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older, would have been.as well known as
any of the rebel leaders. He entered the
rebel army when the war began, and had
risen to the rank’of captain when he came
North, where he could hurt the Union
more.” oo
‘* Perhaps he really changed his opinion,”
said Waters, catching at a straw. . .
“Hardly. President Lincoln and his cabi-
net havelong known that some person in
the Army of the Potomac, one who had a
chance to learn valuable secrets, was be-
traying our cause to therebels. Officers of
all kinds were put on the track, and, after
long months, their game was run down,
have iton good authority that there is not
the least doubt of the major’s guilt. Heis a
“™~ major, anyhow, though his name is Bride-
well, not Spencer.” |
“What will they do with him?” Waters
asked, in a whisper. .
The olficer shrugged his shoulders.
“What is usually done with spics?’” he
- asked. . .
The reply needed no interpretation.
*“‘Alas! poor Barbara!’’ muttered her
uncle.
We will not dwell upon the parting be-
tween the major and Barbara. It was a
painful one, but she was strong in thefaith
that his innocence would be proven, and his
own bearing was erect and firm,
Could such a man be guilty?
He looked each friend steadily in the face
ashe bade them good night—such was the
expression he used—and then went away as
though the accusation was no more than an
arrest for asmall debt which he declined to
pay for good reasons. . .
Morning!
Atan early hour Sambo was ordered to
get a team ready, and he was soon en route
to the railroad station with Barbara fora
passenger, ~~
She looked as though she had slept but
Little the previous night, but ber air was
firm and confident. . .
Sambo looked sulky, for he had_ learned
that they were going to call on Glendora
*Marechmont, and be had not forgiven the
4escapage,”’ as he called it, of the previ-
ous night. .
The best carriage was lying a wreck by
“the road, whilethey were oblized to ride in
the old one, ‘¢ which ain’t fit for de fust
famblys 0’ Penusylyany, sah,’’ he had said
to Mr. Waters.
He deserided his ride with Glendora as he
and Barbara made this new journey.
**She was jess like a ravin’ lu-nat-ic,”’ he
declared, ‘tan’ de way she laid de whip
outer Gineral Scott was jess a boly terror,
De gineral, he laid down his ears an’
streaked ithke mad,but Glenroora, or what-
somever her name is, only licked him de
moah, 2n’ sung out: ‘Faster! faster!’ By
golly, Ineber seed sech a stark, starin’ lu-
naticin my life. .
**Birne by we stryick de big stone. Next
instant dekerriage, myself an’ Glenroora
was a-layin’ in de ditch, whileGineral Scott,
he jest run on a-draggin’ de forrud wheels,
his tail standin’ out like a flax. I picked
myself up quite shooken, I did, but dar was
Glenroora on her feet, an’ lookin’ ez chirk
ezafiy. ‘Can’t you ketch de hoss?’ sez she,
“T givea groan. .
«** Mebbe you can ketch him,’ sez I.
“** Noinsolence.’ sez she. ‘Can you ketch
him -
‘“**Chain lightnin’ couldn’t ketch him,’
gez I.
*¢* Then I'll walk,’ sez she.
** An’ by golly, she did walk. So did I,
but she went ten Japs to my five, an’ got dar
fust. Giperal Scott beat us all, an’ when I
got home he was all a-reekin’—he jest was
dat. He’s lame in free legs dis mornin’, an’
s’pect it'll take seberal bottles ob garglin’
ile ter set him up ag'in.” x
This narrative fills the break we left in
Glendora’s journey, but Barbara had no
idea of what he was saying.
Allher thoughts were with Major Spen-
cer. Heatraitor—aspy? He guilty of any
crime? The idea was preposterous. - She
knew him better. .
*ft love him, and don’t believe him
guilty!’ she had declared to herself, time
and again. : . :
Her argument was convincing toa wom-
an, but would it convince those grim old
soldiers who would sit in judgment on the
major's mysterious case.
As Barbara had hoped, she found Glen-
dora at the hotel. .
