Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / Jan. 19, 1912, edition 1 / Page 2
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ERE IS UiEST 111 tlflM PRESIDENT DIAZ HAS LEFT COUN TRY FOR THREE MONTHS "FOR HIS HEALTH." ILLUSTRATIONS BMRTI1URT. WILLIAMSON DICTATOR MENA HAS REINS SYNOPSIS. The story opens In a Confederate tent t a critical stage of the Civil War. Gen Lee Imparts to Capt. Wayne an tmportant message to Ixng.treet. Accompanied by JSergt. Oalg, an old army scout. Wayne Marts on n is mission. The two, after a wild ride,' get within the lines of the nemy In the darkness. Wayne Is taken for a Federal officer who came to keep an appointment, and a young lady on horse back Is given In his charge. She is a northern girl and attempts to escape but falls. One of the horses succumbs and Craig goes through with the dispatches, while Wayne and My I,ady of the North re leff alone. They seek -shelter in a hut and entering it in the dark a huge mastifT attacks Wayne. The girl shoots the brute Just in time. The owner of the but. one Jed Bungay, and his wife appear and soon a party of horseriien approach. They are led by a man claiming to be Red Ixmrie. but Mrs. Bungay discovers him to be a disguised Impostor, who proves to be MaJ. Brennan. a Federal officer whom the Union girl recognizes. He order" the arrest of Wayne as a spy. While a prisoner Wayne sees files of Con federates pass and knows that Craig has delivered the message. He is brought be fore Sheridan. CHAPTER XI. Continued. "Very well, sir," he said gravely. "Tour fate is in your own bands, and will depend very largely upon your replies to my questions. You claim to have been the bearer of despatches, and hence no spy, yet you possess nothing to substantiate your claim. As your regiment is with Lee, I presume you were seeking Long street. Were your despatches ideliv red?" "I have reason to belive so." "By yourself?" "By the sergeant who accompanied me, and who continued the journey after I was detained." "Is Lee contemplating an immediate movement?" "General" Sheridan," I exclaimed in dignantly, "you must surely forget tiMt I ani an officer of the Confeder ate Army. You certainly have no reason to expect that I will so far disregard my obvious duty as to an swer such a question." "Your refusal to explain why you were hiding within our lines is ample reason for my insistence," he said tartly,' "and I am not accustomed to treating spies with any great consid ration, even when they claim Rebel commissions. You are not the first to seek escape in that way. Was your despatch the cause of the hurried departure of Longstreet's troops east ward ?" This last question was hurled di rectly at me, and I noticed that every eye in the room was eagerly scanning my face. I had the quick, fiery tem per of a boy then, and my cheeks flushed. "1 positively decline to answer one word relative to the despatches in trusted to me," I said deliberately, and my voice shook with sudden rush of anger. "And no officer who did not dishonor the uniform he wore would insult me with the question." A bombshell explod'-; in the room could not have astonished them as did my answer. I realized to the full the probable result, but my spirit was high, and I felt the utter uselessness of prolonging the interview. Sooner or later the same end must come. Sheridan's face naturally flushed, in stantly grew crimson, and a dangerous light flamed into bis fierce eyes. For a moment he seemed unable to speak; then he thundered forth; "You young fool! I can tell you that you will speak before another twenty-four hours, or I'll hang you for a spy If it cost me my command. Major Brennan, take this young popin jay to the Mansion House under guard." Brennan stepped forward, smiling ar if he enjoyed the part assigned to Lira. "Come on, you Johnny," he said coarsely, his hand closing heavily on my arm. Then, seeming unable to repress his pleasure at the ending of the interview, and his present sense of power, he bent lower, 60 that his In solent words should not reach the others, and hissed hotly: "Stealing women is probably more in your line than this." "You miserable hound!" 1 cried madly "None but a coward would tcunt a helpless prisoner. I only hope I may yet be free long enough to write he lie with steel across your heart " Before he could move Sheridan was Ufon his feet and between us. "Back, both of you!" he ordered aharply "There sh-all be no brawling toere Major Brennan, ycu will re main; C would speak with you further regarding this matter. Lieutenant Ca ton. take charge of the prisoner." CHAPTER XII. Under Sentence of Death. At this late date I doubt greatly if my situation at that time was so desperate as 1 then conceived it I question now whether the death sent ence would ever have been executed. But then, with the memory of Sher idan's rage and my own hot-headed reiort. I fully bel.eved my fate was destined tc be that of the condemned spy. unless she who alone might tell