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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 1906)
1 YTc&JS By Sara. pnn! h fcnw Lop1lsna In ths laat year of the elyil war re- ntmtxr It aa the scene bf eon Stan t -movement and excitement. being common, around t both federals and confederates ths former having In May, IMS, succeeded In opening the . Atohafalaya to Bed river, and In 1864 were pushing tha Red river expedition to Bhreveport: tha confederates. In email detachments, meanwhile ( watching tha o-unboat on tha river. ". It la a day lata In tha royal month ot ; October. From early morning tha rain has been waaing mercUeas war . upon the waxen lilies and the great red roaes In the garden of tha aristocratic Du Pre mansion. One by one the pats of tha flower garden have gone down In abject humll i. latloa. until even tha Giant of Battles has bowed bis lordly head In Ignomin ious defeat and la lying prone upon the ground. The mignonette Is drowned, "arid " thebabTOeea vvui, fiall, While . things ar torn and bruised. The long, lush grass, that yesterday waved and glanced In tha sunshine. Is lying in a watery grave. Way off, the magnolias look back against the dismal sky; and a group of dead pines lift their long whits branches shlverlngly in the driv ing mist Boms mockingbirds were try Ing to sing to tie early morning, but have given up In Uespalr and are dosing with their heads under their wings. One can bear the roll of the Mississippi, and ' - tha sir comes up chlU from Its yellow bosom.' ' . '' - Usually the M ball Is ths rend es- vous of the Du Pre ladles, but today it . is deserted for ths sitUng-room. -where It is mors cosy. -' ; ; Toward evening, however,, ths air be came mors soft and sweet, for sudden .. changes do we have down In sunny Louisiana. The sun, beaming and auda " clous aa If ha had not been all day sulk- i Ing behind ths clouds, comes out and wraps in halo of glory a gay party ' of soldiers who come dashing up toward ths house the of fleers of a Texaa squadron. . which had been : for soma . weeks camping near, and In which 17- . year-old Louis, the only son of Colonel Du Pre, bad recently enlisted. A brsve aight were these Texas rangers, sweep ing through ths land on their mettle soma horses. Into whose reeking sides ths long, cruel, clanking Mexican spurs were frequently plunged; very plctur ; esqua In their broad hats, bright blouses snd wids belts. In which were stuck a brses of six-shooters snd a deadly knife. All tha members of ths squadron bad been at different times Invited to Col onel Du Pre's, but the party now com In a to dina were bis favorites, Captain Ala ton, Lieutenant Nelson and Charlie Hor ton, whom ths - "boys" all loved . and petted for bin sunny nature, and then ... because bs was micb a mere lad,dle, .. looking more fit for his mother's tender rare thsn ths rough lifs of a soldier. A very striking looking msn Is Cap- . tain Alston, with bis commanding fig- ttrs and red aaber cut over the left eye. ' When be throws himself from his horse and goes up the steps to grset Colonel Da Pre sad tbs ladles. It la evident that . Colonel Louis Du Pre, ths rspreeenta-.- live of a long line, without slur or blem ish. Is no snore polished gentleman than , the Texas captain. . Tbs two ladies standing with Colonel '.. Du Pro are bis orphan nlecA Genevieve D'Antlnac, snd his daughter. Louise, a lovely Imaga of ber twin brother Louts, This constituted the family. There had - bean a time when another face was in ths household group, a face that to Col onel Du Pre was desrer than all the world bealde the face of brilliant, reck less, lovsble Henri, ths half-brother of Louis snd , Louise, the aon of Colonel Du Pre by a former marriage. But it was years now' sines ths