Show 7 Z fleat OR C no tr 0 L L E V I 1 S 0 N X arant iff AN NT was wa 9 a little 0 1 1 startled by tho the nowa news that ills his daughter was 1 engaged to bo be mar biec subject to his fatherly lai herly L p 1 r 0 v n 1 still he felt that there was as no need for or worry dorothy was 20 and since her mothers death had been loft left almost entirely to the caro care of her aunt mary at while lier her rather father was occupied with his business affairs in the city it waa vaa natural therefore in her tack lack of adequate parental protection that she should turn to matrimony as the most convenient and comfortable refuge col brant had come down to pop lar carville ville in response ito to an invitation to deliver tile the memorial Memo ilal lay day address at the public exercises to bo be given under tho the auspices of ills hla old grand army post lie ho had formerly been a resident of the town that was before the growth of his business necessitated its removal to a larger field and made it advisable for him to take ua u ills his abode in the city dorothy s sl ent the greater part ot of her time tr li Popl poplar amille alle she was not partial to city L ue especially as it separated her from aunt mary who was a second mother to her and from tho the old homestead to which she was greatly alt attached ached it was dorothy who met col drant brant I 1 nt at the railway station when he ar rived on oil the evening preceding the of may 1883 1885 and it was dorothy who blushingly confided to him on their way to the house that a very handsome and a very worthy young man had been paying court to her tor for two to months past he ite will call on you this evening rapa ralia to ask your consent she said softly the fhe deuce growled her father you havo have already given yours I 1 suppose why h y papa ot of course ch and so BO it carno about that richard challoner a 0 ner the fortunate suitor for dorothys hand called at tho the homestead that evening and was formally introduced to col drant brant ile he was in iced a handsome and dignified young man whose frank geniality and courtly manners had already made a stanch ally of aunt mary and at once made an agreeable impression on the colonel lie he was a budding young lawyer of unimpeachable virginia mock block who had recently established himself in for the practice of ills hla profession and had bounded at once into popular favor in the course of the evening col lgrant and young Cli challoner alloner retired to lie library on the second floor door of the I 1 bouse to indulge in a aulet smoke anti anil a private interview hero here challoner broached the subject of his love for dorothy and soon gained the consent ot of the grizzled old father to the proposed marriage when they were leaving the room alter after finishing their cigars Chal loners attention was attracted to a picture on the wall and he stopped to look at it in ill a moment tie ile seemed deeply interested then he be caught aught ills his breath sharply and gripped a chair to steady hi himself the picture was waa a painting in oils I 1 evidently the work of an artist of moro more than ordinary talent it was a wardine scene representing a battlefield in perspective with troops engaged in a 1 running tight in the background half obscured by clouds of smoke in the lo reground were the figures of two in lantry officers who had crossed swords in a duel net to the death one of them wore the blue regimentals of the northern army the other was clad in confederate gray both were stalwart typical soldiers the artist had bad caught the spirit of the encounter his genius had endowed it with life action atmosphere sphere the play of the muscles the expression of the faces the firo fire in tho the eyeshot tho the combatants were wonderfully realistic the picture represented represent el the exact moment when the federal officer gaining a momentary advantage advant ago over his adversary was ending the fight by driving hla his gleaming sword through the confederates body that painting said col brant coming up behind challoner and looking over his shoulder la is no favorito favorite of mine it memorizes an episode in my career as an army officer that I 1 would gi give ve worlds to forget the artist was nn an eyewitness eye witness of the scenie scene and his bis portrayal Is spoken of as tho the t it t was dorothy who met col brant work of a master but b ut I 1 should havo have destroyed the thing long ago if my als ter tar had tint not begged permission to keep it my sister Is dorothys aunt mary you know she fully understands that it la Is not to he be displayed on the wall when dpn I 1 am in the house bouse but I 1 suppose this is a case of forgetful forgetfulness neds on her part he paused but challoner did not speak or move in a sorrowful voice the colonel continued the picture Is calculated to per perpetuate petti the memory of a most regrettable affair As you probably know one of the nastiest skirmishes of the war took place only live miles from this spot Popl poplarville arville was in a panic dut but wo we managed to beat off the enemy and they were soon in ID full retreat with our boys in hot pursuit at the vory very beginning of the chase the horse ridden by the young colonel of a rebel regiment stumbled and fell I 1 happened to be close behind this man when the tha accident occurred and believing him to be badly hurt I 1 quickly dismounted to render him such assistance si as I 1 might dut but apparently ho he was not hurt at all with a yell ho he sprang to his bis feet and rushed upon me with drawn sword of course I 1 had to defend myself three times during the fierce alerce fencing that ensued I 1 begged him to desist and avoid unnecessary bloodshed twice I 1 was in a hairs breadth of being killed by his skillful onslaught but in the end I 1 was victorious find and he fell I 1 intended only to disable him but unfortunately my blade passed cloar