Jasper Weekly Courier, Volume 50, Number 37, Jasper, Dubois County, 29 May 1908 — Page 7
I zz
V&UOQ7T Jyäj J N comhy
SYNOPSIS.
! rrlv.Nl in Sun KranHseo 'In ' h friend and. Umtant rHatlvr i Wilton, whom ho urn lo aaalst .n iiiti- rtan and mysterious tank
wh .. a ..mpMnlfd Durtloy on the
tv unai irm into Ilia ctlV. TtlO rt
...tlx r s. inl.lMrnf of the two mn
n'i mnifnti on by immm-h
n !. ft-ny. Th-y see a man with which KndH h thrill through . W it .n ..tp..ii. mi explanation
NTinv '-rran i'udloy Is to xri.i.t ... . urr.-in s Mus hlin to It is on.- of no ordinary memtlns. n I-.im ;iim in thfir roum. with i.i.-t.'.r. to HWMlt hi r. turn mid tthoot ..n wi trii-t to enter. Mitteile ther ml fi.'.'itM nnil ruins and th noise . tj ...in I H-iiry ruMhis In and at r n st thi- ruorniiiHti-M quii-kly t- . I..' in an.l i hurtli H out again .'y r.s '.e j-on- than Glien I i .! I i ry of "Hi ll.-' and hi runs I., f r t Hon,.. on- b- liig aftaultod by f ' ri nu-n H- suiiiniotiH a. mll-f-biit tii. y are ui.al.lo to find any of a tiiTii- Olli r.-turns to I Im nrd limits for '.rn ovMi-nre that i xpt.un his Htr.itiit" hiIshIoji. He - a ii. i Iii. h Im .n.li'Hvora to dar I i 1 - y I n.mni..ni-d to the . : in I th.-n- rtnd th. il.d liody of fi.i.l H.-nrv Wlltei: Ami Oiuh Vllt- ." without i-vi-r txplaliitriK to Iik)1'izzlirie vMirk I was to rform - .n I 'r.ni-is. In inl r to discover i i fnixHi .fi i.ia fr;.-nl li.nl i-mruiit-hi", f'j.ll.v until. iJH I. Im dUffllta pTri.:tH i.iinHcif to lo known as x Wm..n Ii.lley uiiataUi-n for -n. it i inili.i ii hy Knapp to alnt ftt k t.- .ft. raifi- ileal. "IM.ky" - t' un , .m .1 WMton to Muthi-r n's M uh. r H rt i itlwov. r that in W'i:t..n Th- Ughta an- turn. I n.l if- f r .11 fight follow fJll.-H
. v Ii r '.... f i iMttl In u ro'itu Mi 'i i I! irt'-n who inuk.n h ton.t ot in
CHAPTER VII. (Continued.) My na;-!, i- Ihidlr-y Giles Dudley." Whore is Wilton?" Trad." Dtad" Did yr.u kill him?" The : : Kindly !..ok dlsaiipoarotl from her and ihr haul lines settled Into i -xprc-.-ciori i f malevolent rejuliveHe wa n bf t friend," I said sadI . and tlu-n I di srribotl the leading ' .tnts of tin- tract-dy I had w!tnca: 1 The oid Minan listened cloaely. and im1i hardJ h- movement of a inuatle, - the tale I t..M And "i think he left his job to vi-j?" she .-aid with a sneer. I hae itl.fii it up as well as I ran. To le fiank with you. Mrs. Horton. I knw notliin? about his Job
1 hi Kölns along on blind chance, and t. - np to Seep a whole skin. ' The old woman looked at me In a: azemciit. Poor boy'" she exclaimed halfI singly, half admiringly. "You put y Tir hands to a Job you know nothing
ahr.ut. wl.in Henry Wilton couldn't. .j:ry It with all his wits about him " J i didn't do it." said I sullenly. "It 1. dnn i'-!r. Everybody insists j t1 at I'm Wilton. If I'm to have my t! . at b'i- for him I might as well ,
to do hi- ork. I wish to Heaven i I i.i-w wb.it it was. though." Moihet Hor;on loaned her bead on r hand, and azed on me though il " for a full minute. Younu m-n." said sJie impressivetake my aduoe. There's a train f : the Ki.t in :h niornln. Just sit iioard and never you stop short of apo." 1 m not ruining away." said 1 l.itly. "I r pot a score to settle v. Hh t'- man who k:.: J Henry V.'ii; n. i. n that sciirn is arttld. I'll p to a ago nr an where else. I'ntil that's - . I ta whorn I can settle It." Mniher Htirton cauatit up the candle ! moved it bii'-k and forth beior-v t face. lu hir eyes there vas a mi of aau' pleasure. ! Hy God. Ik's in earnest!" sht.äaH 1 1-rself. wi'ii a strniise laugh. "Tell
' aualn of tue man you saw in tht
It was tho boil appeal I could have
inane. "tf.,l'k.. ..I I. . M . . . ....
