Stanton shook his leonine locks and beard in fury at the use of the facetious word. He loathed levity of any kind and the one kind he could not endure was the quip that came his way.
He regarded himself seriously every day, every hour, every minute in every hour. He was the incarnate soul of Mars on earth. He knew and felt it. He raged at the President"s use of the term because he had a sneaking idea that he was being laughed at--and that by a man who was his inferior and yet to whom he was rendering indispensable service.
An angry retort rose to his lips, but he suppressed the impulse. It was a waste of breath. The President was a fool--he would only laugh again as he had done before. And so he plunged straight to the purpose of his call:
"Before you get to your usual batch of pa.s.ses and pardons this morning I want to protest again, Mr. President, against your persistent interference with the discipline of the army and the affairs of my Department. Your pardons are hamstringing the whole service, sir. It must stop if you expect your generals to control their men!"
"Is that all, Mars?" the even voice asked.
"It is, sir!"
"Thanks for the spirit that prompts your rage. I know you"re right about most of these things. I"ll do my best to help and not hinder you----"
"There"s a woman coming here this morning to present a pet.i.tion over my head."
"Oh, I see----"
"I have refused it and I demand that you support, not make a fool of me."
He turned without waiting for an answer and strode from the room.
The President whispered to Nicolay:
"We may have to put a few bricks in Stanton"s pocket yet, John!"
He glanced toward the waiting crowd and whispered again:
"Any news to-day from the front before I go on?"
Nicolay drew a telegram from his file:
"Only this dispatch, sir, announcing the capture of fifty mules and two brigadier generals by Stuart"s cavalry----"
"Fifty mules?"
"And two brigadier generals."
"Fifty mules--and they"re worth two hundred dollars a piece. Tell "em to send a regiment after those mules. Jeffy D. can have the generals."
A slender little dark-haired girl about fifteen years old, with big wistful blue eyes, had taken advantage of the pause to slip close. When the President lifted his head she caught his eyes. He rose immediately and drew her to his side.
"You"re all alone, little girl?"
"Yes, sir," she faltered.
"And what can I do for you?"
"If you please, I want to pa.s.s through the lines to Virginia--my brother"s there--he was shot in the last battle. I want to see him."
"Of course you do," the kindly voice agreed, "and you shall."
He wrote the pa.s.s and handed it to her.
She murmured her thanks and he placed his big hand on her dark head and asked casually:
"Of course you"re loyal?"
The young lips quivered, she hesitated, looked up into his face through dimmed eyes, and the slender body suddenly stiffened, as she slowly said:
"Yes--to the heart"s core--to Virginia!"
The trembling fingers handed the pa.s.s back and the tears rolled down her cheeks.
The tall man dared not look down again. Something about this slim wistful girl brought back over the years the memory of the young mother who had come from the hills of old Virginia.
He was still for a moment, stooped, and took her hand in his. His voice was low and tender and full of feeling:
"I know what it cost you to say that, child. You"re a brave, glorious little girl, if you are a rebel. I love you for this glimpse you"ve given me of a great spirit. I"m sure I can trust you. If I let you go, will you promise me faithfully that no word shall pa.s.s your lips of what you"ve seen inside our lines?"
"I promise!" she cried, smiling through her tears.
He handed her back the pa.s.s and slowly said:
"May G.o.d bless you--and speed the day when your people and mine shall be no longer enemies."
He turned again to his desk, and beside it stood a quiet woman dressed in black.
He bowed to her with easy grace:
"And how can I serve you, Madam?"
She smiled hopefully:
"You have children, Mr. President?"
A look of sorrow overspread the dark face.
"Yes," he said reverently, "I have two boys now. I had three, but G.o.d has just taken one of them."
"I had two," the mother responded. "Both of them went into the army to fight for their country and left me alone. One has been killed in battle. I tried to be brave about it. I said over and over again, "the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed is the name of the Lord!"
But I had to give up. I"m all alone in my little place in the mountains of Pennsylvania and I can"t endure it. I know they say I have no right to ask, but I want my last boy to come home. All night I lie there alone and cry. Can"t you let me have my boy back? He"s all I"ve got on earth--others have more. I have only this one. I"m just a woman--lonely, heartsick and afraid. They say I can"t have him. But I"ve come to ask you. I"ve heard that you have a loving heart----"
She stopped suddenly.
"You have seen Stanton?" the President asked.
"Yes. He wouldn"t listen. He swore I shouldn"t have him."