clear through hla his body sli sit weeks he be was in the military hospital here bore before ho be finally succumbed and hs body now lies to in the Popl poplarville arville cemetery by the way suddenly exclaimed the colonel his name was challoner col challoner tho same name as yours I 1 believe my god sir I 1 hope he was not a relative a a the words died on ills his tips lips for at that moment the younger man turned tur n ed slowly around and faced him richard ch challoner a ilo n er was P pale ale as d death 0 ath hi his breath came in quick excited gasps his eyes shone with a fierce vindictive glare he was my father the words fairly hissed through his clenched teeth 1 I am col Chall Chal loners onera son and you were the man who killed him you you by god sir you a shall h all answer to me for that act col defant was struck dumb with horror my aly reason for coming to poplar ville to begin my business career continued the young man hoarsely was as because my father lay in your celete cemetery ry here I 1 wanted to be near him to lo care for his grave I 1 never dreamed he broke off suddenly and seemed to restrain himself by a strong effort then with a quick nervous gesture he turned on hla his heel and without trusting himself to utter another word he strode from the room at the foot of the stairs he met dorothy who was tas waiting for him the sight of ills his white lace face and blazing eyes startled tier her richard richard Rl chaid she cried ile he brushed past tier her without an answering sign took his bli hat from the rack and an instant later the tha hall ball door closed behind him thedac the day which rustom custom has set aside for the annual decoration decoi atlon of soldiers graves dawned bright and beautiful Popl poplarville arville was as in holiday attire the air was freighted with the perfume of ti the buildings were nvere gay with bunting flags floated at half mast and the Popl poplarville arville band discoursed patriotic music in the public square col lewiston brant mingled with the veterans of ills his post and not a few remarked ills his grave demeanor and the unusual sadness that seemed to h have vu settled down upon him apparently lie he had aged ton ten years ears in as many hours col brant biant delivered his memorial day oration with an eloquence born of deep feeling and sincerity he moved till all hearts by ills his simple touching tribute to the heroes who had laid down clown their lives in their count rys defense and closed with this appeal but while we are honoring our dead let us not forget the graves of those other brave fellows whose resting place Is in our cemetery the men who were pitted against us in that awful struggle who lio fell as ap devoted martyrs to a cause which they believed to be right remember them also with your flowers your our tears and your prayers in III a secluded part of the cemetery that afternoon challoner stood alone beside a grave which was marked by a granite headstone heads tono bearing the name of his father so occupied was A as he be with his his own gloomy gloom thoughts that he did not notice the timid hesitating approach of dorothy brant until she was within a few feet of him lie he straightened up then and greeted her with a solemn courtly how while hlo hit cheek check flushed the girl was very pale and her eyes were red with weeping sho she carried an armful of roses which she silently and rev deposited on tho the dead confederates grave then facing the man opposite with a look of pitying appeal i she took from tier her bosom a letter and 4 handed it across to him read this richard sho she said in a frightened quivering voice it was written by your rather father to ray my mother many years ago before I 1 was born it hris has been preserved among mammas other treasures left at her death ot rr 44 t 4 t 1 ik IN 4 Ls reverently deposited on the dead confederates grave aunt mary alary found it last night and I 1 we wanted you to see it and please dont refuse richard written by my father to your mother ho he said slowly with a deeply puzzled look yes yes oh please read it it will help you to understand this Is iny last request It richard ichard ile he said no more but took the letter from its time dyora nyora envelope and read mrs levison brant dear madam it pains me to learn that your husbands supposed responsibility for my condition has almost prostrated you pray do not worry rry oh on that score I 1 assure you from my inmost soul that I 1 not only forgive your our husband but I 1 have already begged ills his forgiveness for forcing him film to commit an act which lie so deeply deplores the fault ault was entirely my own and I 1 alone am m the one who should suffer believe me I 1 am profoundly sorry tor for what happened and it is not a sorrow that is in by selfish considerations or the tear fear of death since I 1 davv aw been in this hospital col brant has become my most valued and best beloved friend what he has done tor for me can never be told but lie he has made tife me realize re illse that there are true gentlemen at the north as well as in the south bouth lind and that lie he Is one of the noblest men in the world I 1 thank you flear clear madam for giving me this opportunity to say that so far from feeling resentment I 1 entertain only sentiments of warmest friendship arid and gratitude toward your husband yours WILLIAM ClI ALLONEn the color came and went in ill the Y young oung mans ms face as he read and tho the light fight in his eyes softened to a tender glow finishing ho he crumpled the letter convulsively in his hand and camo came round tho the headstone of the grave ata at a half dozen quick strides dorothy ho he cried seizing her hand this la Is a glorious revelation to me let us hunt up your father at once I 1 will go down on my knees to him if you like with you for a wife and col brant for a father ln in law I 1 shall bo be the happiest man in poplar ville |