Show I 1 E am dim ORIAL A L s T 00 R Y my lady bopf jhc thc north I 1 ae LOVE STORY gf A GRAY JACKET T by randall ah IL Author te when wilderness Wild ernets was king illustrations BY 1 T ARTHUR a williamson N 6 copyright hy by A C co entered t lutlo neri WIL london 4 SYNOPSIS the story opens in a confederate ornta tent it ta a critical maago of the civil war geri gen e imparts to capt wayne an important message to longstree Longa treel t accompanied by we crale LU an old urmy scout wayne tart larto on hla his nl silon the two after a tylla ride got get within the lines of the memy emy in the darkness wayne to Is taken vr or a federal officer who came to keep an Ip and rt a young 0 ung lady on horse OCIC ccle Is in givon in 11 lila r charge she Is a lor thein girl and attempts to esca escape pe but nils I 1 S ono one of te ta borres succumbs succumb i and ral g KOOB throngs with the dispatches lule wayno and my lady of the north re ire left alone they seek boek shelter in a I 1 ut and entering it in the dark a huge fastiff attacks wayne the girl shoots he be brute just in CHAPTER VI continued the great brent ugly bautel she aha ex Il aimed looking at the tha form in the coentro entro of tho the floor lie ho was certainly heavy enough to 10 have been a bear I 1 replied my teeth in pain and suf ly savage 1 viewed tier her now for the first dine clearly and the memory will re nain with TOO me till I 1 die how als incoy that entire picture standa stands forth alth the mist of all those years between the low colled celled room devoid it if all furniture savo save of the rudest and cost idad the bare logs dorming the walls unrelieved in their ough ugliness except as aa here and there sundry unshapely garments wangled from wooden poga pegs the rough leal table able with a few cheap dishes d ulain gaono Qa ono end 0 of it the dead log lying across the earthen floor ind and over all the leap of ruddy lame flame to is the newly kindled fire gathered ivay leaving weird shadows hero here irid and here bero yet steadily forcing them back ind flooding the whole interior with a illo orly glow sho she had flung fide the blue and fellow ellow cloak which during the long bours ours of cur night ride had so completely shrouded her bar and stood boore bobre me dressed in some soft clinging stuff of a delicato delicate brown color so cut nd ind as to most become her rounded graceful form about her leek a narrow strip of creamy lace inco vas fitted the full throat rendered whiter by tho the contrast while tit at tier her valata ft a similar ali nilar ornament alone served to relieve tho the simple plainness f her attire tho the flaming fire lighted ap p her face malting making it seem beem to flush avith ith the dancing glow which sparkled ilke diamonds in her eyes herr was 1 young fair face facea a faco face to love ind trust forever yet with a pride in 1 t and a certain firmness also that somehow omehaw was good to see all this I 1 noted bath alth one quick upward glance rud ind with a sudden thrill of the heart luch its aa I 1 had never known before CHAPTER vil VII A disciple of sir walter even as aa I 1 gazed upon tier her my admiration mi deeper than my pain the arch expression of her face changed there came a sudden rush of pity of anxiety into those clear challenging eyes and with one quick stop step sho she drew nearer and bont bent above me oh captain wayne she cried her warm womanly heart conquering ril nil prejudice you are badly hurt and bleeding why did you not tell me mot kleamo lot let me aid you 1 I fear I 1 must I 1 replied grim grimly I 1 y 1 I would gladly spare you tor for indeed I 1 do not believe my injury sufficiently I 1 y serious to cadose alarm but 17 find I 1 have only or arm am I 1 can use nt at present the bato got his teeth into the other oh believe TOO me I 1 ein do it she spoke bravely e A sturdy ring of con leeni ld eni in the bice although at the tb outfit her face paled 1 I have been la in tn tta hospitals fit at and talie caro care of wounded X it there was only somo water herel here she glanced about dreading the possibility lity of having to go forth into the night alone in search of a spring or well 1 I think you rill find a pall on the bench yonder I 1 eald anid for from where I 1 leaned ined against the wall I 1 could see out into the shed it wa vot doubtless lct for the dog doc to drink from she came back with it tearing down a cloth from oft off a peg in the wall as fihe passed and then their cari caring carl ng a resolute air of authority knelt beside me and with rapid fingers flung back my jacket un fastening the rough army shirt and laid bare so ao far ne as was possible the lacerated shoulder forgive me site she said anxiously but I 1 fear I 1 can never dress it in this way we must remove your jacket and cut away the sleeve of your shirt at last the disagreeable task was accomplished the wounded shoulder completely bared her face was deathly whitte white now and she shielded her eyes with her hand oh what a horrible wound I 1 she exclaimed almost sobbing how that great brute must have hurt youl the wound la Is not so serious as aa it appears ap peara I 1 replied reassuringly and glad myself to feel that I 1 spoke the truth but I 1 confess tho the pain Is intense and makes me feel somewhat faint it was not so