,uu, nöi'u mi o srmi. "I'm an
old ool. and you'vo got the roal sand
oü ro the first ono except Henry V!1
ton that's trusted ino In forty years
aim you won't bo sorry for It. my boy
You owo mo one. now. Where would
you nave boon to-night If I hadn't
had the light doused on ye?"
"Oh, that was your doing, was it?
I thought my time hail come."
"Oh, I was suro you'd know what to
do. It was your best chance." "Thon will you help mo now?"
Tho old crono conslderod, and hor
face grew sharp and cunning In Its
iook. "What can I do?" "Toll me, In God's nnmo, whore I stand. What Is this droadftil mystery? Who Is this boy? Why Is ho hidden and why do Uioso peoplo want to know where he Is? Who Is behind me and who (hretitons me with death?" I burst out with these question passionately, almost frantically. This was the first tlmo I had had cunuco to demand them of another human being. Mother Horton gave me a' leer. "I wish I could tell you, my dear.
but I don't know."
"You mean you dnre not toll me."
I said boldly. "You hnvo done mo a great service, but If I am to save mv-
The old woman looked at me suddenly in wild-eyed alarm. "S-shl" she whlswod. "Don't name no names." "And Is this all yu know?" I aakod ia disappointment Motber Horton tried to remember some other point. "I don't see bow H s xolng to keen a knife from between iny rib," I complained.
ou xeep out of (be way of Tom Terrill and his bounds, and you'll be
All right. I reckon." "Am I supposed to bo tho hoad man In this buslneas?" "Yea." "Who are my men?"
"There's Wilson and Kluhugh and I
I'ortor and Hrown," and kIio named ton or a dozen moro. "And what is Dicky V "It's a smart man as can put his finger on Dicky Nth!," said Mother Horton spitefully. "Nahl Is his name?" "Yes. And I've soen him hobnob with Henry Wilton, and I've seen him
tb!?k as tbloves with Tom Terrill. and which he's thickest with the devil himself couldn't tell. I call him Slippery Dicky." "Why did ho bring mo hero to
night?"
"I lioarn there's orders come to
change tho place tho boy's place, you know. You was to tell 'ein where the
now ono was to be, I reckon, but Tom
bocket, and watched tne fl!ckerJe
naqoH's chase each other ovur w&iit
and celling, finally dropping oCt to
CHAPTER VIII. In Vhlch I Meet a Few Surorltes.
