Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1912 — My Lady of the North THE LOVE STORY OF A GRAY JACKET [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

My Lady of the North

THE LOVE STORY OF A GRAY JACKET

by RANDALL PARRISH

LAutmntor rvnmvrnxnsßKKSs wtSKmo” t^AHhurTNViUiamsoiv

CttsaemritrMwxzßßffscni

SYNOPSIS. a I-—The story opens In % t#nt or the Confederate army at a critical £***• of the Civil War. Gen. Lee imparts to Captain Wayne a secret message to Longstreet, upon the delivery 2- d ®P end great Issues. AccomP*nled by Sergeant Craig, an old army *®put, Wayne starts out on his dangerous mission. make a wild ride, dodging squads of soldiers, almost lose their bearings and finally *** within the lines of the enemy, havlug penetrated the cordon of pickets unmolested. , in.— Encountering a small party of soldiers In the darkness, Wayne is taken for a federal officer who came to keep an appointment, is accepted as his representative, and a young lady on horseback Is given in his charge. CHAPTER IV.—The female companion or the two southern scouts Is a northern prL who, when she becomes aware of their army affiliations, slashes Wayne with but rails 40,1 attempt* to escape CHAPTER V.—One of the horses giving out, Wayne orders Craig to get through with the dispatches to LongStreet. He and My Lady of the Nortn are left alone near a rocky gorge. CHAPTER VX—The Confederate officer and the Union girl thread the mazes of the woods. He discovers a lonely hut. •Sja entering It In the dark a huge mattiff attacks him. The girl shoots the brute Just In time. CHAPTER Vll.—The owner of the hut, •ne Jed Bungay, appears and he and his Wife give the captain a welcome. Suddenly a party of horsemen are observed coming down the road. CHAPTER V lit.—They are led by a man claiming to be Red Lowrie, who orders Mrs. Bungay to give them food, •nd her husband to act as a guide. The woman discovers the man to be a disguised Impostor, attacks the Intruder and there is a general melee. CHAPTER IX.—The disguised leader proves to be Major Brennan, a Federal officer whom the Union girl recognizes. He orders the arrest of Wayne as a spy. The girl protests and says she will appeal to General Sheridan. CHAPTER X.—Wayne held prisoner In • oopse, sees files of Confederates pass the road at a distance and knows that Craig has delivered the message. . Gsner *l Sheridan who refuses to «et him free unless he reveals the secret message. J® 0141 the woman he admlree Is Edith Brennan, wife of the Federal ofHcer, who hates him. He Is given the choice of revealing the Lee message or of being shot as a spy. CHAPTER Xlll.—Wayne Is rescued from his prison by Jed Bungay. One of them must get a quick report through the lines to General Lee and Jed starts on the mission. CHAPTER XlV.—Finding the garb of sun absent officer of the Union artillery, Wayne penetrates to the ballroom, where a social army function is in progress, and pretends to be Col. Curran of Ohio. • CHAPTER XV.—The disguised scout Is Introduced to a Miss Miner. She knows the Curran family and Wayne barely escapes being unmasked. Edith Brennan appears on the scene. CHAPTER XVl.—Mrs. Brennan recognizes Wayne. She having been led to believe that he had been sent away, learns of the treachery of Maj. Brennan and says she will save him. CHAPTER XVII.—Mrs. Brennan secures a pass through the Inner lines and goes part way with Wayne when they are suddenly confronted by Brennan. CHAPTER XVlll.—Brennan attempts to shoot Wayne, but the latter throws his enemy to the ground senseless. CHAPTER XlX.—Bidding My Lady of the North adieu, Wayne starts alone on a wud dash for liberty. Encountering a tnan In a lieutenant’s uniform, he compels him to accompany him. CHAPTER XX.—His companion turns out to be Jed Bungay In disguise. They Clear the Union lines ana race towarda the Confederate camp. CHAPTER XXl.—Captain Wayne and the faithful Jed reach the Lee camp In safety and are sent awaV to accompany reinforcements to General Early. CHAPTER XXll.—Wayne and his regiment are sent to save the Confederate krmy In the battle of Shenandoah. Here a solid wgll of blue overwhelms them and the regiment Is lost. CHAPTER XXlll.—Wayne Is wounded and .taken to the field hospital, where he Is visited by Edith Brennan, who is kind and gracious. CHAPTER XXIV.—The wounded Confederates have a hard night ride as they are returned to camp, Wayne among them.