sound of bit merry voice wss hushed forever, snd no mention of that time was aver dared bv any f ths family, It was a sad story, and It all hap pened long ago, when Louie and Louise were little things and. Henri It. A handsome boy, with 'the splendid phy elaue which had made the Du Pres proverblsl lust returned from . Tele, where bis career had not been altogether ' satisfactory: brilliant and honorable, one of the foremost of his clssa yet Ms htblts of dissipation were a source of deep mortification to his father and constant reprlmsnd from ths fsculty, who had Intimated mors than ones thst unless there was a radical Change bs would bs expelled. JSEg Always, however, he seemed o penl- 1 n thoroughly manly In his eon- I fessions, that ths hearts of all concerned were melted and he was reinstated, only to be overtaken strain tn ths same fault. None of. them could be hard on him. Bo sparkling, so tender, he waa the darling of tha household, and Colonel Du Pre, while bs bitterly deplored the one great weakness, had for htrn a lovs and pride he felt for neither of ths othsr children. He knew there wss soms palliation of ths moral' blot. Generations back tha men of the La tour family Henrl'a mother was a La tour) bad been drunk ards, and there's heredity in thai, as well aa la other things."." - About six months sfter Henri's return from college he went to New Orleans to visit a school friend. Colonel Du Pre re questing him to bring from bis agent soms money due from tha New Orleans property. - .- : ' When he cams horns and- staggered from the carriage. It was evident he hsd DeenarrnKlnTr fry7 C6iaherDuTre sternly ordered his valet to assist him to his room. Next morning when Henri cams dswa late, looking pale and de jected, his father sesreely answsred his good morning. When breakfast was fin ished In meody silence, h asked Henri about the money.. Tbs ; boy turned deadly pals, , -',. .-V-- .-, . "Father, after last night, I know you can scarcely believe ma, but nave lost It!".' ..r " - "Loat ltr ' . . ' . v Tea, Edward gava It to ma but that morning I cannot find It." ' Colonel Da Pro looked at him scorn fully. "Was It not enough to corns horns last night In such a condition thst ths very negroes on the plantation were ashamed of their master, that you need add the disgrace of a statement no one could believe T" . -- Henri raised his hand entreatlngly. "Don't, fatherl Don't say that! Ton have a right to feel aggrieved, and Ood knowa I am bitterly aahamed, but ex cept of the dlsgraoe of coming Into your house drunk. I am" Innocent. ,why should I take ths money Have you not alwaya given ma more than I need or deserve T" r ; His voles trembled. "Why should you take money? Because, liberally, as you are kind enough to say, I havs alwaya supplied you. it has not been sufficient to supply your extravagance and shame ful habits of dissipation." 'Father, forglvo ma! - I don't blams you for getting angry, , Ton havs rea son. . But, on my honor, I did not use vast money!" - "On your honor! ' And what does that amount to? .That I should live to see a Du Pre, my own son, a drunkard, dls- nonest and a liar: , - Hmrl sprang to his feat.' At last the Du Pre temper wss up. His face waa white, but he spooks in aa even voice: 'Father, no other man could aay that unless bs paid for it with his Ufa. Tom are my father. That, and tha remem brance of all your goodness and forbear a nee. atllla any word of retaliation. But I will not stay in your bouse, alnos you believe me ths villain you say. I swear I am Innocent at least of lying and stealing. Ton do not believe me, and I hsvs no ffieana of proving It. Ho I need aay no more. ' But I will sayhia: I aball never rest until every cent of the money is psld. Ooodby, father!" He