The rapid pace of Ernest soon brought him to the quarters of his Brigadier General, a man whose name is inseparably connected with the battle of Bull Run. After the Brigadier had heard the touching story of Mildred’s arrest and incarceration, he gave, without hesitation, the distressed young man a permit to visit Gen. A.
In less than two hours after this, Ernest was thundering along toward Gen. A.’s headquarters, which he reached about four o’clock in the evening. After the ceremony necessary to secure access to a General, he entered the little farm house to which allusion has already been made, and introduced himself. There is never much social intercourse between the higher and subordinate officers of an army. There is a great gulf between them which is rarely crossed. In visiting a high officer, it is not expected that the subaltern shall make familiar remarks about the weather or any other ordinary topic. He must come to business in medias res.
“Well, sir, what can I do for you?” asked Gen. A. in that impatient military tone which indicates that the applicant must talk fast and to the point.
“Some days ago, sir,” said Ernest, stung by his frigid reception, “you sent a young lady of this neighborhood into Washington, where she was arrested and will probably be doomed to death, if she has not already been.”
“Well?”
“Well!” exclaimed Ernest, vexed at the General’s coolness and seeming indifference, “she is my affianced.”
“Well, go on.”
“Are you not going to make some effort for her relief,” cried Ernest, warming into boldness, “or do you propose to let her perish?”
“I should like to know what I can do?” quoth Gen. A.