/ CHAPTER XXV. „■ . ;( ■{ A Lost Regiment. It was a bright, sunshiny aay in early spring. Birds were sweetly singing in the trees lining the road I was traveling. I must have shown my late illness greatly, for the few I met, as I tramped slowly onward, mostly soldiers, gazed at me curiously, as if they mistook me for the ghost of some dead comrade; and I doubt not my pale face, yet bearing the deep imprint of pain, with the long, untrimmed hair framing it, and the blood-stained, ragged uniform, the same I wore that fierce day of battle, rendered me an object of wonder. All through those long, weary winter weeks I had been hovering between life and death in an obscure hospital at Richmond. The moment the door was opened to permit of my passing forth into the world again, 1 sought eagerly to discover the present station of my old comrades in arms, yet coaid learn only that the cavalry brigade with which I had formerly served was in camp somewhere near Appomattox Court House. On foot and moneyless, I set off alone, my sole anxiety to be once more with friends; and now, at the beginning of the second day, I was already beyond Petersburg, and sturdily,pushing westward. As the road swerved slightly to the

left, passing through a grove of handsome trees, I came suddenly opposite a large house of imposing aspect. A group of Confederate officers stood in converse beside the gate leading into the open driveway, and as I paused a moment, gazing at them and wondering whom I had better address —for 1 recognized none of the faces fronting me—one among the group turned suddenly, and took a hurried “step in my direction, as though despatched upon an errand of importance. He was a tall, slender man, wearing a long gray moustache, and I no sooner viewed his face than I recognized him as having been one of those officers present in General Lee’s tent the day I was sent out with dispatches, glanced at me curiously, yet with no sign of recognition, but before he oould pass I accosted him. “Colonel Maitland,” I said, “you doubtless remember me. I am seeking my old command; would you kindly inform me where it may be found?” He stopped instantly at sound of my voice, and stared at me in odd bewilderment; but my words had already reached the ears of the others, and before he had found an answer another voice spoke sternly “What is all this? Who are you, sir? What masquerade puts you into that parody of a captain’s uniform?” I turned and looked into the flushed, indignant face of General Lee.

“It is no masquerade, sir,” I answered, instantly removing my hajt; "it is the rightful uniform of my rank, greatly as I regret its present condition.” “Where are you from?” “I was discharged from St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond day before yesterday, and am now seeking to rejoin my regiment.” “Surely,” he said gravely, “I have seen your face before. To what regiment were you attached?” “The —th Virginia Cavalry.” The buzzing of voices about me instantly ceased, and General Lee took a step nearer. “The —th Virginia? You were a captain? Surely this is not Philip Wayne?” So deeply surprised was his tone, so uncertain his recognition, I scarcely knew what to answer. Had I lost my very Identity? was this all a dream? “I am Captain Wayne, Troop D, —th Virginia.” He grasped my hand warmly he tween both his own, and his kindly face lit up instantly with a rare smile. “Captain Wayne, I cannot tell you how greatly I rejoice at your safe return. We certainly owe you an apology for this poor reception, but you were reported as killed in action many months ago. I doubt not Colo nel Maitland truly believed he looked upon a ghost when you first accosted him.” For the moment I was unable to speak, so deeply did his words affect me. “I fear, Captain Wayne,” he con tinued gravely, yet retaining my hand within his own, “that I must bring you sad news.” “Sad news?” Itfstantly there came to me the thought of my widowed mother. “Not from home, I trust, sir?” "No,” with great tenderness, “your mother, I believe, remains well; yet the words I must speak are neverthe-

less sad ones, and mu4t prove a severe shock to you. There is no Virginia.” “No —th Virginia?” I echoed, scarce able to comprehend his meaning, “no —th Virginia? I beg you to explain, sir; surely”—and I looked about me upon the various uniforms of the service present—-“the war has not yet ceased —we have not surrendered?” “No, my .boy,” and the old hero reverently bared his gray head in the sunlight, “but the —th Virginia gave itself to the South that day in the Shenandoah.” I must hate grown very white, for a young aide sprang hastily forward and passed his arm about me. Tet 1 scarcely realized the action, for my whole thought was with the dead.

“Do you. mean they are all gone?” I questioned, tremblingly, hardly able to grasp the full dread import of such ghastly tidings. “Surely, General Lee, some among them must have come back.” “So few,” he responded soberly, his hat still retained in ,his hand, “so few that we could only scatter them in other commands. But you have not yet fully recovered your strength. You must not remain longer standing here. Major Holmes, will you kindly conduct Captain Wayne to my headquarters, and see that he is furnished with a uniform suitable to his raniFor the present he will serve as extra aide upon my personal staff.”

