The War Library: Phil, the Scout — page 24: what you’re looking at

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ee ee i 6 ai 24 —_— rully, and 1 have no words with which to peak of this last act of yours. Besure that any deed of yours has clouded wy happi- ness the cloud will ever hereafter be like that -in yonder sky, at this moment lighted up by thesun’slast rays. Do you pee it? Les me lift you higher.” St. Clair raised his old- time foe to a sitting posture, and turned him toward the fading ‘suuset. is Only, one thing more do I crave, my friend. Ah! Itseems like days gone by to call you friend. Would to Heaven that time eould come again!” ‘What more can Ido for you? Speak free- ly, Fontneroy.”’ _ “Ibis beyond your power to comply with this wish, [ fear. Itis of Laura Doane I was thinking. It may be—nay, I know it is true —thatI have done cruel things to her. I think I bave been almost beside myself of late. If | could hear her say she had no ill- feeling toward me—” “Your request may be granted. [I left her with two friends not far away ashort time ago. If you will wait, I will seeif they can be found. ae The officer set his teeth hard together. ~ **Go!’” be said. - heart hurt you cruelly. Forgive me! Hastening away at the top of his speed, St. Clair soon discovered Laura with Phil La- monte aud Molly, standing upon a knoll, looking over the fleld of carnage. Returning with them quickly he said, as he gently took the dying man’s head once more in his arms: “She is here, her ?” ‘‘Faintly. The daylight is'going. It brings on a long night, Laura; put your hand in mine. I loved you truly. My Cae an Fontneroy. Can you see you? Speak quick!” ‘*T do,’ said the girl firmly, her pale as ashes. ‘* That’s all. up.”’ The Unionist obeyed. There was a gasp and a shudder. That was the end. Breaking through the clouds, the sun light- ed up with a sudden splendor the dome of the Soutnern sky. For a moment it lin- gered. Then tbe golden rays died out. Tt was night. cheeks Higher, St. Clair! Raise me CHAPTER XX VI. GATHERING UP TEE THREADS. Three years afterward. War hasyziven place to silver-winged peace. We gather up the threads of our story ata time when the North, though jubilant with the victory it has wou, is, nevertheless, sad with weeping for the brave boys in blue who laid down their lives under the Southern pines, and when the South, conscious of de- teat, crushing and complete, also mourns day and night for the dear ones it, too, has lost. Phil Lamonte and Arthur St. Clair were both made recipients of the highest honors from General Grant, who did not forget the work they did at Pittsburg Landing, nor his promise made to the former after the battle was over. Many atime when the leader was in need of areliable scout he sent for Philanud made his wishes known. Laying off the epaulets and sheathing his sword, the young man donued the garb ofa common soldier, or, perhaps, if necessity de- ‘manded, assumed ‘the attire of a private citizen. He followed the fortunes of his superior officer till the last gun was fired and the sword slung upon the wall, let it be hoped, never to be stained by the blood of civil | strife. The laurels he won were many, but they were shared with his gallant soldier-in-arms, | St. Clair, The home of Laura and Molly became the | asylum for men of both parties in need of comfort. Union, found shelter beneath the roof of the grand old mansion, and not unfrequently soldiers from both armies visited there. And no one said nay. Molly, stanch tittle patriot as she was, of- ten argued with her stately cousin that it was wrong for her to aid and abet the rebel- lion by caring for the troops engaged there- in. Laura, in turn, retorted that she con- sidered sick and suffering soldiers who wore the gray just as worthy of assistance as those Ned Confederate or colored rereresal ‘THE WAR I IBRARY. moreso, Anyway, it was not the common soldier , self.’ who was to blame; theleaders were at fault, if fault there was. So Molly kept on caring for those from the Nortb, and Laura, lent. kind hand to the en you do?” frieuds on the other side. Sometimes they worked together without, ‘Molly imagined that even there coulit— a word of reluctance. Lyne shall say how far they w sre wrong in is Mine shall not be the pen to write Rnahit of censure to either. A The great struggle isover. — Men erred on one side as eel as ol the other. Sad One day there rode to the door of the | Doane mansion a man bronzed with the sun and heavily covered with the dust of travel, and it was envy to recognize the handsome face of Phil Lamonte. fare were clad in the blue, and perhaps ‘a man I once was. Iam so ee There tripped to meet him a maiden, whose blushing cheek and laughing eye bespoke the joy she felt at meeting this bearded aéicion. “At last!" The voice was Phil's. ‘‘ You have come to stay? Tell me that.” “That depends.” *Upou what?” * You, little treasure. I have come to ask Ww hether you care for me to stay or not.”’ ‘Leare! Phil Lamonte, you know I care. You are a pretty fellow to ask me such a thing.” os thought—that is—I never have heard you aay that you love me.’ ‘Well, hear it, then. Truly, truly I do care for you more than for any one else in the world!" “There's Certain sound about that, any- way,’ said Phil, laughing at the girl’s earn- estness. ‘‘ Butit’s highly satisfactory to me, I assure you; and let me tell you, little one, that all the love you can wish is y ours. My heart has loved you, and you only.’ Bending down, he kissed her tenderly up- on the lips. A footstep aroused them. ‘“‘Tsn't this rather too public a place for such demonstrations? I am inclined to ob- ject upon the ground that the effect will be demoralizing.”’ “St. Clair, old fellow, you here?” ex- claimed Phil, heartily, as he saw his chum come round a splendid shrub, bearing the beautiful Laura upon his arm. “Of course. Why not I as well as you? The day of surprises is not over yet, I fancy.’ **So it seems. St. Clair, let me give you the pleasure of shaking hands with my future wife.” “Itis indeed with pleasure I accept this invitation,’ answered St. Clair, comiug for- ward. ‘*‘I am made happier, howeve7, by being able to reciprocate. Allow me to pre- sent the lady who is to bear my name in the near future.” There were general congratulations, and a happy time followed. Rapidly must we pass to the end of our story. Phil Lamonte took his bride away to the old ancestral homestead near Corinth not long after the war closed. Beales is it to say that theirs was a hap- py home. St. Clair disposed of the Fortneroy prop- erty in Arthur Highlands, and went to the Doane plantation, becoming one of the most wealthy men of the vicinity. The shadow which had darkened his past | life rolled away, leaving the sky all the brighter for the storms it brought with it. Toward tlre close of a rainy day in autumn | there came to the Lamonte mansion a mau wretchedly clad, prematurely bowed and old before his time. Knocking at the door bread. When his hunger had been appeased he re- quested the maid to call her mistress, saying that an old acquaintaince wanted to speak he begged for some | with her for a moment. Somewhat surprised by this request Molly, however, came down to meet her visitor. For a moment she saw nothing to recog- nize in the unkempt and broken- down man, who rose with ashow of politeness to greet her. The stranger saw this and said: ‘““T see you don't remember me, and I don’t wonder atit; forlam all used up—a mere shadowof what I once was.”’ The voice brought back to Molly the name of its owner. ‘*Mr. Oglethorpe, can it be? Why what has happened to you? Youare 80 changed no one would have recognized you.’ ‘* Evil has befallen me. I am no longer the Soe PA é ‘ a res Ok! alte “YY 7, ee? Cm nod ’ fp wat z Mi OL | : tet. ’ oe — : rs : —— -) ———— - —— t PI's on that I doubt if I ever can recover my for me r ‘Say not so,’’ said Molly, in ait od ee upon the dirty creature bowing: before her. “There is always a chance formdending. WW F at Pre Perhapsit. sede, but the kind hea ted. n something of a prouder bearin tl orpe, and he seemed more maul] “Do! Lean do anything I ever could i had a chanee,and Could feel my work a ap preciated. That's the great trouble. Noone cares forme; noone believes i in me,” ‘ene ow did you come in this way.. Et, nae ened to you?” oy ay ; An ‘eSSION, almost vindictive in itsnat ure, swept over the man’s face. . “IT thinkitall grew out of a thing esp Confederate colonel, Fontneroy, did. I wa fool enough to trust him. e pretended that he wanted me to do some work Tor) n asa messenger. He betrayed me into the hands of General Beauregard. I was arrest edand imprisoned as a spy. Barely did escape death. In the night I found my out of the cell in which 1 was shut up. & then I have almost hated everyone. It has — been a curse to my existence. I think if1 could be somewhere where I could forget the past I might become a man again.’ “ue Molly’s face was grave. ‘*T willspeak with my husband ania We may be able to do something for rane oe it A cloud settled over Oglethorpe’ 3 face, as. the girl spoke of her husband. It cut him to the quick to think what he had lost. Molly was true to her word; and Phil, as anxious as she herself to give the ane chanee to redeem himself, placed him in, charge of his hands. Under the geninl influence of that happ} home, Oglethorpe seemed to outgrow his o evilnature. Boast he ever would; it was - characteristic. But he became a respectable he citizen. . The war over, the genial hand of prosper- ke ity began to touch the South with her wand, — and plac es laid waste hy the dove of battle once more bloomed. [THE END. I —‘Batalogue of The War Library. e A!! Earlier Numbers in Print. te ee 3 230-BATTERY BOB; or, Crest an Plain at Fredericksburg. Br ‘> thony P. Morris. ve ea 231—-SIGCNAL SERVICE SAM; or, The. Siege of Knoxville. By Ward Rdwa Mee a. “ High Private,”” U. 8. V. 2 e 232 THE WAR DETECTIVE; or, Se- | cret Service in the Rebellion. A Story of Booth’s Great Gon shirsey ia A. F. Grant. aa | 233—PHIL, THE SCOUT; or, A Fight for Beauregard’ s eae Wee AL Story of Pittsburg Landing. By oun Tlean Verne. wes 234 ‘‘TO HORSE;”' or, The wineean Scout of Georgia. By Anthony P. — Morris. [Ready Marché. 235 LION-HEARTEDLUKE ;o0r, The. Plan to Capture Mosby. A Story | of Perilous Ady enture in the War of the Rebellion. By Ward Edwards, “High Pr vate," U.S. V. [Ready Mg ne THE SWORD ‘CHAMPIONS; or. Rival Spies’ of Chancellorsville | A Story of the Battles in the Thickets of th \ Rappahannock. By Anthony P. Morris. | | [Ready Murch | 237 LOYALNED;or, TheLastCruis | of the Alabama. A Romance of tbh | Famous Rebel Privateer. By the author, | ‘ Before Petersburg.” [Ready Marchi3, | 238 THE RIVAL CADETS; or, Froin © West Point to Battlefields. A Stir. :: ba ring Story of Adventure in the Late Wa By Ward Edwards, U. 8. Vv. [Ready April2 SS ASS OIE 2 Ss ee ‘ SEECIAL EDITION. ‘ ” Life and Military Services. jof” "am CENERAL JU. S. CRAN VAN ORDEN. saab ‘dil ‘Price 20. i’. lebooks 236 ee a Wisk ks Number. ecom Ps Double “A oie Io com he Noy i