Show SERIAL ra AL waa ha B ru efera STORY T 0 R Y my la d y quo f the qa howth ir I 1 go e LOVE STORY Y yf tf A GRAY JACKET T by randall r ish author if when Wqde mess was king kh illustrations BY B Y ARTHUR B williamson M S ON 01 copyright by A C mcclur A co entered at sta doners vali london hondon SY the story opens in a confederate tent at a critical stage of the civil war gen loe leo imparts to capt wayne an important message Longstreet to accompanied by sergt bergt craig an old army ar M scout grout wayne starts on his mission the ne two after a wild ride get within the lines of the enemy enam in the darkous wayne Is taken t a ken tor for a federal deral officer who came to keep an appointment and a young lady on horseback to Is given in liia 14 1 charge she bile la Is a northern 0 abern girl and attempts to escape but mils ar one ona of the horses succumbs and jues boea through with the tha dispatches while wayne and my Aly lady of the north ayo aye left alone they seek shelter in a hut but and entering it in the dark a huge mastiff attacks wayne the girl shoots the brute just in time tho the owne of the hut one jed bungay and his wife appear and soon a party of horsemen approach they are arc led by a man claiming g to bo be red died lowrie but mrs bungay discovers him film to be a disguised impostor who proves to be maj brennan a federal officer whom the union girl recognizes he orders the arrest of wayne as a spy CHAPTER X A womans comans tenderness youth la Is never largely given to reflection which Is the gift of years and although my life had in a measure rendered me more thoughtful than 1 I might hayo have proven under ordinary conditions yet it lo Is to be frankly confessed by one desirous d desirous of writing A merely the truth that I 1 genei generally ally acted more upon impulse than reason As I 1 stood forth in the sunlight of that lonely moun n ro 1 1 my hands bound behind my back the and 1 of 0 f the rope hold held by one of my captors e and while his fellow leaned lazily apon on hla his gun and watched us I 1 t thought ought somewhat deeply over the situation and those peculiar circumstances leading up to 4 t under other conditions I 1 might have felt tempted to enter into conversation c on versa with my guards who as I 1 now perceived were far from being the rough bandit band itIl I 1 had at first imagined judging from their faces and language they were intelligent enough young fellows such as I 1 had bad often found in the ranks of the federal army but I 1 realized they could aid me little if any in the one thing I 1 most desired to know and even if they could a sense of delicacy would have caused me to hesitate in asking those personal questions that burned upon my lips my deep and abiding respect for this woman whom I 1 had so strangely met and with whom I 1 had attained some degree of intimacy would never permit of my discussing her berg even indirectly with private soldiers behind the back bach of their officer every sense of honor revolted at such a thought not through any curiosity of mine however justified by the depth of my own feeling should she be made the subject of idle gossip about the camp tire fire for in truth at this time unhappy is my own situation undeniably was and as a soldier I 1 realized all its dangers 1 I gave it but little consideration usually quick of wit fertile in expedients over ever ready to take advantage of each opportunity I 1 had bad taken stock of all my surroundings yet discovered nowhere the slightest opening for escape the vigilance of the guard as well its as the thorough manner la in which I 1 was bound rendered any such attempt tho merest madness realizing this with the fatalism of a veteran I 1 resigned myself in all patience to what must be then it was that other thoughts came surging upon mo me in a series of interrogatories which no knowledge I 1 possessed could possibly answer who was this proud womanly woman who called herself edith brennan she had been at some pains to inform me that she was married yet there was that about her her bearing her manner which I 1 could not in the least reconcile with that thought her extreme youthfulness made me feel it improbable and the impression remained with me that she intended to make maka some explanation of lor ler words when the tha coming of buggay interrupted us how they might be explained plat tied I 1 could not imagine I 1 merely struggled against accepting what I 1 longed to believe untrue and this man this federal major bearing the I 1 same came name whom she called frank 1 who was ho be what wanner manner of relationship tion ship existed between them in their meeting and short intercourse I 1 had noted several things which told me much that she feared respected valued him and that ho he was not only swayed by but intensely jealous of any rival in her good opinion yet their unexpected meeting mee ting was scarcely that of husband and wife was ho he the one she sought bought in her night ride from one federal camp to another if I 1 io 10 was he brother friend or hushed what was the bond of union os existing ting between these two every vord ord spoken made mo me fear the last it must be the true solution such were some of the queries I 1 silently struggled with and they were rendered more acute by that deepening