held oat his hand, which Colonel Du Pre declined to see. He waited si lently a moment, then slowly left the room. - ,, , ' - His father sat long after thinking moodily. It waa not the loaa of ths money that angered him. H4 would un hesitatingly hsvs given Henri double the amount, for be had alwaya been un wisely lavish toward him. It was the bitter humiliation that Henri, bis Idol. the representative (after himself) of the Du Pre name, should have atooped to dishonor. As for Henri a leaving home. he never gava it a thought. ' The boy had never In- his life been disobedient or disrespectful. It was not unusual for him to be sbssnt at dinner, for he waa fond .of hunting and would fre quently be gons hours at a time.' But ss ths dsy wore, night came on, and still be waa absent. Colonel Du Pro be gsn to make Inquiries. No one bed seen him. rinaily.a llttls urchin asld: 1 seed Mars Henri srgwlne down de road carryln' nx er yerltce dla mawnln'." Then Colonel Du Pre realised that ths boy wss In earnest To do him Justice, bs bsdn't intended to be so hard, but out of tbs agony f hi disappointment vv -r '" i bad spoken . mors strongly than he dreamed. Days passed, and though asarclf was mads In every direction no clue could be found as to Henri's whereabouta When ha bad been gone about a week, the pocketbook . wss forwarded by ths friend whom he. bad bean visiting. It hsd been found upon the table In Henrl'a room. In It waa the money Intact, witb ths agent's statement. ; Ths sunlight ' was gons ' from ths house. ' This was In 11(1. A year passed and still no tidings, though Colonel Du Pre ssarched unceasingly for - ths wronged 'boy."-" At last, soms tlms in 1161, a stranger wrote that Henri bad been killed in lower California In the unluekly expedition of Walker In Bonora. The writer said that while he had never met Henri before the. fight, he stood by blm then, and there wss no braver man there. He had found In tha dead man's pocket a small French Bible, with "Henri uPreLfrombU. father XouisTJu Pre. Parish. Louie-Ian,- written on ths fly leaf,Thl bs forwarded with th letter. . Poor Henri! His little Bible and among tbs leaves soma pressed violets, fastened with a slip of paper, on which waa penciled. "Genevieve. July, 1M. It was a fearful blow to Colonel Du Pre, for bla lovs for Henri had overshadowed everything else. So. no wonder as b stands today on tha veranda there are so many silver threads In his dark hair and a troubled look In his proud eyes. But hs mseta his guests with ths old tims knightly courtesy, and It Is tri dent he and Captain Alston are oongs nisi spirits. ' ' i :. '' ' ' -,: ' - After dinnsr th gentlemen' linger at th table smoking and drinking a glass of choirs 'wine, which Is now an almost unheard of luxury among southern peo ple. Captain Alston leavea bla glaaa un touched. . ''-."".-'. "Do you not take wine?". asks Colonsl DuPrs.,: ,v;1; ." ':, I''-' i Captain Alston - flushes, ' but says quietly, "Never now!" Louis looks at his fathsr. Who gives the algnal for adjourning to the parlor. "That was aa unlucky dash of fath er's." says Louis to Charlie, aa they go up the hall. "This is ths first tlms bs's had wins since you all bays been coming here, and It never occurred to me to tell him that Captain Alston la rigidly abstemious. I've heard be waa a wild f allow ln bis boyhood but he's grand now." : " . ' '.. ! 