The Colonel's Wife — page 63: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- 56 THE DRUGGED WINE. ee It was a sad day for the Confederacy when this gate-way of fair Georgia fell into the hands of the —- victorious boys in blue. The handwriting on the wall would soon be read of all men; for, as ; their resources failed and hopes of foreign interference grew more slender, the inevitable must speedily occur. Colonel John did not forget his duties as a soldier. It was a peculiar condition of affairs that confronted him. Fate, assisted of course, by his own efforts, had made him the custodian of his wife’s property. Surely, no Federal officer was ever placed in a posi- tion so singular. The strangest thing of all lay in the fact that his wife openly professed a feeling of keenest hatred for him, as she did toward everything appertaining to the Northern Army. Her heart was thoroughly wrapped up in the Southern cause, and had Mollie been given her own way Lyndhurst would Jong ere this have been stripped of its beauties, and almost dismantled in order to equip the Confederate soldiers with neces- sities. Squire Granger was made of less ardent material, and while devoted to the cause, knew enough to think of the future. Under the protection of these troopers Lyndhurst was safe, for while there must inevitably be a certain amount of looting in spite of the strict orders given, the torch of the plunderer dared not apprcach a house that was especially guarded. . The Georgia squire chuckled under cover of his sleeve at the successful outcome of his little plot. Every time he looked toward Colonel John he frowned, however. The story of the Federal’s identity had been made known to him, since Major Worden and Crockett _ Ridgeway, after losing their prisoner, lad seen fit to ne com chook s.con a é we 7. . ' ¢ - - a. ’ a Wa : OP hg me | Fates, ve . t 15, ai - ’ eae. . & ;