As she had not expected, she found her in
teas. ‘
1
Lote /
. THE WAR LIBRARY.
The two women looked at each other in
silence—Glendora, pale aad _sad; Barbara,
indignant and vindictive. Woman-like, she
blamed her so-called rival for all that had
happened, and though she had come re-
solved to talk peacefully, the sight.of her
face stirred her auger. -
“Why do you weep?” she abruptly de-
manded, as though it was acrime of which
she had néver been guilty.
Glendora’s Southern biood fired in an in-
stant. ~ - -
“T weep for Walter Spencer,. my hus-
band, who was killed at Bull Run!” she re-
lied.
me Walter Spencer lives, but he is not your
husband,” retorted Barbara, and then she
took her turn at bursting into tears,
Glendora’s proud face softened.
** Poor child,” she said, “tI pity you. List-
entome. Youhave come here regarding
meas yourenemy. [am not your enemy.
The man I loved, and still love, if heis alive,
younever saw; lam sure of that. pou
the man you love, I have no claim. Why
should we hate each other? [feel only pity
and friendship for you, and it is with the
best of motives I tell you that you have been
deceived. He who calls himself Walter
Spencer, is, really, named Robert Bride-
well. I swear it.” .
** There is some mistake; there must be,”
said poor Barbara, in a pitiful voice.
“For your sake, dear, I wish there was.’’
“Haven’t you become confused as to
their identity ?”’ Z ;
“How could I be at fault? Ihave knewn
both all my life, We were neighbors, and I
saw them nearly every day. They did not
look alike in the least. When they grew to
mauhood, Spencer was of medium height
and slenderly built, with hair almost flaxen
in color, and blue eyes. Bridewell was
taller, stronger, heavier, with black hair
and dark eyes. They were as different as
black and white, and I declare that this
man whom you know, is Robert Rhett
Bridewell, and one of the foremost of the
secessionists of 1861.”
arbara was metaphorically staggered.
She had come to get consolation, but Glen-
dora, calmly, yet pityingly, and ina voice
which showed that she was telling the truth,
was adding misery to miaery.
“What does it mean?” murmured Miss
Deane. .
““You may as well accept the truth, terri-
ble as itis for you, at once. Bridewell has
passed under false colors, and, while pre-
tending to love the Union, has been a spy
for therebels.’”’
“T will not believe it!’ said .Barbara.
“Has he not been a gallant Union officer?
Has he not won fame and rank by personal
heroism? Has he not been General War-
fleld’s staff officer and favorite?”
“Benedict Arnold was oncea favorite.”
“How dare you associate Walter’s name
with his!” flashed Barbara, loyally.
Glendora sighed.
She had known Robert Bridewell, loved
and hated him, and, believing Barbara to
be his victim, she felt only pity for the un-
fortunate girl. ~
This pity she expressed so that Barbara
could not doubt her sincerity, and the two
parted, when the visitor went, as nomirtl
friends. . ~
Glendora had made no official charge
against the mysterious major, and she prom-
ised that she would not. All depended on
the court martial.
CHAPTER VIL.
THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION.
The arrest of Major Spencer, as we shall
continue to call the accused, created great
excitement in military circles. Few staff
officers were better known/than he, and all
who knew him had been favorably im-
pressed by his bravery, frankneas, cordiality
and seeming loyalty, . .
General Warfield, in the excitement fol-
lowing the news of the‘arrest, declared that
he Joved him likea son. Generals Hooker.
Meade and others had known and liked
im.
“* Where shall we look for loyal men w
such as he are proved traitors Po wshea
Mende, as the case was laid before him. -
_ The inquiry seemed pertinent. The ma-
jor had enjoyed a great reputation tor loy-
aity and valor. itis dashing ways had gained
vT him the soubriquet of “Fi
of the Potomac." q the “Firebrand
nee, when a color sergeant wascut d
at Fredericksburg and “ine flag seized by
disloyal hands, he had dashed forward alone
on his spirited torse, cut down two of the
NG
enemy, and then, as the Unionists rallied to
his support, saved the colors gallantly.