I turned away, the Major leading m« as if I had been a child. I walked as a man stunned by some sudden, unxe pected blow. When I finally joined the mess upon the following day, clad now in fit uniform, I had regained nc small measure of self-restraint, and with it came likewise renewal of the military spirit. My welcome proved extremely cordial, and the conversation of the others present soon placed in my possession whatever of incident had occurred since that disastrous day of battle in the valley. No attempt was made to conceal our weakness, nor to disguise the fact that we were making a last desperate stand. It was evident to all that nothing now remained but to fold our tattered battleflags with honor.

Directly opposite me, at the long and rather scantily furnished messtable, was seated a captain of infantry, quite foreign in appearance—a tall, slender man, wearing a light-col-ored moustache and goatee. His name, as I gathered from the conversation, was Carlson, and I was considerably surprised at the fixedness with which his eyes were fastened upon me during the earlier part of the meal. Thinking we might have met

somewhere before, I ransacked my memory in vain for any recollection which would serve to account for his evident interest in me. Finally, I ventured to ask, as pleasantly aB possible: “Captain Carlson, do I remind you of somj one, since you regard me so intently?” The man instantly flushed all over his fair face at this direct Inquiry. “It vas not dat” (he almost stammered in sudden confusion, speaking quite brokenly), “bot, sair, it has come to me dat you vos an Insulter of womens, an’ had refuse to fight mit mens. I know not; it seems not so.” I was on my feet in an Instant, scarcely crediting my own ears, yet on fire with Indignation. “I know not what you may mean,” I, said, white with anger. “But I hold you personally accountable for those words, and you shall discover that I will fight .‘mit mens’ ”

He pushed his chair hastily back, his face fairly crimson, and began to stammer an explanation; but Maitland interfered. “What does all this mean, Carlson?” he exclaimed, sternly. “Sit down, Wayne—there is some strange mistake here.” I resumed my chair, wondering if they had all gone crazy, yet resolved upon taking instant action if some satisfactory explanation were not at once forthcoming. “Come, Carlson, what do you mean by addressing such language to Captain Wayne?”

“Veil,” said the Swede, so agitated by the excitement about him he could scarcely find English in which to express himself intelligibly, “it vos dis vay. I vould not insult Captain Vane; oh, no, bot it vos told to me, an’ I vould has him to know how it all vos. It vos two months ago I go mlt de flag of truce into de Federal lines at Minersville. You know dat time? I vos vaitin’ for answer ven a Yankee rides oop, an’ looks me all ofer like I vos a hog. ‘Vel,’ I say, plain like, ‘vot you vant?’ He say, ‘I heard der vos Reb officer come in der lines, an’ I rides down to see if he vos der hound vot I vanted to horsevip.’ ‘Vel,’ I say, for it made me much mad, ‘maybe you like to horsevip me?” ‘No,’ he says, laughing, ‘it vos a damn pup in der —th Virginia cavalry, named Vayne, I am after.’ I say, ‘Vot has he done?’ He says, ‘He insult a voman, an’ vould not fight mit me.’ ” He looked about him anxiously to 3ee if we comprehended his words. “And what did you say?” from a dozen eager voices. The Swede gazed at them in manifest astonishment "I say I knowed nottlng about der voman, but if he say dat an officer of der —th Virginia cavalry vould not fight mit him he vos a damned liar. I vould have hit him, but I vos under der flag of truce.” I reached out my hand to him across the table. “I thank you. Captain Carlson,” I

said, "for bosh your message and your answer. What did this man look like?” "He vos a pig vellow, mit a black moustacho and gray eyes.” s “Do you know him?” questioned Maitland. "His name is Brennan,” I answered slowly, “a major in the Federal service. We have already met twice in rough and tumble contests, but the next time it will be with steel.” “Gentlemen,” said Maitland at last, gravely, "this is evidently a personal matter with which we have no direct concern. Captain. Wayne’s reputation is not one to be questioned, either as regards his chivalry toward women or his bravery in arms. I pledge you his early meeting with this major.” They drank the tdast standing, and I read in each face before me a frank, soldierly confidence and comradeship which caused my heart to glow. (To be continued)

“Surely This Is Not Philip Wayne?”

“I Was Upon My Feet in an Instant."