1 ' .; Ths ladles are-out on ths Veranda, looking plctureaque in the brilliant moonlight , The raindrops sparkle and flash,) from tha deep hearta of th red rosea The gleaming lilies bavs raised thete tear-atained faoea and on. tbs, soft air are wafted delicious odors - from soms lata honey auckle -and jasmine. Tha gentlemen join ths group, and for a tlms all of them srs silent, yielding to ths witchery of ths night At last Captain Alston says softly to Gene vieve: "Such a night carries ms back so vividly to my boyhood it Is a pain to ma If I were to catch the tod or of that jaamina pn my dying bed all else would bs forgotten In ths pain and re gret of thoao daya" ' Te there go much regret in your life?" ' "Regret! Little else. - Borne time. If you ears to bear, I think' I should like to tell you. 1 don't often talk of mysslf, but I should like yon te know what X am and have been." 1 The color cornea Into Genevieve's face, but shs says nothing. His words float to Chartls and Louisa. "Miss Du Pre, do you know t think your cousin ths most beautiful woman I ever aawt . And I believe our captain thinks so, too. I nsver knew him to show any Interest In a lady before. In deed, he almost avoids them." "I think you are right about Oens- vteve's beauty, but I hop you are not right about Captain Alston. I Ilk him to well to wish blm disappointment and there ean be nothing elaa so far as shs Is concerned." . '1" don't understand' why shs or any other woman should notr.feel- honored by th lovs of such a man," hotly an swers Charlie. "Tou ar aa sensitive about your cap tain a girl about her lover. That la not It Tears ago Gsnsvlsv had a lover. No on knew of th engagement until hs left horn under painful elr rumstaneea. Not long after he was killed. Bine then h ha a withdrawn from gxritr, Is surprised ah sees you; but it must be became you are soldlsr boys." -.. ". v -u-r . : "I hope that fact. If not my great per sonal merit commend ra to your fa vor." h answsrs ssuctly. - Rosy red, she glances at him and goes Into th psrlor, where th others fol low; and presently, out on tha perfumed air floats Louise's sweet voice ' "Wenn ' dls schwalben helmwasrts fllegsn." ' ' i In ths ' midst ' of the gayety TJncle I sham, who had been a boy with Colonel Du Pre, thrusts his gray head in at tbs door. ' - Mara Loular ef -yr-not-T",p't!klr 'ngsged Jes now I'd lak f ef ter apeak wld yer er mlnnlt ' v , : v .."Can't you wait, Isham? . v "No. sah! -Hit's powerful "mpoTtant Fao. Mars Louie, I'ss bleegeter see yer meditate.' - -; '..--'.. . r ;"Well, Jaham, In a moment." "Good Ood A'mlghty, Mars Louis," sprlngingj-sxoitedly Into ths middl of th room. "Dat won' do. Deto -erflsssrs offen dat gunboat down . yonder don' lan' 'a makln' far dla - house - straight es dey kin oum. I bin 'n went down dsr fsr ter set my flshtrsp n I hesrn 'em er-talkln" n dey tuk'n sed. dey did. hnsr dsy wus sr-gwinter to cum up bye r fer t' so de fka Den I tuk 'n run hard 's I kin fer ter tell yer. Ef dey meets des 'srs genmen 'er' hit's , gwtneter be' er bad fix, shors yer bo'n. Ders's er whole rlgment nv 'em!" -- ,, "AsSrhols regiment coming to make a visit r .. , ..'.- - . "Walt no, sab, not jss 'saely da whole uv 'em, but all d's orflsssrs. - Do, fer de Lord's Saks, ' Mars Louis, honey, you'n deta tother sojers. cum 'n start. Day's all got platola 'n swords, 'a do cappeo nv 'em 's ea high ss dls 'srs house, hs la DevM! kill ever lss ons sr yerl" Captain - Alston, who Is standing by the window, raises his hand, "Listen!" Distinctly can be heard tha sound of atepa ,,- ,. :' "1 tola yer aot . Run. Mara Alston, run!" and he triea to push them. Captain Alston atanda still. -' Colonel Du Pre aaya: "Tou are placed her to watch the river. . ' Ton , defeat that if you ar captured." But etiU he atanda. .1 don't Intend to run." i : - r - Genevieve goes up to him.' ! beg you to go." , , : Nearer cam the steps bow on th graveled walk. "Tou are right ,1 must not ' sacri fice them." '' 4.