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Show I GBR'EL a Novel o-l ij ; I , Reconstruction , x 5 . (Cerrrlrtt. by Joel Chandler Harris.) - ' - - la CHAPTER XXTTT. Capt. Talooner Makes Suggestions. Mr.-Sanders had a surprise awaiting him .when he left the Lumsden Place-He Place-He had not taken twenty steps before he met the young Captain who had charge of the detachment of Federal troops stationed at Shady Dale. "This Is Mr. Sanders, I believe." he said without ceremony. "My name is Falconer. I have Just been to call on Mr. Clopton. but they tell me there that he is at Mrs. Lurosden'a" "Well, I wouldn't advise you to go there," said Mr. Sanders, bluntly. "The lady is in a considerbui state of mind about her gran'son." "It Is a miserable piece of bosiaess ail the. way through." remarked Captain "Falconer. There' was a note of sympathy sym-pathy in his voice, which Mr. Sanders could not fall to catch. "I called upon my cousin. Mrs. Claiborne, Clai-borne, for the first time today, the Captain Cap-tain went on. ."She has Invited me to tea often, but I have refused the Invitation In-vitation on account of the state of feel-Ins; feel-Ins; here. I know bow high It la It Is natural, of course, but It is not justifiable. jus-tifiable. Take my case, for instance; I am a Democrat, and X come from a family of Democrats, who have never , voted) anything; else but the Democratic Democrat-ic ticket, except when Henry Clay was a candidate and whan Lincoln was running; run-ning; for a second term. If you think that L or any ef the men under me, or any of the men who fought at all, intended in-tended to bring about such a condition as now exists, you are doing us a great wrong. Don't mistake me! I am not apologising for the part I took. Yet I do not believe in negro suffrage, and I abhor and detest every exaction, that the politicians In Washington have placed upon the people of the South." Capt. Falconer was very good to look upom He was of the Kentucky type, tall, broad-shouldered and band-some. band-some. v His undress uniform became him well, and he had the distinctive and pleasing . marks that West Point leaves on all young men who graduate there. , "Well, as I' told you. I called on my cousin today for the first time, and she Insisted that I make it my business to see you or Mr. Clopton. She told me," the Captain said, with a pleasant smile, "that you are the man that kidnaped Mr. Lincoln." "She's wrong about that." replied Mr. Sanders; "I'm the man that didn't kidnap kid-nap him. But I want to ask you, ain't you some kin to John Barbour Falconer?" "He Is my father," the Captain replied. re-plied. "Well. I've heard Meriwether Clopton talk about him hundreds of times. They ripped around In Congress together before be-fore the war." "Now, that Is very interesting to me," said the Captain, his face brightening. They walked slowly along, and during dur-ing this period of silence, Meriwether Clopton came up behind them. Mr. Sanders drew his attention. "Mr. Clopton." he said, "here's a I gentleman I reckon you'd like to know Capt Falconer. He's a son of John Earbour Falconer." " . ' - ; "Is that so?" exclaimed Meriwether Clopton. a wonderful change passing . over his face. "Well, I am glad to see . a son of my dear old friend, anywhere and at any time." He - shook , hands ; very cordially with the Captain. "Let ! me see let me see; If I am not mts-I. mts-I. taken, your first name Is Garnett." i "That Is true, sir," replied the Captain, Cap-tain, with a boyish laugh that was 1 pleasing to the ear. "But I am sur-' ; prised that you should remember these things so well." .... "Why. my dear air. It is not surprts- ing at all. - I have dandled you on my knee many and many a time; t knew the very house, yes the very room, tn.. which you were born. . Some of . the happiest hours of my manhood were-spent were-spent with your father and mother in Washington. Tour father is dead, I believe. Well. . he was a good man: among the best I ever knew. What Of your mother V "She has broken greatly." responded, the Captain. 'The war was a great burden to ber. She was a Virginian-, j you know." "Yes yes !" said Meriwether Clopton. "The war has been a dreadful night-. mare to the people on both sides; and ) It seems to be still going on disguised as politics. Only last night as you' perhaps know, a posse of soldiers arrested ar-rested and carried off four of our worthiest wor-thiest young men." "Yea sir, I know of it and regret It," responded .Capt Falconer? "And X have no doubt that a majority of the people here are Incensed at the soldiers, forgetting that they are the mere instruments in-struments of their superiors, and that I their superiors themselves take their j orders from other superiors who are en- i gaged In the game of politics. The army Is at the beck and call of what is called Government and today the Government happens to be the radical contingent of the Republican party. Can you Imagine that my mission here i is pleasant to me? I can assure you, sir, it Is the most disagreeable duty that ever fell to my lot I am glad you spoke of these arrests. At your convenience. con-venience. I should like to have a tittle conversation with you and Mr. Sanders i on this subject" "There is no time like the present" replied Meriwether Clopton. "WU1 you come with me to my house?" "Certainly, sir; and with, the more s pleasure because I called on my cousin Mrs. Claiborne today. I was afraid my visit today would prove to be etn-barrassslng etn-barrassslng to her. If I visit you at -your invitation, the probability la she will have no social penalty to pay. I know what the feeling la" "You may rest assured," declared Meriwether Clopton. "that if I bad known you were the sob of my old i friend, I would have sought you out ' much as I detest the motives and pur- poses of those who have inaugurated ! this era of bayonet rule. And you may be sure, too, that in my house you will be a welcome guest" i (To be Continued.) " ' |