Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

ae 104 — , BERTHA’S VICTORY. the cause of the Union from conviction! I never quarrel with any one on account of his conviction. _In the old flag he sees the emblems of Union, of lib- erty, and justice. When a mancan read all this in the flag, how can I blame. him for carrying his con- victions to the battle-field? No, Colonel Trafton, I honor the man, such a man as dare stand for what he, in the very depths .of his soul, believes to be right.’? She paused then, and stepped to the side of the chair, laying one small brown palm upon the glossy black hair that shadowed the white face of the wounded Union soldier. A frown, black as a thunder-cloud, swept the face of the colonel. ‘It has gone so far as this, eh?’’ uttered Trafton. ‘“This young renegade has actually converted the daughter of a McVane, a South Carolinian at that, to the cause of the Union. Well—well——”’ ‘That will do, sir!’? The girl’s pride was in arms at once. “T am a believer in Southern rights!’ cried Bertha. “I feel that we of the South are right in this war, and ought to succeed, but Iam not so blind and big- oted as to denounce all who uphold the North as traitors and outlaws. Partisanship goes too far at times; but even you, Colonel Trafton, shall not im- pugn my motives, or proclaim me false to principle, simply because I can see that a foe may possess a motive as honest as my own.”’ ‘‘Bravely spoken!”’ uttered ‘‘Loyal Mose;” “but that man has not soul enough to appreciate your position.’ _ “By Heaven! this looks suspicious!’ cried the col- onel, trembling with rage and jealousy. ‘‘Mr. Cly- more, have you been blind to this—this——”’ ‘You need not finish the sentenee, Colonel ‘T'raf- ton,’’ uttered Miss McVane. ‘‘You have no right to = . com cbooks.co