I awoke with the sonao of throatoned
danger strong in my mind. For
moment 1 was unahio to rocall where
I wag. or on wliat orrnnd I had come
Then memory returned In a llood. and
I sprang from tho bod and peered
aoout me
A dlrn light struggled In from the
darkened wmdow. but no cause for
approhension rould be soen. I was tho
only creature that broathod tho air of
that bleak and dlugy room. I drew aside tho curtain, and threw up the window. It opened merely on a light-well, and tho blank walla beyond gave back tho cheery reflection of a patch of sunshlno that foil at an anglo from above. The fresher air that crept In from tho window clearod my mind, a dash of water refreshed my body and I was ready once more to face whatever might befall. I lookod at my watch. It was 8 o'clock, and I had slept four hours In this place. Truly I had been Imprudent after my adventure below, but I had been right In trusting Mother Horton. Then I began to ronllze that
1 was outrageously hungry, and I re-
momberod that I should bo at th
rorril! spoiled things. He's lightning, oillce by 9 to receive tho commands
is Tom Terrill. But I guess he got ot Dwldrldgo Knapp, should he choose It all out of Dicky, though whore 10 send them. Dicky got It the Lord only knows." I threw back the bolt, but when I
This was all that was to be had tr,ed to sw,nS the door opon it re-
from Mother Horton. Elther she 8l8ted mJ' 0"rts. The key had been
knew no more, or she was sharp m'MU,S when I closed It, but a sliding enough to hide a knowledge that 1,0,1 "d tokened It socufely. Now I might be dangerous, even fatal, to re- saw tnat tho door was lockod. voal. il)o wan willing to servo mp Here was a strange pordicamenL I
and I was forced to let It iss that hatl ,ieanl nothing of tho noise of the
sho knew no more. k' before I lost myself in slumber.
Well. I'd hotter ho Bnint- tn Molher Horton must havo turned it as
v C7 v
w
MbW W-ssa
sfc sVsw reiHM xr
ih- w. MfssiirssfiB imsxmw in
lit ' m 1 WIM JliVra
said I at last. "It's nearly 4 o'clock.
MAG? ' AArSOJ2?7fErOJ3E
1 described Iknidrldgo Knapp.
And you are going to get even with
' she said with a chuck.u that
1 : no mirth In it. Yi's." said I shortly.
Why. if ou should touch 1:1m the i' le of the city would tear you to
: "
l shall not touch him. I'm no ns-'-;n!" I exdalmed Indignantly. "Tho
J u shall take him, and I'll see him
1 r s.ed as h:gh as Hainan."
Mother Horton gavo a low, gurgling
i.-h The law! oh. my liver the law!
i youiii miu are. my. boy! Oh, ho, h;!" And attain sho absnrbod her
; liless laugh, and gave me an ?vll h Tin n she became grave again, A laid a claw on my sloevo. "Take
;idvico now, and git on tho train." Not I!" I returned stoutlv. I :n doing It for your own good," 'aid, with as aonr an approach to axing tone as she could command. 1 v i;s Ions since she hnd used lior 4 ; for such a purpose and It grated. l"r my sake I'd like to boo you go and wipe out tho whole raft of fi. Hut I know what'U happen to loney. I've took a fancy to ye. 1 ,; t-'t know why. Hut thoro's a look v' Mnir face that carries me back for 1 ' years, and don't try It, dearlo." Thre were actually toars In the f"' i'nro's eyes, and her hard, wicked 1 ' ' softonod. and became almost ' 'ipr and womanly. I -nn't give up," I said. "The work "it on mo. Hut can't you liolp mo? I . Move yu want to. I trust you. uo what to do whoro I Bland. 1 11 In the dar, but I unst do my
self from the dangers that surround
me I must know more. Can't you see
that?"
"Yes," sho nodded. "You'ro In a
hard row of stumps, young man." ' And you can help nio." "Well. I will," sho said, suddenly
softening again. "I took a shlno to
you when you came In, an' I says to myself. Til save that young fellow,'
an' I done IL And 111 do moro. Mr.
Wilton was a lino gentleman, an' I'd
do something. If I could, to get even
wllli those murder In gutter-pickers that laid him out on a slab." Sho hesitated and looked around at the shadows thrown by the flickering cnndlo. "Well?" I said impatiently. "Who Is the boy. and where is ho?" "Never you mind that young, follow. Let mo tell you what I know. Thon maybe we'll havo tlmo to go Into things 1 don't know." It was of no use to tirgo hor. I bowed my assent to her terms. "I'll name no names," sho said. "My throat can be cut as quick as yours, and maybn quicker." "The ones that has tho boy means all right. They'ro rich. The ones as Is looking for the boy Is .all wrong. They'll bo rich if they gits blm."