interest which I 1 now confessed to myself I 1 was feeling toward her who inspired them it may be fashionable nowadays to sneer at love yet certain it Is the rare personality of this edith brennan had bad reached and influenced fluen ced me in those few hours we had been thrown together as that of no other woman had ever done possibly this was so because the long years in camp and field had kept me isolated from all cultured and refined womanhood this may indeed have caused rae ne to bo bd peculiarly susceptible to the beauty and purity of this one I 1 know not noff I 1 am content to give facts and leave philosophy to others my life has ever been one of action of intense feeling and there in the road that day standing bareheaded in the sun I 1 was clearly conscious of but one changeless fact that I 1 loved edith brennan with every emery throb of my heart and that there was enmity bitter and unforgiving between me and the man within who boro bore her name whatever he be be to her I 1 rei r 1 I 1 1 11 I 1 A pl 4 1 desire to place this hat on the head of your prisoner joined to hiow that ike he hated me with all the unreasoning hatred of jealousy I 1 had readia in his eyes in his words in his mann manner br pad and the memory of its open manifestation caused me ma to smile as I 1 hoped for an hour when wo we should meet alone and face to face how she regarded him I 1 was unable as yet yetto to tell but his love for her was plainly apparent in every glance and word As I 1 was thus thinking half in despair and halt half in hope the two came out from the house bouse together and it pleased me to note how bow immediately her eyes sought tor for me and how bow she lifted her hand band to shade them from the glare of the sun so that she might see more clearly her companion appeared to ignore my presence utterly and gazed anxiously up and down the road as though searching for something peters he be asked sharply of the follow on guard where are sergeant steele and the rest of the squad the soldier addressed saluted in a manner that convinced me he was of the regular service they are resting out of the sun in that clump of down the hill sir brennan glanced in the direction indicated dica ted very well he said take your prisoner down there and toll tell the sergeant to press on at once toward the lower road we shall follow you and the lady will ride his horse the man turned and with peremptory gesture ordered me forward As I 1 drew closer to where the two waited beside the open door I 1 lifted my head proudly determined that neither should perceive how deeply I 1 felt the humiliation of my position As I 1 thus passed them my eyes fixed upon the shining road ahead my ears caught a word or two of indignant expostulation from her lips but frank it Is positively shameful in this sun ho he laughed lightly yet his answer came to me in all clearness cle axness of utterance to ranco I 1 believed he wished me to overhear overbear the words oh it will only prove of benefit to his brains if by rare chance he po possesses assesses any I 1 glanced aside and saw her turn instantly and face him her eyes aflame with indication Indi cution then I 1 hilll As AB she her bolee fairly trembling 1 with intense feeling she stepped ba backward eliward out of sight into the house bouse another instant and she reappeared earod sweeping past him without borouch so 8 as a words word and bearing in her lit hand m my old campaign hat came directly up to fo us sentry she said eald in her old imperious manner manner 1 I desire tp to place this hat on the head of your prisoner idoner the fellow glanced uneasily ow over his shoulder at the seemingly unconscious officer not knowing whether it were better to permit the act or not but she halted tor for no permissions captain wayne she said her voice grown kindly trl in a moment nio melt and her eyes frankly mating mine mille you will pardon such It liberty berty I 1 ana am sure but it Is ie pot right that you should be compelled to march uncover uncovered in this sun she placed the hat in position asking as she did oo BO does docs that feel comfortable the memory of your thoughtful fless cess I 1 replied warmly bowing bolln as best I 1 might will make the march plea pleasant ant no matter what iti ita end cud may r eari to me her eyes darkened with sudden emotion do not deem me wholly ungrateful she ahe said and tn in a low tone the condition are ruc huch h that I 1 am ain utterly helpless low to aid you major brennan Is a nan an not to td bo be lightly disobeyed but I 1 shall tell my story to general sher idan dan so icah oon as we reach his camp I 1 would haye have a again but at this arioni moment ent brennar brennan came aiming toward us come edith lie he cried almost roughly this foell sill e ess ss has surely gone far enough P ers what are you waiting here for I 1 told you ou to take your prisoner do 0 n the road A few moments late the centre of blittle a little squad ad of heavily beav ly armed men iwas I 1 waa tramping along tho the rocky pathway and when once I 1 I 1 attempted to 9 lafie glance back to dincov r lf abe others othe rs followed us the serge rg e advised nt me with an oath to keep e J p my n eyes eads to the front I 1 obeyed him I 1 m it must have been nearly the end of the afternoon IV had bad I 1 certainly