the whole truth should voluntarily do so. That circumstances had left me in the oower of one whose fierce dis- like was already evident was beyond question, and I had yielded to bis goading to such an extent as to give those in authority every excuse for the exercise of extreme military power. Yet of one thing I was firmly re solved no thoughtless word of mine should ever endanger the reputation of Edith Brennan. Right or wrong, I would go to a death of dishonor be fore I would speak without her author ity. Love and pride conspired to make this decision adamant. "Come," said Caton briefly, and I turned and accompanied him without thought of resistance. At the front door he ordered the little squad of waiting soldiers to falljin, and taking me by the arm, led the way down the gravelled path to the road. I was impressed by his seeming careless ness, but as we cleared the gateway he spoke, and his words helped me to comprehend. Captain Wayne," he Bald quietly, so that the words could not be over heard, "you do not recognize me, but I was the officer who conducted you to headquarters when you brought the flag in at Wilson Creek. Of course 1 must perform the duty given me, but 1 wish you to understand that I wholly believe your word." He stopped, extended his hand, and I accepted it silently. "There must be some grave personal reason which seals your lips?" he questioned. "There is." "I thought as much. I chanced to overhear the words, or rather a por tion of them, which Brennan whis pered, and have no doubt if they were explained to the General he would feel more kindly disposed toward you." It was asked as a question, and I felt obliged to reply. "I appreciate deeply your desire to aid me, but there are circumstances involving others which compel me for the present to silence. Indeed my pos sible fate does not so greatly trouble me, only that I possess a strong de sire to have freedom long enough to cross swords with this major of yours. The quarrel between us has become bitterly personal, and I hunger for a chance to have it out. Do you know, is he a man who would fight?" The young reliow stiffened slightly. "We are serving upon the same staff," he said more abruptly, "and while we have never been close friends, yet I cannot honorably take sides against him. He has been out twice within the last three years to my knowledge, and is not devoid either of courage or skill. Possibly, however, the arrival of his wife may make him less a fire-eater." "His wife?" ' I stopped so suddenly that he in voluntarily tightened his grip upon my arm as though suspicious of an at: tempt to escape. "Do you," 1 asked, gaining some slight control over myself, "refer to the lady who came in with his party last evening?" "Most certainly; she was presented to all of us as Mrs. Brennan, she has been assigned rooms at his quarters, and she wears a wedding-ring. Far too fine a woman in my judgment for such a master, but then that is not so uncommon a mistake in marriage. Why, come to think about it, you must have met her yourself. Have you reason to suspect this is not their relationship?" "Not in the least," I hastened to answer, fearful lest my thoughtless exclamation might become the basis for camp gossip. "Indeed I was scarcely in the lady's presence at all coming in, as I was left in charge of the sergeant." Perhaps he felt that be had already said too much, for we tramped on In silence until we drew near a large, square white building standing direct ly beside the road. "This is the old Culverton tavern, known as the Mansion House," he said. "It is a tremendous big build ,ing for this country, with as fine a ballroom in it as I have seen since leaving New York. We utilize it for almost every military purpose, and among others somu of the strong rooms in the basement are found Val uable for the safe-keeping of im portant prisoners." We mounted the front steps as he was speaking, passing through a cor don of guards, and in the wide hall way I was turned tover to the officer in charge. "Good-night, Captain," said Caton, kindly extending his hand. "You may rest assured that I shall say all I can in your favor, but it is to be regretted that Brennan has great influence just now at leadquarters. and Sheridan is not a man to lightly overlook those hasty words you .