| Show BY FOUNTAIN copyright 1906 by dally story pub co there was a great ball that night the residence of a famous cabinet 1 ister and washington s beauty ind washington s chivalry had gatheral ga therel there of all the brilliant assembly and it was brilliant as the capital could furnish and resplendent dashing uniforms and flashing or ders bestowed by the royalty of the world none attracted more atte allon than two gentlemen ol 01 middle who were inseparable and who not at all to meet the great and noto rious who were present both we gray both wore the unmistakable al of men who had accomplished some thing worth while both were evident ly bored with the function let s duck tom said one after time I 1 ve got some rare tobacco in my rooms and there s a lot things youve got to tell that I 1 to hear are you sure it s decenty the other the one with the militar bearing ou see I 1 don t I 1 lowi ruch about this sort of thing and the lord knows I 1 want to my fall duty its all over lorn replied the other unless you want to stay and meet more lions and ogle the fair women you bee all about we ve paid our respects to the hostess salute 1 the lion and according to the rules of the game we are now entitled to retreat in whatever order we may all right batt lets go replied the military roan with a sigh of re liet lordy knows this Is punish ment good end plenty whereupon the two men left the ga is aej presently entered the modest apartment of herbert van al tine almost across the way the general his stars so new anat ie WAS almost ashamed to have them en glanced about the aristocrat icalla appointed room and scar el smother a cry of admiration truly the journalist friend of his youth had a den which might well at tract the attention and admiration ot the best of the sop of men pipes were and the old negro ervant presently served drinks aft some moments cf silence the ne vs man looked curiously at hi lid time chum who had won distine ion on the field of battle as well as in camp and barracks tom he said you know my ro nance and tragedy why the dickens ion t you tell me you are the ort of a fellow to whom the women ake and as I 1 remember you you take the women how the mischief does it happen that you never have mar rieda the general 1001 ed long and earnest ly at his friend and blew much smoke into the unoffending atmosphere then he dropped his head into hlo hands and remained so long hat van alstine arose from his chair ind went around and laid his hand on the others head forgive me old chap he said soft ly I 1 was not trying to start anyta ing and and god knows I 1 dian didn t want to ur cover any old sores lets have a drink and forget it the gesture and words and antona tion were so tender and sincere tha the officer looked up gratefully ani ex tended his hand to his friend there is no offense he said pu you touched a very sore spot you want tn know why I 1 have never rear r ed ay iy no woman shares my life with me well old man I 1 will tell ou it Is not that I 1 have been so de voted to my prof eslon it is not aaa I 1 have been so busy with working out ordnance ard nance problems and doing ine duty in barracks and fighting indians the plains these things are wholly incidental and immaterial it was m inclement destiny once to meet mate face to face and then to lose her that is all only bert no other vi oman who lives or who will live can interest me in that way there was a long silence during which both men puffed their pipes in d it was during sherman s maran to the sea began the general presently I 1 was then a second lieutenant just from the point you know how dread ful were the orders it was necessary to execute no do not believe you do only those who were compelled to ex acute them and the suffering vie imo really knew blind I 1 do not criticism criticise critic ise the orders I 1 believe they were feces sary and that the policy of the govern ment was justified probably but 1 was hard to execute some of these or ders its all right my boy to make a death struggle with an armed enemy its all right to execute spies and trai tors its all right to wipe out a lot of thieving scalping red devils but deliberately tc burn a home over ahe heads of women and helpless children to destroy barns filled with the prod duce necessary for their existence to make their fertile fields a wilderness and to leave these helpless people to starve that is a very different mat ter it is necessary but tough and 1 was only a boy and rather a sen etive boy but I 1 did my duty with all the cold ness I 1 had been taught to use until one day with orders to burn a fina old plantation bouse from which our tel lows had been fired upon and all th barns and supplies I 1 rode up with a squad of grim and tired men and dis mounting entered the hous and aaker to see the bead of the house I 1 never destroyed a house without giving the women and children an opportune to get away with brough supplies to carry them to their friends it they had any A negro servant ushered me into the library a ane old room with shelves lined with the kind of books 1 made me ache to think of destroying and went to find the mistress pres antly the door opened and with an inward groan I 1 turned to confront the gray haired gentlewoman who cyp fled to me the mistress of the southern home the baay laay who had given up all her men folks to her state the sacred cause and who remained bravely be hind alone and unaided to fac the dangers of war and rapine imagine my surprise when I 1 saw in stead of this gentle creature a dainty girl of 16 with flashing defiant black eyes and a face and figure startling in la ta perfect beauty and symmetry bym metry her little fiands were clenched in anger and des aeration pe ration and her shapely head waa thrown back in splendid scorn V ell sir she bald and you ought to have heard the indefinite conte apt in the musical volca are you the mistress of the pa placed I 1 stammered I 1 am he replied with dignity my grandmother is so she cai no leave her bed I 1 am the only on left oh the pathos of it the sickening pathos and the tragedy and bert I 1 had to tell her my wretched orders for a moment sh seemed unable to comprehend then with a wild cry the defiance faded from her face and manner and before I 1 could prevent 1 she flung her elf at my feet oh not the house please please sir not the house she begged it all that Is left and the only shelter for grandma and the servants and grandma is so ill and the doctor ay she will die if she is disturbed au cannot you must not be so cruel I 1 knew that moment that I 1 woula not burn that house I 1 tried to b stern to remember the precepts of th point and do my duty but with anat helpless kneeling girl before me that mere child caught in the rests tragedy of war aej trying to stem the tide not for herself but tor others with her swimming eloquent eyes fixed pleadingly aly on miep I 1 knew I 1 had noi the strength well I 1 temporized tor time and finally ordered some of the barns and stores destroyed lut left the ho ise and plenty of for dimmed ite use before I 1 left I 1 sought the yo ing mis tress again she thanked me with pie dignity but with evident agrati tude As 1 looked into her eyes i knew my heart was no longer my own and something I 1 saw there made m think she did not hate me as much as the situation warranted and that un der different circumstances perhaps the general finished the sentence wit a puff of smoke I 1 asked her name he resumed aft er a moment s reverie and learned 1 was floricy taylor I 1 know ou auve disobeyed you orders sir she sal 1 and that you ar imperiling yo irsell it you 1 new hon grateful I 1 am for myself and foi grandma and the people perhaps oi think it worth while if we can ever do anything to repay you my eyes had caught a of the girl in a frame on the mantel interrupted her it you would give me that aholo graph with your name written on it 1 said I 1 would feel repaid she flushed scarlet as she took down the picture and went to the old besic wrote her name on it and gave it me then lode away and the sequels said van als ine gently the other shook his head no he said I 1 never siw her again aft er the war was ivr I 1 went back and tried to find her but the house a been destroyed by some better than I 1 and the family scattered I 1 could get no clew but bert sho r the one woman in the world tor me there never has been one since then and there never will be I 1 have appl ppl myself busy with my profession bu there Is always an ache in my heart may I 1 sen the i holography 9 as tec van alstine the general tool a worn wallet fron his pod et and unwrapped an old pho As van altine e eyes rested upon it he gave a 1 atle cry I 1 ve seen that face somewhere he 1 am u 0 i cu lexi inui add to gen thomas burton of the army he ib not of our people and fought on the other side bat he was our friend in time of need and I 1 have loved aim ua we will be in atlanta on our wedding trip and I 1 hope you wll not be so offended as to refuse us our blessing and your hospitality |