"How?" "Why, I don't know," said Mother Horton. "I'm tollln' you what Henry Wilton told mo." This was maddening. I began to suspect that she knew nothing after
all.
"Do you know wliero he Is?" I asked.
taking tho questioning Into my own hands.
"No" sullenly. "Who Is protecting him?" "I don't know." "Who la trying to get him?" "Its that sn.ik' cjcl Tom Terrill
that's lauding iha hunt, along with Darby Meeker: but thoy ain't doing -It
for themselves
havi Lt-en the grav of life it gavo back.
There was something ominous about
it. To bo lockod, thus, In a dark room
of this house in which I had already
been attacked, was enough to shak
my spirit and resolution for the mo
ment. "What lay without the door, my
apprehension asked mo. Was It part f tho plot to get tho secret It was Mipposed I held? Had Mothor Horton
en murdered and the house seized
Or had Mother Horton played me falso and was 1 now a prisoner to my
wn party for my enforced Imposture,
as one who knew too much to bo Jeft
at large and too little to be of use
On a second and calmer thought it
was evidently folly to bring my Jailers
about my ears. If jailers there were.
I abandoned my half-formed plan of rccaking down the door, and turned to
the window and the light-well. An
iner winuow- iaceu on tue same .space, not five feet away. If it wore but opened I might swing myself over
and through it; but it was closed, and
a curtain hid tho unknown posslbili
ties and dangers of tho interior. A
dozen feet above was tho roof, with no
projection or foothold by winch It
might be reached. Below, the light-
well ended in a tinned floor, about four
feet from the window sill
I swung myself down, and with two
steps was trying the other window. It
was unlocked. I raised tho sash cau
tiously. but Its creaking protest seemed to my excited ears to bo loud enough to wako any but tho dead. I stopped and listened after each squeak
and everything scorns to be quiet here- ot tl,e frame. There was no sign of
abouts. I ll find mv wav to mv room." movemonL
"YottH do no such thing." said I Then 1 pushed asldo the curtain Mothor Horton. "Therve not given up cautiously, and looked within. The
tho chase yet Your men have gone room appeared absolutely bare. Gainhome, I reckon, but 111 bet the saloon ng- confidence at tho sight, I threw that you'd havo a surprise before you the curtain farther back, and with a got to the corner." bound climed in, rovolvor in band. "Not a pleasant prospect," said I The room -was. as I bad thought, grimly. bare and deserted. There was a musty "No. You must stay horo. The smell about it. as though it had not room next to this ono Is just tho thing been opened for a long time, and dust for you. Seer and desolation lay heavy upon It She drew me Into the adjoining Theru was. however, nothing here room, shading the candle as we passed to Hngor for. and I hastened to try the through tho haa that no gloam might door. It was locked. I stooped to exfall where It would attract nttentlor .-.mine tho fastening. It was of the
louu no sate here, she said, cheapest kind, attached to door and 'Wow do as I sny. Go to sloop and git casement by small screws. With a some rest. You ain't had much. 1 good wrench it gave wav. and I found
guess. Binco you got to San Fran- myself in a dark sldo-lmll between
an additional precaution as I slept.
Hut how was I to get out? I hesitated to make a noiso that could attract at tention. It might bring somo one less klndlj disposed than my hostess of the
night. Hut there was no other way I wah tiapied, and must take the risk of summoning assistance. I rapped on the panel and listened No sound rewarded mo. I rapped agaji more vigorously, but onlv si
lence followed. The houso might 1 MiM f'ljws't .s-r-Ul
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two rooms. Three steps brought mo
The room was cheerless, but In the to the main-hall, and I recognized it
i-irctiiH.iances mo ayvice appearea for the samo through which I had felt good. 1 was probably safer here than my way In the dnrknoss of the night. In tho street, and I noodPd the rest i took mv ,.,.1,. a ,
"Good night." said my strango pro- st;Urs following tho way that led to -tress. "ou needn't git up till the side entrance. The saloon and
reutauranc room I was anxious to evade, for there would doubtless bo a barkeeper and several loiterers about. It could not bo avoided, however. As I nenred the bottom of tho stairs I
w that a door led from the hallway
tectress
you git ready. This Is a beautiful room beautiful. I call It our bridal chamber, though we don't set no brides down here. Thero won't be no
sun to bother your eyes In the morn-
In, for that window don't open up
outside. So thero can't nobody git to ,ho and llint ,t W '
ns? vuitivo wuii. iiiBiuu uiu I (TO UK COXTIXtTKD )
lionise, mere, gu to uou. look out
you don t set flro to uotlilng. And put Smoking Soldiers.
