it
was quite dark without, she saw a
face at the window. 1t was very pale
and wore frightened look. Moreover.
it was the face of the young man In
butternut she had met on the road the
morning before.
Bob Meriden had got within the Con-
federate lines through gap In the
pickets, had gone about gathering in