much the mori mere bite of the dog but unfortunately he be got his teeth into an old wound and tore it open an old wound 7 yes I 1 received a minis ball there at gettysburg and although tho the bullet was extracted tho the wound nover never properly healed she performed her disagreeable task with all the tenderness tender nesa of a sympathetic woman and as aa ehe worked swiftly and deftly made no attempt to conceal the tears clinging to her long lashes skillfully fully tho the deep jagged gash w waa as bathed out band then as carefully bound up with the softest cloths claths she could find at hand the relief was great and I 1 felt ns as I 1 moved the shoulder that saving the soreness it would probably not greatly bother me nw lyv you must lie back and rest she said commandingly as aa I 1 attempted to thank her As your nurse I 1 command absolute quiet striving to speak gaily seo see tho the daylight Is already here and I 1 mean to discover if this lons lone cabin contains anything which human beings can eat I 1 confess that I 1 am nearly famished 1 A most excellent symptom and I 1 imagine your quest will not be wholly vain to my eye that greatly resembles a slab of bacon hanging beside the chimney it indeed Is she exclaimed and I 1 feel us as a shipwrecked seaman must on first beholding land however my nat nati naturally rally energetic spirit revolted at inactivity for the time being my faintness precluded any thought of doing other than obeying tier her orders and I 1 lay there silent propped up against tho the logt logs my eager eyes eye s following her rapid graceful movements with a constantly increasing interest As she worked the reflection of the red flames became mingled with the gray dawn until the bare and cheerless interior grow grew more and moro visible her search was far from unsuccessful while her resourcefulness astonished me old campaigner as I 1 was for it was scarcely mode more than full daylight before she had me at tho the table and I 1 was doing full justice to such coarse food as the larder furnished the eating helped me greatly but for some time so busy were we that neither of us its spoke on my own part I 1 experienced a strange hesitancy in addressing her upon terms of equality ordinarily not easily embarrassed in feminine society I 1 felt in thi this s instance a definite barrier between us which prevented my feeling at ease now and then as we sat ard opposite each other eating enild a silence most unpleasant lil basant I 1 would catch her eyes glancing across at me but they were lowered instantly whenever I 1 ventured to meet them finally I 1 broke the stillness with a commonplace remark 1 I presume your people will be greatly worried by this time over your mysterious disappear disappearance ringe A flush swept her throat and cheeks checks but she did not lift her eyes from the plate yes 11 she answer answered ted slowly frank finnk Is doubtless searching for me long before this frank I 1 asked feeling glad of this opportunity to learn more of her relationships you forget possibly that your our friends are strange to me you refer to the gentleman who expected to meet meat you on the road to major drennan brennan yes there was nothing about the tone of tier her reply that invited me to press the inquiry further one thing however was reasonably certain the man she called frank could not be her father I 1 longed to ask it if ho he was a brother but the restraint of her whole manner repelled the suggestion dd I 1 understand that you have nursed in the abo federal hospitals at baltimore I 1 questioned more to continue the conversation than from any deep interest merely as it a volunteer and when the regular nurses were especially busy major brennan was stationed thoro there tor for some time when P first visited him and I 1 felt it my duty as a loyal woman to aid the poor follows fellows F remained silent striving vainly to frame some innocent question which should solve tor for me the problem of who and what she was suddenly she ehe spoke soft softly lyv 1 1 captain wayne I 1 beel itee 1 I 1 owe you ou an apology for my unwarranted and unladylike conduct laust night I 1 am very suro sure now that you yota are a gen teoman and will appreciate how bitterly I 1 was tried how deply aply I 1 have ever since regretted it it hurt her pride to my bay even this much as I 1 could tell by her downcast eyes and heaving and I 1 hastened to relieve ba hy or embarrassment r you have nothing whatever to ask forgiveness f tor or I 1 sud earnestly earne etly rather such a request should come from roe me I 1 only trust ass brennan that you will excuse alouse my part in this extremely unfortunate affair she sat looking down upon her plate her fingers nervously crumbling a bit of corn bread you do not even known who I 1 am she said slowly 1 I am not miss but mrs Brenna Bren nair tf I 1 felt as it a dash of cold water had been suddenly thrown in my face indeed I 1 stammered scarcely knowing what aitt I 1 said you appear so young a girl that anever once thought of you as being a married woman 1 I was married married iery early indeed before I 1 was seventeen enteen ay my hus band what she bhe was about td ib add I 1 could but conjecture tor for a quick change in tho the expression of her face startled me what to la it I 1 questioned half