out the candle. Now good nlshti The oxnerlenco of Iini VniBoi..v
dearie." of the British army has boon such Mother Horton closed the door be- that ho has always made It a rule to hind hor, and left me to the shadows, allow, whenever possible, the solThoro was nothing to he gained by dlers undor his command ono pound sitting up, and tho candle was jmst its of tobacco a month, which ho considfinal inch. I felt that I could not ors a fair allowance, and with the uso sloop, but I would He down ou the bod of which ho finds the soldier does h's
and rest my tired limbs, that I might
refresh myself ror the demands of tho day. I kicked off my boots, put my
revolver under my hand ahd lay down.
best work. In Italy tho military authorities recognise tobacco as one of lite comforts essential in troops and
cigars aro served out to thorn with
Heedlesn of .Mother Horton s warn-. their dally rations. Washington Her
'Is Doddridge Knapp behind them?"! 'ig 1 leU the candle to bva to the aJrf
URING the latter part of tho
war. In 18G4, and until Its close, In IS 05, I was connected with the am?les under Gen. Sherman, usually desig
nated the Army of the Tennessee, the Army of the Cumberland
and the Army of the Ohio, wrote Maj.-
Gen. 0. O. Howard. The campaigns
were exceedingly active. From Chat
tanooga to Atlanta Sherman's soldiers were under fire every day, except the
three just before crossing the Etowah, for 113 days. There was not a day or
night in which there were no soldiers slain. Tho screeching shells burst over our heads while wo were sleeping, but, wonderful to tell, the soldiers had become so used to this conflict that they lost very little sleep in consequence of the fitful and random firing at night. In that period of 113 days there were 19 sizable battles fought In one attack I made at Pickett's Mill I lost S00 killed and thre times as many wounded within the space of 15 minutes. At night I sat among the wounded and realized something of
the horrors of war. It seems to me today as I think of It like a terrible nightmare, but It was a more terrible reality, which I will not attempt to de
scribe.
When I come to think of the "March
to tho Sea" and later the "March Through tho Carolinas," what occurs to my memory first Is the exceeding
hardihood of the soldiers. They recovered quickly from their wounds, I mean from those that were not too severe, and thero was scarcely any
illness. But when Columbia was on fire an untold numbor perished In the flames. Still more nerlshed from ac
cidental explosion of confederate shells at Columbia and Cheraw. We
like to turn away from' the mangled
corpses and distorted faces of the
wounded that cannot bo described. I
feel tho same horror and depression In view of those things as I did at Gettysburg, where on both sides upward of 50.000 men were placed hors
de combat For several days poor fellows, union and confederate soldiers, waited in patience, unattended by sur
geons, simply because there were not
enough of them. Without further detail. Imagine the Joy that came over tho armies of Sherman as they gathered about Ralolgh, N. C, in 1S66. and were told that Lbo had surrendered and that Grant had
sent Loo's soldiers homo to begin life anew; that Johnston had surrendered on the snme terms as Lee and all that belonged to Slocum's, Schofleld's and Howard's armies were to march on the morrow toward Washington, tho capital uf tho nation, soon to be mustered out of servlco and then to go home. I remember tho sudden depression at the news of Lincoln's death; but still this going home produced too great a joy to keep ever this catastrophe of their heavy loss very long before their minds. They marched habitually at 20 miles a day from Raleigh to Richmond, and never seemed weary at tho closo of any day's march tho camp fire was bright, the old songs were sung over and over again and tho comradeship knitted during the war would nover cease it was at Its best when the word "peace" filled all the air I know that we were proud when we marched past tho president ot the United Statos In our last great reMew: "ut. as I rcmomber It, It was a t- :-rde even thaa. rAalmant