-poke to him." I could only thank him most warm ly for his Interest, realizing fully from his grave manner my desperate situation, and follow my silent cou ductor down some narrow and steep stairs until we stood upon the cement ed floor of the basement Here a heavy door In the stone division wall was opened; I was pushed forward Into the dense darkness within, and he lock clicked dully behind tne. o thick was the wall I could not even distinguish the retreating steps of the jailer. Tired as I was from the Intense strain of the past thirty-six hours, even my anxious thoughts were insuf ficient to keep me awake. Feeling my way cautiously along the wall, I came at last to a wide wooden bench, and stretching my form at full length upon it, pillowed my head on one arm, and almost instantly was sound asleep. When I awoke, sore from my hard bed and stiffened by the uncom fortable position in which I lay, it was broad daylight That the morn ing was, indeed, well advanced I knew from the single ray of sunlight which streamed iu through a grated window high up in the wall opposite me and fell like a bar of gold across the rough stone floor. I'was alone. Even in the dark of the previous night I. had discovered the sole pretence to furniture in the place. The room Itself proved to be a large and almost square apartment, probably during the o-dinary occupancy of the house a re ceptacle for wood or garden produce, but now" peculiarly well adapted to the safeguarding of prisoners. The solid stone walls were cf suf ficient Height to afford no chance of reaching the great oak girders that supported the floor above, even had the doing so offered a fxvorable open ing for escape. There were, apparent ly, but three openings of any kind, the outside window through which the sunlight streamed, protected by thick bars of Iron; a 3econd opening, quite narrow, and likewise protected by a heavy metal grating; and the tightly locked door by means of which I had entered. The second, I con cluded, after Inspecting it closely, was "I Am to Be a mere air passage leading into some other division of the cellar. I noted these openings idly, and with scarce-. !y a thought as to the possibility of escape. I had awakened with strange indifference as to what my fate might be. Such a feeling was not natural me, bui the fierce emotions of the preceding night had seemingly robbed me of all my usua buoyancy of hope. Ii one sense I yet trusted that Mrs. Brennan would keep her pledge and tell her story to Sheridan; even if she failed to do this, and left me to face the rifles or the rope, then it made but small odds how soon it-should be over. If she cared for me in the slightest degree she would not let me die unjustly, and to my mind then she had become the centre of all life. Despondency is largely a matter of physical condition, and I was still sufficiently fagged to be in the depths, when the door opened suddenly, and an ordinary army ration was placed within. The soldier who brought it did not speak, nor did I attempt to address him; but aftei he retired, the appetizing smell of the bacon, together with the unmistakable flavor of real coffee, drew me irresistibly that way, and I made a hearty leal. The food put new life Into me, and i fell to pacing back and forth between the corners of the cell, my mind full of questioning, yet with a fresh measure of confidence that all would still be well. t was yet at it when, without warn ing, the door once again opened, and Lieutenant Caton entered He ad vanced toward ma with outstretched hand, which I grasped warmly, for I felt how much depended on his friend ship, and resolved to ask him some questions which should solve my last remaining doubts. "Captain Wayne," he began soberly, looking about him, "you are in even -orse stress here than I supposed, but I shall see to It that you are furnished with blanket3 jefore I leave. Sheridan is hasty himself, and his temper often leads him to rash languagev I am sure he bears you no malice for what you said. But Bren nan ha3 his ear, and has whispered something to him in confidence what. I have been unabla to ascertain which has convinced him that you are deserving of death unde martial law." "Without trial?" "The opportunity of furnishing the information desired will be again of fered you; but,. as near as 1 can learn, the charge preferred against you is of such a private nature that It is deemed best not to make it matter for camp talk. Whatever it may be, Sheridan evidently feels justified In taking the case out from the usual channels, and in using most drastic measures. I am sorry to bring you such news, especially as I belieye the charges are largely concocted In the brain of him who makes them, and have but the thinnest circumstantial evidence to sustain them. Yci Sheridan is thoroughly convinced, and will brook no interference. The discussion of the case has already led to his using ex tremely harsh words to his chief of staff." .' "I am to be shot, then?" His hand closed warmly over mine. "While Jhere is life there is always hope," he answered. "Surely It must Shot, Then?" be in your power to prove the nature of your mission within our lines, and the delay thus gaineu will enable us to learn and meet these more serious allegations." "If I but had time to communicate with General Lee." "But now is there : - one, no way by which such representation can be given this very day? If not full proot of your innocence, then sufficient, at least, to cause the necessary delay?" I shook my head. "I know of noth ing other than my own unsupported word," I answered shortly, "and that Is evidently of no value as against