The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-10
'6l
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

had been discharged as unfit for serV-
Ice on account OF wounds, returned
to his home ia Maine with Belgian
bride. Appleton was the grandson of
a G. A. r. man. and young '16 was
swapping stories with old 81.
"The only difference between you and
me, grandfather" said Neil, lis that In
my case the comes before the 8, while
In 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, land that /
don't like to tell. 1t has been q sad
memory for me for more than fifty
years"
All Insisted on hearing the story, and
the old man continued: "I'll not make
much Of yarn out of it. I'll cut 1t
short. As you know, I was on scout
ing service during the peninsular cam
paign. One day was resting on neu-
trail ground. was on a hillside from
where l could look down on a road
/
eral Lees armies. While was looking
down on this road I saw a man on
horseback riding In the direction of the
Confederates. 1t 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 a girl
came out to greet him. BY this felt
confident that he was a Confederate,
for the woman embraced him in a way
that told me he was her son. couldn't
hear what they were talking about, but
young man to go In and get rest or
something to 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 1t to the
Confederates. Mounting my horse
rode down to lower eminence farther
northward toward Richmond, where I
could see the house he was in much
more plainly and waited for him to
come out to ride on. / didn't have to
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.
II was posted beside the road behind
thick bushes. AS soon as he came with
in pistol range l called out:
Halt! Hands up.
He knew he was covered by some one
he couldn't see and obeyed the order,
though he told me afterward that IL
he could have seen me he would have
opened fire instead. disarmed him
and drove him before me to one of our
outposts where he was searched and
information of the Utmost Importance
was found ON him. He turned out to
be Confederate soldier and, being In
citizens dress, fulfilled all the condi-
tions of a spy.
wei, he was tried by drumhead
court martial and sentenced to be
hanged Before he was executed he
wrote letter to his mother and one
TO his sweetheart was ordered to de-
liver them. I'd rather have been hang
ed myself than obey the order. But l
had no choice. Besides, some one must
take the letters, and had to do 1t be-
cause | knew the location Of the house.
Il carried also the news that the son
and lover had been executed for a spy.
Don't ask me to describe the delivery
OF this news and the letters, for 1t
breaks me up even to this day. This
is the last'time shall tell the story"
Young Appleton and his bride looked
at each other at the conclusion of the
narrative, then suddenly were locked
in each others arms. There was a
story between them similar to the one
that had been told. but which had re-
suited differently. Appleton, having
relished scouting service. volunteered
to SO hunting for information in terri
tory that had been conquered by the
Germans. Within that territory was
the home Of the Belgian girl whom he
later married and brought to America.
Appleton had sought a place OF rest
and refreshment In the house, for he
knew that any Belgian would harbor
him. He was eating a supper prepar-
ed for him when a company Of uhlans
rode up to the house. Their COM
mander dismounted and entered. APP
pleton had no time to evade the officer
and. not being able to give an account
OF himself, was arrested. On his per
son were sketches of German works.
and death stared him in the face.
When he was taken away the girl fol-
lowed, and when the uhlans went into
a deserted house with their prisoner
for the night she set fire to it. This
gave Appleton a chance for his life.
/ During thn Commission,