-' .;. ' They- stsp Into th bsck. psrlor, and TJncls Isham follows, closing ths door after them. Almost Immediately the party from the gunboat are ushered In.' They ar courteously greeted, for it was not unususl for ths officers to Isnd. snd they had visited there before. Mean while Uncle Ishsm had guided ths re treating party through ths back yard. YJom on, sah! ' Best tsr wa'k er leetls pearter. Dent gunboat ' ordsssrs , am mighty prompt' like, 'n hit wou'den be no fun ter git kotcbed out hyar in de dark." . ' f- ' "But wbers ar ths horses, "Unci Isham?" , - '. ' - "O'long ' wld yer foollshnsss. Mara' Loula Ter b'llev ole Isham got no mo sense 'n ter' bring dem hosses ter de housst O'long. bonsyl Dem hosses la tltsd out byer In do brash. Ter needen' git oneasy."' . .-:"" - In a fw moments they are galloping back to camp,-and Iaham returns to the bous communing with himself: "Clar 'for gracious, dat oappeti offen de gun boat wus high 'a de house! Don't keer ef Mars Louis, dlden' b'lleva hit Dls 'sr nigger gwlneter git 'nuther peep 't 'm 'fore h go off shors. ' Tsr b'shor, h wus sr monstryous big man, he wusl" Creeping round to the parlor window, hs looks la Ths officer I at least two Inohe shorter! thin Colonel Du Pre. near whom he la standing. Isham stares In bewilderment, thsn muttering . and shaking his head, betakes himself to th psrlor, where Aunt Missouri Is nodding In ths doorway. - To her he relates this evening's adventure, v "I tells you, missy, dam ain't no llvin folka - Bhore 'a yer bo'n, deys ghostesses. dey is. I tuk a agar de mlnnlt I seed 'm, an' my tofa Jes' rattle In my held, De cap pen nv 'am a high as sr pin tree. An dey dlden" wslk on d groan' Isk foks. but swim Isk 'n re air, "N Jes' 'for dey gets f de big house, d cappen ha tuk sum pan rum outen Is pocket 'n pat t on s held. Hit look lak sr hat. but I knowa now bit wus aumpen Batan gin 'lm ter fool fo'ks wld. fer w'sn dey dons (ana 'a ter a big house, I tuk a' peeped in. 'n missy, dem men don shriveled up tweli dey warn't big as , Mar Louie!"; ':: - ' ; ,.: ; . i . J. "Sho. - Iaham, j-sr wua skeered, yer wus. Dhat -what da ins t ter wld "dem men!" i, r - ... v: ij ,. " "Missy, ol 'omssvdon ysr nsver open yo' mouf fer f 'Say dat again!' Ef yo' do. yo'H wish yo' haden' never bla bo'n. Me akeered!" :. ,, , That evening, when th federal offi cers ar gone, Loula joins Genevieve, who Is sitting sgsin in th moonlight looking with a. faraway expression to ward th camp. -C :.' -wv ('.. -V ; ;:, ' "Oenevtevs. don't tell Captain Alston no when he asks you to marry him. - I wouldn't for th world have you forget Henri, but we cannot recall th paat, nor ' bring back th dead. Life la so short Geneviev don't ding any longer to memory. -Try to got something out of it." . .,- ' "Life is only a memory to me, Louise. Mine Is all behind me." . . . ? -. . . "Oh, Genevieve, you look almost a a young aa I, and by far tha prettiest woman In the, pariah. ; Don't .refuse Captain Alston. I can't , bear to have him dlaappolnted." - s ..' "Wby not taks him jrourselfT"' ' "Hs Is too old for me. .- Besides, , I Bks some on else better." ! , "Ah! after all, tha Texas laddie! Does Unci Louis know?" -r -. . -, "Tes. Charll told him tonight; and when the war la over, I am going to Texas with him." "Heaven grant you, may be very hap py, . dear. And don't haraas youraelf I'm very peaceful now; but my heart waa buried long ago with Henri." . Th fall has passed, the winter Is wsnlng, and ths federals have poaaea alon of thV entire ststs except th north west and the aquadron la ordered to re port to Its command. - Thla Is th last day. and - thsv houssbold la depressed. Louis', going swsy- tears - up all tha old wounds. Louis wanders restlessly about tb house and down to th negro quarters.