The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-07-20
and '61
BY ESTHER VANDEVEER

10 his nome IN Maine WITH belelhi
bride. Appleton was the grandson OF
G. A. II. man. and young 10 was
swapping stories with old '6i.
"The only difference between you and
me, grandfather" said Nell, ia that IN
my case the comes before the o. while
I'm yours the Is before the l. Come;
tell us another yarn about fighting in
Virginia"
There's only one yarn haven't told
you" said the old man, and that |
don't like 10 tell. IL has been n sad
memory for me for more than fifty
years"
All insisted on hearing the story, and
the old man continued: "fll not make
much OF yarn out OF II. I'll cut Il
short. As you know, was on scout
ing service during the peninsular cam
paign. One day was resting on neu-
trail ground. | was on hillside from
where | could look down on a road
running between McClellan's and Gen
eral Lees armies. While | was looking
| upNA VIZ ILLS lOdu saw "a man WI
horseback riding in the direction Of the
Confederates. Ii struck me that he
had been in our lines and was going
toward the Confederate lines. Being
out for information myself. | was ready
to suspect any one else of doing the
same thing. He stopped at a house
near the road, and a woman and girl
came out 10 greet him. BY this felt
confident that he was a Confederate,
for the woman embraced him In way
that told me he was her son. couldn't
hear what they were talking about, but
knew she was trying to persuade the
young man to go In and get a rest or
something 10 eat. He demurred for
some time, then yielded to her. That
yielding cost him his life.
II reckon he had been TO our lines for
information and was carrying it TO the
Confederates. Mounting my horse |
rode down to lower eminence farther
northward toward Richmond, where
could see the house he was In much
more plainly and waited for him 10
come out to ride on. | didn't have 10
wait long. He soon appeared, his moth /
er on one side of him and the girl on |
the other. He kissed his mother and then |
the girl, and | knew by that second |
kiss that they were lovers 1t wasn't |
like the other at all Then he rode on
toward me- looking back and throwing
kisses with his fingers
Il was posted beside the road behind
thick bushes. AS soon as he came with
In pistol range | called out:
Halt. Hands upr
"He knew he was covered by some one
he couldn't see and obeyed the order,
though he told me afterward that If
be could have seen me he would have
opened fire instead. | disarmed him
and drove him before me to one of our
Dutposts, where he was searched and
of the utmost importance
was found on him. He turned out to
be a Confederate soldier and. being In
citizens dress, fulfilled all tbs condi.
lions Of spy.
We'll, he was tried by drumhead
court martial and sentenced to be !
hanged. Before he was executed he
wrote letter to his mother and one ..
% his sweetheart. | was ordered to de- c
liver them. I'd rather have been hang
ID myself than obey the order But |
lad no choice. Besides, some one must ,
AXE the letters, and had to do 1t be-
,ause | knew the location of the house.
4 carried also the news that the son Z
Ind lover had been executed for a spy. !
Don't ask me to describe the delivery
II this news and the letters, for 1t
Freaks me up even TO this day. This =
$ the last time | shall tell the story"
Young Appleton and his bride looked
t each other at the conclusion of the
narrative, then suddenly were locked
n each others arms. There was
tory between them similar to the one
hat had been told, but which had re- i
ulted differently. Appleton, having
elished scouting service, volunteered
D go hunting for information in terri
Dry that had been conquered by the v
iermans. Within that territory was
be home Of the Belgian girl whom he
tier married and brought to America
ppleton had sought a place of rest
nd refreshment in the house, for he
new that any Belgian would harbor -
i'm. He was eating a supper prepar- q
! for him when a company of uhlans
de up to the house Their com
ander diSmounted and entered APP
eton had no time to evade the officer
i'd, not being able to give an account
himself, was arrested On his per-
m We're sketches of German works,
Id death stared him IN the face.
hen he was taken away the girl fol-
we'd and when the uhlans went into
deserted house with their prisoner
r the night she set fire to it. This
we Appleton q chance for his life.
uring the confusion when the uhlans
encircled In flames. their
iscner. who was wide awake and
epared, got out into the darkness.
as Joined by his deliverer, and the
20 disappeared together
Grandfather" said the young man,
here's a lot of difference between
an having girl to help him and ore
ho hasn't. II the girl in your case
d known that her lover was in dan y,
T OF being taken your story might =,
We ended differently" 4
4 wish she had" said the old man. 4
wouldn't have been loaded with the I