had gone out 1,000 strong; it had been recruited and re-recrulted; It had been veteranized and added to In other ways; and now It was bringing home Ies3 than 300 of all the men who had gone out from that section of the country from which It had come. The Joy of going homo for the 300 was great but It was a toarful Joy the Instant one thought of tho S00 or more who could not go homo, wh. Jever did go homo, who were burled somewhere In the broad land over which the 300 had marched, and too often with a headpiece marked "Unknown." After the war I stood in the large cemetery near Murfreesboro. Tenn, with Gen. R. B. Hayes (afterward president) and Mrs. Hayes. I remember how Mr. Hayes, who was an exceedingly handsome woman, looked up Into the faces of the general and myself as her large, dark, speaking eyes were flooded with tears, when she said: "Just look there, that plot of ground is covered with headstones marked 'Unknown.' Unknown, unknown," she repeated, "and yot he gave his life that his country might live!" It was a touching picture, but every time I think of it I say to myself!
"Really, that 'unknown' soldier, ap
parently unknown, recorded unknown, was not really unknown. Somebody knew him. His comrades know him. A mother, a sister, a wife and children. If he had them, knew him. Thoro is a bettor record somewhere than that in the soldiers' cemetery." Our faith Is so strong that we all believe in the resurroctlon and in tho future life and have a great satisfaction in feeling that no sacrifices and particularly not that of life itself for duty, for what one sincerely believes to be duty, has over been or ever will be made in vain. The saddest plcturos of all, to my mind, are those oonnectod with a losing battlo like that of Fredericksburg, and still more that of Chancellorsville. At Fredericksburg the army of Burnside went straight forward to Its own destruction. The linos of Lee, half encircling Burnslde's points of attack, were complete. It was like a trap Into which an animal deliberately puts his feet We sprang the trap, and it is a wondor that Lee had not dealt with Hurnslde's army as the sturdy Thomas dealt with Hood's at Nashville. I can soe In my mind's oyo those Immense platpaus in front of the Marvc Helcht
and other confederate Intrenchmcnt3 and barricades covered with the dead and dying. The plateaus were fairly blue, as thoy wore dotted with the wearers of our uniform.
Gen. Couch was standing by mv side
In the steeple of a church, near ths close of that baitle. where we togethe were taking a fresh reconnolssance, when I noticed that his voice trembled as he spoke to mo. He said: "Oh. Gen. Howard, look there! Look there! See the ground covered with the boys la blue, and all to no purpose." After we hnd returned, all of us who could return, to the other shore of the Rappahannock, tho depression of the soldiers was greater than at any other time during tho war. We could hardly speak to each other. Now, after years, we can recognize tho fact that our grief was balanced by the Joy of tho confederates over a great victory, and yet not n decisive one; gained by them. At a moderate calculation there woro sent Into eternity moro than a million of men, who left homo In the
prlmo of health and In strength; moro than a million of souls by the terribh conflict For one. I am glad, indeod, that there Is nn efTort on foot to settle difficulties without bloodshed. Of courso, tho wasto of humrrn life Is not all of It. There Is in every war a waste of possession, a destruction of property and a degradation of character hard to avoid at tho best. I know that there are some things worse than Cath. 1 know that the union of our states was worth all that It cost, and I know that humanly speaking, It was necessary that wo should bo purged as by lire; but Is It not wise now to do all that we can to hold up to tho world the blosslnga of a great peace; evon the peace that passoth understanding, which never must exclude any of the noblest qualities of a womanly woman or a manly man? A soul full of momorlal greetings to all our sorrowing comrades of the clrU
CI
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