rising to my feet arid and glancing over my shoulder toward tho the wall where her eyes were riveted something resembling a hand pushed aside the coat hanging banging yonder she explained in low trembling tone and I 1 thought I 1 saw a face believing it to bo be her overwrought nerves which were at fault I 1 I 1 sought to soothe her it was probably no more than a shadow I 1 said crossing to her side of the table to enable he her better to feel the influence of my presence let us be content to sit here by the door for wo we should be taking too great a risk of discovery it we ventured into the open I 1 had barely spoken these words and placed roy my fingers on her hand to lead her forward when the small door til its mosses bosses she said harshly which opened into the shod shed was thrown back noisily and two great shaggy dogs the evident mates of the dead brute at 4 our feet leaped fiercely lu in she shrank toward mo me with a sob of terror but e ven even as I 1 drew a revolver from my belt a man and a woman appeared almost simultaneously in that same opening down douglas Dou glasl down hal ha there lies red murdock kurdock stark and stiff down you bru brutes tes bo be dead your yourselves selve s som sometime entime the man strode forward as he spoke clubbing the frenzied brutes with the stock of the long rifle he carried yelled on the view the opening pack he quoted as he distributed bi his blows impartially to right and left rock glen and cavern paid them back them be scotts words stranger an I 1 reckon as how ol 01 sli sh walter knew he wua whitin bout stop that blame youlin you roderick or r ill take end 0 this gun ter tar yo ye he redoubled his bla efforts for peace finally driving the rebellious beasts back into one corner where they sat upon their haunches and eyed us wistfully I 1 two dogs of black saint huberts breed unmatched ed lor courage breath and speed 1 I lie he wiping the perspiration from his face with the back of one hand and staring at us ap specially lally the breath he was a fierce looking little fellow scarcely more than a half grown boy in size with round red face full of strange wrinkles and head as oddly peak shaped as I 1 ever looked upon it went up exactly like the apex of a pear while the upper portion was utterly bald ile ho formed a most remarkable contrast to the tall rawboned angular female who loomed up like a small email mountain just behind him 1 I reckon as how you uns hed bed quite a bit of a eoral afore yo ye laid dorff out stranger tra nyer be sald n halt angry tone lurking in his bis amp voice the fleta fleetest teat hound bound in fa art an the north an im it if I 1 likens ther way you uns une makes yera yer elvea selves et hum in this yore yere cabin shot shet up jed bungay cut in hit his better bettor half sharply and as she spoke she caught the little man emont bously by one arm and thrusting him roughly to ono one side strode heavily forward until she ahe paused in the centre of the room facing us with her arms ak linbo now id list like ter know she ehe sald sad savagely who you uns be a br break eakin ln into a house and a killin a borg an a eada up everything wo uns got without so much as a sayin by yer leave er euthin I 1 reckon as how you uns una dont take this yere cabin ter for no tavern madam I 1 said with a low bow it to Is misfortune not desire which has caused us to trespass upon your hospitality we will very gladly pay you liberally tor for any damage done I 1 am an officer in the confederate ser vice and the breaking down of our horses compelled us ua to take refuge here in order that this lady might not noi be exposed to danger from roving gangs of gue guerrillas guerillas gu erillas rillis the dog attacked us in the dark and we killed him in order to save our lives the deep deed mouthed blood bloodhound bounds 8 heavy bay re sounded resounded up the rocky way ejaculated bungay with dan cing eyes drat yer jed ye dew make me tired for fer buah she turned back to usand from her first words worda it was plainly evident she had been impressed with bu but one sentence of my labored explanation did you uns say as how pay fe ye et anc for fer thet truck yo ye busted she asked doubtfully certainly madat and I 1 took some money from my pocket as evidence of good faith what would you consider duo you the grim set face relaxed sli slightly glibly while she permitted her husband to edge his way a little more into the fc reground wal stranger I 1 sorter reckon as aa how bout four bits squar things dorga la is mighty durn cheap hereabout anyhow give me ther four bits mister an I 1 reckon as aa how it it III 11 be all right I 1 glanced at mrs brennan and the amused twinkle in her eyes led me to say heartily we had not entirely completed our meal but imagined we saw ghosts ghosts Gh 1 he glanced around apprehensively ly on heaven and on thy lady calland call and enter anter tie tae enchanted hall haill wits ther ghosts yo ye saw over r and he pointed toward the wall opposite I 1 nodded then I 1 sorter reckon as aa how martar marlar and nae me wua them ghosts he continued grinning we sorter reckoned as an how we wanted ter see who yere afore we come in til il I 1 listen till my fancy hears the clang of swords the crash of spears these yore yere Is tough times stranger in those these parts an |