Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-01-24

their words.
Lieutenant Kerchival West passed
through one more dramatic scene be-
fore quitting Charleston.
In an obscure tavern by the water
front he found Frank Haverill, q sim
cere, young desperate. whose bold,
dissipated look had something strange
ly attractive about 1t and whose gen.
tlemanly speech and manner belied 8
certain affectaion Of hardihood and
bravado
All this latter was swept away by
the sudden. violent wave Of emotion
that visibly rushed over his whole be-.
Ing when West delivered Mrs. Haver.
HIS message and handed him the lock-
ct containing the portrait miniature.
With an oath on his lips and tears
running down his hardened face he
cried out h0arsely:
1--WE been fool, an ungrateful dog.
and I've deserved Jail and worse. And
III stand the gaff and not blame any
one but myself either. But. by heaven,
I'm glad now that you settled With
that Thornton before | got to him.
And | came down here to Charleston
to seek him as a friend! Now, listen,
Lieutenant West. and / want you to
tell this to my father and to my dear
est mother. for she Is that'-here he
kissed the miniature feryently-"telI
them that deserve the worst that can
happen to me, but that didn't desert
my wife.
"Poor girl! She only allowed that
story to go out in order to throw them
off the track and help me to escape, as
I did. Now she will know that the
colonel and Mrs. Haverill know the
truth, and that will comfort her more
than the money they are sending her,
God bless them, And 1t would COM
fort me, too, If anything could, but
nothing can. except one thing, and
that is fight and plenty Of it. l want
to fight my way back to self respect,
to honor. and show those who have
stuck by me that I'm worth saving
after all. No matter what happens,
thank God I've still got freedom to
fight"'
"Do you mean that you'll enlist"
asked. West.
"Yes-yes. lieutenant. l can't get to
Washington quick enough"
ain the Federal army, Of course?
"Surely-in the fight for the Union"
Bully for you. Frank" cried the
officer. impulsively grasp!ng the boys
hand. "rhat will be splendid news for
the colonel
The somber scowl overspread Frank
HaverilPs face again. He rose to his
feet and said earnestly:
mo. Lieutenant West. charge you,
upon honor, not to tell my father-not
to tell any one-but to keep this Sc
cret between ourselves. 1t will be
time enough for them to know when l
have proved myself man again.
Lieutenant. ] am going to Washington
to enlist. But that is all that will be
known about me for the present, per-
haps forever Even If you hear Of me
in the days to come it won't be under
the name Of Frank Haverill.
81 am going to start all over again
under a new name. which won't have
a spot of dishonor on it. and Uncle
Sam and Father Abraham Lincoln will
have a brand new recruit. born today.
Do you understand. lieutenant? That
sweet lady, heavens own angel mother
to me, has stopped down and grabbed
me out Of hell and she shall yet have
reason to be glad that she did so OF
my father will never set eyes on his
son again.
When Colonel Haveril arrived liz
Washington, which at that period had
not yet outgrown the aspect Of shift
less, overgrown Virginia town, he founn
It transformed into a vast. chaotic mil
itary camp. Every incoming train from
Baltimore or from the west brought its
regiment of raw recruits, who were
driven like cattle to the barracks and
drill grounds on the Potomac fats, near
the end Of the Long bridge and within
sight of the steeples and roofs Of Alex
andria, where on clear day the south
ern flag could be seen from the very
windows Of the White House, floating
defantly.
While Washington was getting ready
to send the Army Of the Potomac to In
wade Virginia, Robert Ellingham re-
ported to General Lee in Richmond,
115 miles to the southwark, and found
the new Confederate capital likewise
seething with activity.
To Be Continued