-;. Unci - Ishsm lifts up his vole and -weeps '"I don! nuver spec ter see yo' no jno', honey. Msrs Henri's dons desd, 'n you'll git killed. Las' night dere wus a scritch owl sr-hootin' dut yonder 'fors d. house. Missy tuk n poks ds shovel de fryer, fer ter stop hit but ; hit jes' kep' on. Dat means trouble.",' .' r ', In th evening th rst com to say good-by. .' At last It la all ovar Only Captain Alston lingera He haa bid Geneviev good-by laat 'Of all.; 'la it to b no atui?" ; . Bh answers, "It is better so.' '."God bless youl Good-by!" snd In a moment h Is riding furiously down th rood. - " if ; ... , Evsrythtng Is msds ready tonight for they, leave early in the morning.. It ian't aafo her now. for excursions from ths gunboats sr constantly being made. When the prepare tlona are all com plete Lieutenant' Nelson takes- hi guitar snd they all sing "Dials" with might-and main. Then first on and then another horn fkvortt, until gradu ally tha others ceased, and hs begins alnaing softly: - , - "There waa a , place In childhood. -Charlie Horton la leaning back in tha shadow,' and ss ths refrain. "My mothsr dear, my mother dear," Is wafted ever and anon upon th breese the tsars roll down-his faca, -r.-.'t. .-. '.'.":-..',;.., - A gunboat' that bad been puffing a little lower down baa stopped and pres ently comes th sound of heavy foot-steps.--' '. ':-;-' ' -'-i ' y- :: "Hslt! -Who goes there r ' For anawer blue forms emerge Into th moonlight .Instantly svsry hand graaps a six-shooter and th blue and th gray ar mixed In a fierce hand-to-hand fight Then both sides fall back, for It Is a mutual surprise. - Ths party from ths gunboat retreat unpursued. When ths sound of thslr footsteps haa died away Captain Alston says: ' "W must bresk esmp and b off, before they srs on iis." ' In . 10 minutsa everything is ready. Captain Alston 1 looks over th little group, - ; "Wher 11 Charller They' call and search, but had gons only a -few steps to where fh thickest ef th fray hsd been. There was th upturned boyish face, with ths tsara still undried; th fair, ' curly hair, wet with blood, and th wide-open, - blue eyes, gating up Into' the aky, where ths pitying moon looksd down "on , the 'dead boy by the Mississippi river. And th Ion tnorhr far away In Ban Antonio! They waited drearily until the dawn, end then burled him uf.ier a wide-spreading tree, by th rolling river, to wait th resurrec tion morn. - " ' Vp through th northwsst they go, and report to their commsnd. It spring now. and disaster has fol lowed disaster until th stoutest hearted know th end Is nigh. Tb little squad ron - haa ' loat , heavily. - Shortly after going Into Arkanaas oh a scouting ex pedition,' Lieutenant ' Nelson's sweet vole wsr forever hushed. A few weeks later Captain Alston Is out ..foraging With hia men. when lo! In th distance, Ilka a blus cloud, appear the federals. In full chass. No chane but flight Over grassy plalna, leaping fences, nor atopplng for atreama. they madly rid, hotly pursued by th blue cloud. On. orr. like th wind, their gallant horses panting and reeking.' Th laat fenc la reached, and Louis, who Is almost ths Isst urgss bts horse to leap. - But ha stumbles, - and down ' come . horse and rider. - On dash tha rangers, who bar not ' seen the accident - But ' Captain Alston, glancing back, sees Louts, lying with his foot caught under th hsavy beast--- ;' ., "On, men, for your lives!' h shouts, and riding - back throwj' blmself from his horse. - "Louis, for God's sake let m help you up) - They ar right on us!" But the boy had fainted.. Plainly In view, almost upon thorn, ar th pur suers. Hs sxtrtrates th Insensible boy, places hlra In - front ef him, and dsahes off, unscathed, amid a rain, of bullets. '- - '. V v -', Louis Is -badly hurt and. Ibis com manding officer says: -"If you can get him Into soms country hous It will b best The crista Is upon us and I am looking vry day for orders to march. He la too 111 t move." ; Captain Alston takes hlra to an old lady, whose son Is In his company. Bur enough, they srs ordered awey next dsy. and Louis is left behind. Captain Alston leaving money and Imploring Mrs. West to tak good ear ef him. Boob sfter reaching th new camp Captain Alston Is attacked with fever. When be cornea out of th delirium of those dsy, lo. whst-mighty chsnges had takes place! . Lee had surrendered In Virginia: Jackson In Csrolina; Tay lor the fores ast ef the Mississippi, and. th - latter part of May.