traversed several all mile le i al and were then mi moving almost direct directly r tys y south upon a well defined pike the u name a i of which 1 I never knew al ur wt were traveling close together when the scout who throughout tho the day had been kept a few hi hundred indred yards yh in advance came back toward us on a run his hand flung up in an urgent warning to halt what Is it steele brennan questioned quest t spurring forward to meet him come speak up map mabll A squad of caa cavalry alry has just swung onto the pike sir fr from inthe the dirt road that leads toward ti tle e white briar was the soldiers pa ing reply and I 1 could got get a glimpse glim lse so through the trees tree s down the valley valle and theres a heavy y infantry colu coldir i just behind them crebs sir or I 1 dont know them crebs with aith AI as an i in attro baugn why man weve g the ozy only reb here her who Is east of t briar well returned t 3 scout sullen ly coming rom the west and I 1 know they aln ain our fellows he was too old a idler to have his judgment doubted and lie ho was evidently co convinced nv I 1 aced 13 caliz alced quickly Y a about b out I 1 low how er lie hea may have sneered a at the report lie he was not rash enough 16 to cli cl nee nce so BO grave a mistake get back into thos rocks there on the right he comm aided sharply hustle your prisoner crisone i along lively men and one of you taud tand over oer him with a cocked gun I 1 llie he so much as opens his mouth lot let I 1 n have it rapidly as we mo d we w were ere scarcely all under cov bedfor dd vance cavalry guard c ds ie bringht ring ill big ht t the light fringe of tro trooper ope dust bear mcd and weary resting V vily y in t heir saddles and apparent thought les I 1 as to any possibility of eting with the enemy there were t more abam ill n a troop of th emall tol told boldig dig et their belr si ort gray jackets and wid it lit hats hata instantly told the story ot 0 their service their rear r ra ik was as yet lt it sight when wo we beard t e heavy tread of the approaching co colln 1 mn jot jottie et tir r with the dull tinkle of st 0 which ill il ways accompanies marching groots is peering forth as much as I 1 dar da id from behind the thick brush W 0 0 I 1 bad been roughly thrown face dow d n ward I 1 saw the head of that so eoll I 1 d sturdy column swing owing around the shai sha P bend in abe he road and in double froll front t spreading from rock to rock com couii 0 sweeping down toward us file upon file company after co coni pany regiment following regi regiment meni they swung sternly by scarcely afi s much as ft a word reached us excepting except int now and then some briefly mutterer rec command to close up or a halt half ln in audible curse as a shuffling foot stumbled I 1 could distinguish no badge no insignia of either corps or division the circling dust enveloped them in a choking disfiguring cloud but they were confederates I 1 I 1 marked them well here and thero there along tho the tolling ranks 1 I even noted a familiar face and there could be no mistaking the gaunt north cortil carolina mountaineer the sallow georgian or the gaunty louisiana Louia lann creolo creole I 1 they ere confederates packers division of corps I 1 have hae almost sworn w orn aas east f boutton blundon forced march a and n d I 1 doubted n not ot that each crossroad cross road to left and light ight r of us would likewise show its hurrying gray column sturdily pressing forward the veteran fighting men of the he left wing of the army of northern virginia were bold ly IY pushing eastward to keep heep their tryst with leo lee the despatch in trusted to my care had been borne safely to longstreet Longa Longst treet the keen joy of it lighted up my face and brennan turning toward me as the last limping straggler disappeared over the ridge saw it ft and grew white with anger you rebel cur he cried fiercely in hs his sudden outburst of passion pa aslon what does all this mean where is that division bound some change in longstreeth Long streets eels front I 1 should judge 1 I answered coolly too 1 I 1 happy even to note his slur sl ur you know better he retorted hotly the way those fellows march tells plainly enough that they have covered to vered all of fifteen miles since daybreak it I 1 Is s a general movement and by heaven you shall answer sheridan even if you wont m me e CHAPTER XI in the presence of sheridan it had been dark for nearly nearl r an hour before we entered what was waa from all appearances a large and populous camp no sooner was I 1 thrust into the unknown darkness of a hut but by the not unkindly sergeant than I 1 throw myself prone on the floor and yas was sound asleep before the door had and fairly closed behind him my rest was not destined to be a long one it seemed I 1 had barely closed my eyes when a rough hand shook me again into consciousness the flaming glare of an ail uplifted pine one knot flung its ito radiance over half a dozen figures grouped in the open doorway A corporal with a white chin beard was bending over me come com e johnny he said tersely get up i youre wanted the instinct of soldierly obedience in which I 1 had been so bo long trained caused roe me to grope my way to my feet what time isit la it corporal I 1 asked sleepily after midnight who wishes me |