Major Brennan's secret insinuations. When is the hour set?" . "I am not positive that final de cision has yet been reached, but I heard daybreak to-morrow mentioned. The probability of an early movement of our troops is the excuse urged for such unseemly haste." I remained silent for a moment, conscious only of his kindly eyes read ing my face. "Mrs. Brennan," I asked finally, re curring to the one thought in which I retained deep interest, "does she still remain in the camp?" "She was with the Major at head quarters this morning. I believe they breakfasted with the General, but I was on duty 6o late last night that I overslept, and thus missed the pleas ure of meeting her again." We talked for some time longer, and be continued tc urge me for some further word, but I could give him none, and finally the kindly fellow departed, promising to see me again within few hours. Gtatly as I no "alued his friendship. It was, never tuls8, a relief to be alone with mj thousi free more. ONAPTEM XIII. A Strange Wy Out. Caton came in once n.-ore about the middle of the afternoon, bringing ma some blankets; but he had no news, and his boyish face was a picture of pathos as he wrung my hand good bye. Sheridan, he said, had gone down the, lines, and both Brennan and himself were under orders to follow In another hour. What Instructions, II any, bad been left regarding my case he could not say, but he feared the worst from the unusual secrecy. Sher idan expected to return to his head quarters that same evening, as the officers of his staff were to give a grand ball. I felt no inclination to partake of the rudj supper left me, and just be fore dark I was lying upon the bench' idly wondering If that was to prove the last vestige of daylight I should ever behold In this world, when, with out slightest warning, the heavy iron grating in the wall directly above me fell suddenly, striking the edge of the bench, and clattered noisily to the floor. The fall was so unexpected, and my escape from Injury so narrow, that I lay almost stunned, staring up help lessly at the dark hole thus left bare As I gazed, a face framed itself in this narrow opening, and two wary eyes peered cautiously down at me There was no mistakirr that counte nance oven In the faat waning light, and I instantly sat up with an ex clamation of surprise. "Jed Bungay, as I live!" The puzzled face broke into a grlc of delight. ' "Holy smoke. Cap," he ejaculated with a deep sigh of relif, "is thet you, suah? I wus so dunwd skeered I'c made a mess o' it whls thet thar lros drapped thet I near ed. Whut be they a goln' ter dew vlth ye?" "I have every reastw to believe it if their purpose to .shoct me at day break to-morrow." "Shoot? Hell!" He stared at me as if he had just hear.t riis own deati sentence pronounced, and his little peaked face looked gher.tly in the dim light. "Shoot ye? Grou Lord, Cap. whut fer? Ye ain't i-ne nothin' as I knows on, cept ter rrap a bit with thet blasted Yank, an' sure thet's no shootin' matter, er el-s I'd a bin a goner long ago." "That 'Yank' has s?i fit to charge me with being a spy; and as I was foolish enough to ins$3 General Sher idan last night, my fate is probably scaled." This somewhat complex statement seemed to be too much for Jed to grasp promptly. "Gosh, ye don't say!" he muttered. "Then, durn it, I'm in luck, fer all they've got agin me is pot-shootln' at a nigger soger up m ther mountings; en thet ain't much, 'cause ! didn't hit ther durned cuss.' Jed was carefully covering every inch of exposed wall with his little shrewd, glinting eyes. "Ain't much show ter work out o' yere, is thar, Cap?" he asked at last reflectively; "leastwise I don't see none, 'less them thar dark corners hes got holes in 'em." "The vail is entirely solid." "So I sorter reckoned. But if ye'll crawl yirough yere inter my boodour, thar's a place whar I reckon ther tew of us tergether mought make a try fer it. It's too durn high up fer me ter git at alone. I reckon. Cap, if ye cud manage ter git out o' yere ternight, an' take some news ter Lee thet I've picked up, he'd 'bout make both of us ginerals." "News for Lee?" I exclaimed, star ing eagerly at him through the now darkened room. "Do you mean it? What news?" "Thought maybe thet wud wake ye up," he chuckled. "This yere's gospe' truth: Sheridan hes started his in fantry on a half-circJ march fer Mln ersville. Ther first division left e three o'clock, an' thar won't be nary Yank loafin' on ther valley by noor. termorrow. An' more," he added rapid ly, his eyes dancing wildly with sup pressed excitement,---"Hancock is a s .ingin' of his corps west ter meel 'em tha, an' I reckon, as how thar'U be hell fer sartin up ther Shenandoah In less ner a week." "But how do you kacw all this?" questioned incredulously, as the whole scene and Its dread possibilities un rolled before my mental vision. "Ther niggej 1 held up hed a de spatch fer Heintzelman over on ther left, an' then Mariar she sorter pumped a young