- General Klrby Smith tb troops In th west Singly or In groups, ths disbanded boys In gray atraggl. home some so for tunate ea to hava horses, others. lame and feeble, en foot- '.-.....,.-., " . -,. Captain Alaton, too 111 to go himself, hired a soldlsr to ge to ths country hous for Louis. Hs reported Louis snd. ths-occupant gons nobody knew where. . Of svsry passing soldier Colonel Du Pre eagerly sought -Information of Louis; none ef them knsw anything ef him,. '.-' . ..;..-'.-".-". , . . At last a worn and tattered remnant of the old Texaa squadron corns, and reluctantly tall of Loula' fall, bta rescue by Captala Alaton. and th fruitless search for him. - Oh. what a gloom and desolation upon th broken household! Henri desd, Loula too perhaps lying In soms neglected grave. Colonel Du Pre, aged and cruahed, sst llks on stunned. Day after day they tried to arouas him, but in vain. His heart snd his hop seemed to be dead. One day. when h was sitting In his room, gaslng dully out over ths sunlit garden. Uncle Iaham rushed in as If pursued by a legion of dragons. . . ''.-.....-.- v, ... --4'.- "Mara . Loula,' fer de Lord ssks, cum hyar! Glory! Glory! Wher. la yo'; Mara Louis? ' '. Cum quick! quick l" . .' v They ail tuahed out alarmed.' "t ' "Oh, Ml Louts, honsy, whar mar star?" ' Bpylng Coional Du Pre, who has com out.- h seises him by th lega and charge up and down ths hall. - '"Ishsm!" sternly; "what do you mean by such conduct?" ' . " ; ; ,i "Pralao ds Lord! 'Mar Louis, day's r eumln', dey Is!"". . -' , , ."Whr' : '-r .''-" ''-J -1.4 t "Brass ds Lord! ' Mars Louis and Cap tain Alston. I seed 'em 'down ds road, 'n por crseturs, dey look wuas ' skesr crows."' " i v - Colonsl Du Pr stlsss hlm" by1 ths col lar and ahakea hlra savagely. "Iaham. tell the truth!" "Shore's yo' bo'n, -Mars Louis, I ssed 'em! Mars Loula, for , gractoua, yo'r chokln' ur mr - i - . ' - ; Poor, emaciated creatures! ' And with them Dr. Judaon. an old college friend of - Colonel Du Pre, who in his ssrly manhood had gone td Texaa, but at tha beginning of tha war bad gone Into the army aa a Burgeon. They were literally dragged In by tha excited family.' Few words wsrs spoken In this sudden, great Joy. " v "''.' At laat Louis rail lea and tails thsm how Csptaln Alaton, sick, scares! y able to move, had aearcbed unceasingly, until he found htm, la aa obaeur county of Arkansas, whither th' family with whom he was left refugsed after Gen eral Smith's surrender. How hs found him, Louis, rslspsel In t fever snd rav ing, of homa : How hs had watchsd and nursed him till he was abl to start home. .. . 1. "-, . . . --. . Colonel Du Pr listens, with his fas In his hsnda - When Louis finishes hw get up ana walka feebly to Captain Alaton. Giving him his hsnd, hs says, tremulously; "The blessing of a broken ' hearted old man be .upon you. Sir! you have brought back to me my son. whom I believed deed.