“The most heroic thing I have seen since
Chepultepec, by gad!” said Warfield, relat-
ing the circumstance to Hooker.
And pow this man, the admired, the en-
vied, the favored, the supposed personifica- .
tion of loyalty, was arrested, charged with
treason of the darkest dye; charged with
sp,
the Potom
else to oceupy the attention of that army.
Up to this time it had never been a lucky
organization, __
McClellan, idolized by his soldiers, but
signally unsuccessful against the rebels, had
been superceded by Burnside; the latter in
turn gave place to Hooker; but nothing had
been done to crush the Southern power.
filooker and Burnside had done their best
agaiust great’ odds, but the glory of the
Army of the Potomac was yet a thing of
the’ future. a
It remained for Meade, who succeeded
Hooker June 27, 1863, to win the first star in
the army’s crown on the bloody. field of
Gettysburg, that mighty struggle amid the
Pennsylvania mountains, *
Gettysburg had not been fought when
Spencer was arrested, but the shadow of the
great rebel invasion was over tbeland. The
Union troops had been worsted at Fred-
ericksburg and Chancellorsyille; they had
fallen back toward Washington: and Lee
was about to pour his elated army into the
loyal states. ~ Loe
At this crisis there was something to be
thought about besides Spencer, as the sequel
will show. sf
As the Union army was literally ‘on the
wing,” Spencer was at first consigned to au
ordinary jail, until such time as his case
could’ be attended to. Under Meade there
served one John P. Hill, a captain in a loyal
regiment, who had tor months been Spen- |
cer’s fast friend. :
At an early hour the forenoon after thé
arrest, the prison doer unclosed and admit-
ted this officer, and in a momeut more the
two were shaking hands warmly. It was
Spencer who was the cooler, and he looked
into his friend’s face with an undisturbed.
smile. © \ y
“This is kind of you, Jack,’’ he said, frank-
ly. “Being shut up in jail is no joke, and
ou will help pass the time until I am re-
eased, We'll have in a chess set and make
a day of it, eh?”
He spoke like one whose mind was en tirely
. free from care, doubt and trouble, but Hill
could not reciprocate.
“ You'd better be looking out for yourself,
rather than an imaginary king, Walt,” he
replied. : .
“Tlow 80?” .
“How so? Why, what else should you do
when you are arrested as a spy?” :
Spencer smiled good-humoredly. *
“* Bless your soul, don’t let this worry you
in the least; Warfield will make itall right.”
‘You forgot that Hooker and Meade have
the lead.” .
“Why, confound it, Jack, you talk likean
undertaker, Don’t you see that itis all a
mistake, which will be cleared up in the
twinkling of an eye.”
“But they ¢laim that they have treasona-
ble letters in your own handwriting, betray-
of our army, and——
“ OhT that’s all nonsense. Rumor is always
wide of the mark. I never wrote any such
letters, 80, of course, there are none in ex-
istence, Jack, you don’t think I’m a traitor,
“God forbid! Walt, you know I don’t.
What I fear is that there is a plot against
ou
‘“*T haven’t,an enemy in the world.”
‘What of official jealousy? Is there no one:
who would stoop to even this villainy to
supplant you?” .
‘Spencer meditated more gravely. Light-
hearted as he naturally was, he had too
much sense to shut his eyes to real logic, and
though hestill maintained the opinion that
his arrest was a meremistake, he considered
the possibility that a plot wasat work against
im.
General Meade, to whom the whole case
had been referred, would, considering the
momentous crisis threatening the nation,
have sent.the prisoner to Washington until
after Leg had been disposed of, but.General |
Warfield had stoutly taken up the cudgel
for his favorite, and asserted that Spencer
\ : e
. t
Cerily, it was the Wonder of the Army of |
ac. -
Just then, however, there was something —
ing the plans of our leaders and the strength ~-
having come among the Union forces as a ~
‘
a