fule staff officer fer ther rest o' it," he replied promptly "Oh, it's a sure go, Cp, an' I reckon a' how maybe Lee's whol3 army hangs on one of us gittin' out o' yere ter night" y (TO BE CONTINUED.) Nelgborly, Anyhow. Maybe It is design or maybe it' Just accident. Anyhow, It certalnlj does look funny to see all the princi pal taxicab stations bang up agains drinking fountains for horses. Ne York Mail. The Second President He Has Forced Out The Financial Situation Is Very Serious The American Firm Here Are Losing Heavily. New Orleans. President AdoVo Diaz of, Nicaragua has asked for a three months leave of absence, accord ing to rlliable news advices received here. It is generally conceived that this step means his abdication in favor of General Louis Mena, Minister of War, who now is the virtual dictator of the turbulent republic. Serious friction between President Diaz and General Mena has existed for some time and Diaz as ifeen President in name only. General Mena, who, it is stated, now occupies the presidential palace, has absolute control of the Nicaraguan army and Congress as well. He re cently was elected President by the "constituent assembly" for the term beginning January 1, 1913, but the friction between Mena and Diaz be came so intense that the latter's friends are said to have f.dvised him to resign and leave the country "for his health." General Mena forced President Juan Estrada out of office last year in much the same manner. Estrlida now Is in New York. The finances c,f Nicaragua are re ported to be in worse condition to day than evv' before. As a result of this financila situa tion American firms are reported to have lost heavily. THE DAIKIES IN THE SOUTH The Soutehrn Railway Will Run a Dairy Car Over Its Lines. Washington, D." C Realizing the need o the South for more and better dairies and the large profits which can be made in. that favorable reg-ion by dairymen who will fill the great demand of the cities for dairy pro ducts, President Finley of the South ern Railway Company, following the custom of that company in .furthering in every way the growth and develop ment of itB territory, has equipped, a Special Dairy Car, which, beginning the 1st of February, 1912, will be run over the length and breadth of this great system, spreading the doctrine of more and better cows and, by means of lectures, demonstrations and exhibits. This Dairy Special will be under the direct supervision of Dr. O. M. Morgan, of ' Washington, D. C, the Southern Railway's Dairy Agent. Dr. Morgan will be assisted by two regu lar dairymen in conducting the work and from time to time the car will be occupied by dairy experts from the United States Department of Agricul ture, tho State Boards of Agriculture and from the Agricultural Stations of the various States along the Soutiiern Railway. The Dairy Special is fitted up with a complete farm dairy, every piece of machinery and apparatus necessary to the economical production of milk, cream, and butter having been in stalled under the direction of Dr. Mor gan. There will be a separator, churns, testers, Eterilizer, Pasteuriz ing apparatus and exhibits of various kinds of Improved machinery for dairying. On the walls of the car vill be charts and large views dealing with dairy subjects, showing the fun damental principles of breeding dairy types, feeding animals, the care of dairy cattle and pictures of fanious animals in the dairy world. The Special will also have sterop ticon lantern and slides, permitting illustrated lectures at . the various stops by Dr. Morgan and the other ex perts who will accompany the car. Advance schedules of the stops will be prepared and full advertisement given the train in the towns at which lectures are to take place. Transport Logan Sails For China. Manila. The United States trans port Logan left with a battalion of the 15th infantry and other details on board en route' to Chin Wang Tao, northern China. The American troops after they have disembarked are to be employed in guarding a section c? the Teking railroad from Tang Shan to Lanchow against the possible at tack of either imperialists or repub lican troops. Civilians and soldiers f other regiments witnessed the sail ing, while women crowded the quay oidding farewells. Italian of Noble Birth A Suicide. San Francisco. Luigi .Donato Ven ura, an Italian of noble birth and of ability as a writer and lecturer, com mitted suicide by shooting himself through the heart in a fit of desponV ency due to family troubles. Hfej 3omplete name was Ventura de Lecce Bari and his family line traces as far back as 1299. Prof Ventura began his career as a page in the court of King Humbert While a young man he came to this country and gained notice through "Peppina," a story of an Italian newsboy in New York.
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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Jan. 19, 1912, edition 1
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