- t unjustly drov my other boy from me. to dls. And I be lieved Ood hsd taken this one. too. Qot lss ysu! If It vr comes within th power of Louis Du Pre to serve you er yours, command m to the laat extrem ity." - . - "If you will only ten me that you be lieve m Innocent of ths dishonor you i ones chsrged ' upon me, and tsks ms back to your lova. I ask nothing more, father.' v. ,. : . , Whit almost ss the magnolia bloa- -soms la ths fac. f Colonsl Du , Pre, "Whst In God's nam cam you mean?" ' "As surely as h relgna above ue. and ' Henri going en to Texas, and to his" . - Llks a stately tree, struck by some fearful storm, th tall .form of Colonsl Du Pre reeled and swsysd. . Hs reached out his arms In a blind. Imploring way to Captain Alaton. who caught and hsld hlra clos to his heart ' It was long be fors hs rallied suffl Cieirtly to Understand what they told him: That Henri, writhing under ths scorn and Injustice of his fsther, stsrted . Immediately for Texaa Whlls on th . wsy hs met a young man. with whom ha spent a dsy or two. A strong liking ' sprang up between them, and In a boy- . lab -freak they exchanged coata, Henri . forgetting at tha time that the little , Bible hs prised so much wss In his t, pocket - Next day'they psrted - th young man to. Join Walker and Henri going en t Texaa,' and to hi father's ' old friend. Dr. Judaon, who waa ther to corroborate It all. Henri had written,' but receiving no reply believed hia father would not for-;' give him. So, year after year, ha had gone on. giving up his old habit snd ' working snd managing so carefully thst he waa now a rich man, alwaya planning that th next year h would go home,. . until th war began, and fat threw . him back in th old home. And th '- ifortun of war, which had mad eo many sad changes there.! brought bark to Colonsl Du Pre' heart th old-tlm , lightness thst had so ' long been a stranger-ther. -..,'. -.-.-.':;"! Again, In ths renin g, they wsr sit ting on ths veranda in ths moonlight ' snd Henri ssks Geneviev aoftly: -"How . could you send ms away, with no for an answer?''' . . And shs look at him so brightly, and aaya: -y "But how could I hava known you war HsnrtT" '.,.. - . , x ROBBED; BY SALESLADIES. darks In Wtrbury Shop Detected . vi,v, and Forced to Diagorge. i .An amaitng system of robbery vfey which, It young women clerks In th lsrgest department atore of thla elty , . have looted th . atore of thousands of dollars', worth trJJngsris, cut glssa and Jewelfy li alleged to havs been dls- f covered by detectives brought hers a . fsw dsys sgo to make an Inveatlgatlon, , says a .Waterbury, Connecticut dia pateh. ,' , '. . . ''-.'' ' .',,-. -Many of th supects ars of well known families and ths story hss great- , ly excited th town. The management of the stors hss sndsavorsd-to keep the affair quiet as moat of the atolen " property . ha been reatored. However, ther ar aeveral atorte In circulation that apparently - com from th , Ce- tetlv. . 4 '.; ' - ' ' .- ' " - On is that on of th gtrla wa to be married, and that when her horn waa searched a complete trouaaeau waa found and confiscated. It la aald her,' fiance broke off the engagement An- .' other, atory is that a young woman, . married a month ago, waa obliged to suffsr th humllistlon of hsvlng ths de- , tsctlvea search her horns. They found. It is said, a valuable assortment of out , glaaa. A girl whoaa parenta ar well knowa In Catholic church etrelea has be-'" iA com, seriously 111 as a result of the, dlscloseurss... . ' ' . . . A Wis Kotbsr's Bala, i Th. mother of John Weslsy and . Chsrlee Wsslsy snd 17 other children wa a moat remarkable woman beauti ful in person, intelligence, refined, sys tsmatio ' and spiritually-minded. Bhs gsv te hsr son John this rule of life; "Whatever weakens your reason, im pairs ths tenderness or your conscience, obscures your sens ef God er take off th relish ef spiritual things In short- whstsvsr Increases th strength snd" authority of your body ever your mind that' thing Is sin to you, however Innocent It na be la ItseltJ" - . -'A'-'l:-t V
