OCR Text |
Show I i. IBECQWHSWirE CHAPTER XXIII. Continued. As he finally passed beyond tlio en--niy's pickets and felt safe, his thoughts began to turn onco mora towards Lyndlmrst. Ho wondered whether the old darky with his snatl-movlng mule could liae arrived and delivered the note Major Worden . had so kindly written con-corning con-corning his rate. if so, how would she receive It? Colonel John wanted to bo magnanimous, magnan-imous, but ho was deeply Interested here, and ho never In his llfo wished so much for anything as a 6hanco to witness what occurred when that note was delivered. It would possibly, settle Rome little matters In his mind, which were beginning be-ginning to worry him. And thinking thus, ho reached the Bato that opened Into tho spacious .srounds of I.yndhurst. Then tho house loomed tip. Lights could still bo seen about the I Iiouse, though tho hour was closo on I to midnight. Ho wondered at this, for they retired re-tired early ns a usual thing. Upon entering the house John felt a deep satUfnctlon over his escape Somehow ho seemed to nssoclntu It with .Molllo why not, when she was tho prlrno cause of his adventure? j Ho advanced to tho library; a voice J fell upon his cars, a volco that was peculiar, and which ho know belonged to tho odd genius of a darky who had driven tho mulo by means of which ; ' "Worden conducted his prisoner of war to tho shell-wrecked house Tho special courier had arrived ahead of him. Colonel John halted Just beyond the door. A mirror In the hall reflected i tho Interior of tho Ilbrnry, and ho could seo that Molllo was alono with Wonlcn'a messenger, who was fum- I bllng In tho pockets of his ragged ' army coat. "I dono speck I lost Mm missy. Do majah ho skin (lis darky allbo if dat bo true. I'd Jest ns soon bo dat Yank -wlf do ropn round his nock ns dls olo I coon. Dar's on'y ono last chance dat I put It In do llnln' ob my hat. Slioro ! nough, do kentry am sabed agin," and ho triumphantly dragged forth tho 1 missive that had been Intrusted to his care. "Is this for me?" sho asked, recclv- j lng It. i "Ho dono Bald so, missy." t "Who gavo It to you?" unfolding It. "Do majah wld do curly mustache I and do flcrco oyes wat mnko a trcm- ( bio como up from old Pomp's shoes." Her oyes wero fixed upon tho page. ! Colonel John moved a step nearer, i and, unobserved by cither, stood In tho j doorway, his gazo fastened upon tho faco of tho Southern girl, his wlfo by tho fortuno of war. It wait as though ho cxpcc!d to read his fata thcro. Over hor usually composed features y thero shot a sudden look of alarm, of oven horror, as sho read Warden's ' messago. "Can It ho posslblo they havo dono I this tcrrlblo 'thing? Why, I saw him hero only a fow hours ago, allvo and 1 -well. At cloven It Is now half past. ! And Worden has dono this ho ex pects to win my esteem by such an act. Colonol John was an. enemy to my country, but an honorablo foe. To mo ho wob a friend. Oh! I cannot bellevo this It Is a dream. Ho cannot can-not bo dead that would bo too cruel. I havo seen a cousin and a brother go to battle never to return, and now " tho same fato overtakes this friend." Sho suddenly caught tho darky's arm. "Pomp, wero you present when this tcrrlblo thing was done nnswor me." I , "Deed an' I wasn't, mUsy, but doy had do ropo all roady, an' do Vankeo osslfer ho smoko urn cigar Jest as cool as a cucumbor," returned tho ebony mosscnger, showing his Ivories. Sho wrung her hands In distress. "It is too lato then. Ho has before now suffored tho extremo penalty of the court-martial. If I had only known of It In time I would havo saved him, even ns he did mo from tho burning liouBO. Ohl I shall novor forget tho clasp of his strong arm ns ho bore me -r out of the flames. I awoke then to a knowledgo of tlfo fact that I no longor hated him as formerly " j Sweot words to tho man who stood ' at the door and strained his hearing to catch what she said. Ho Raw her press a small kerchief to hor ej es she was weeping for hlra. Yo godsl how It thrilled John Kldgo-way Kldgo-way he had never betoro felt tho In-fluenco In-fluenco of the dlvlno M'urk, and as Is natural, when a man reaches tho ago of thirty without having given nny time to love mntlcrs, then tho Rhock when It comes has nn Irresistible force. Then her frame seemed shaken with emotion, and tho tears could bo Been 'gUMcnlng In her eyes as sho turned to the negro. "Do ou really bellevo they hung him, Pomp?" she BBked, with a tremor In her voice. "I specks dey did. missy. Dar was a tool: on do mn J all's face dat mean huslncRi, I dono reckons him goose cooked shuah." "The contemptible wretch, to think tho wny to n womnn's heart Is over tho body of her husband for ho was such to me by law, even If I did say I hated htm. Poor Johnl I did not know prejudlco blinded mo. As for llasll Worden, I shall never speak to htm again. Ho has created an abyss between us that will live forever, and cannot bo bridged. Oh! John, why did j on come to arouso theso strango feelings feel-ings In my heart! I thought I Nvas devoted body and fcoul to tho rausc, but now I feel strnngo doubts arising. Wo nro losing tho game perhaps his sldo Is tho right ono after all." Sho Gccmed to sadly muse, and the uiiBecn witness was wondering how ho could dlscloso his presence without giving her too great n shock, when suddenly sho looked directly at him. Ho advanced. Her paltor gavo way to a rosy blush sho oven looked glad for n moment, though quickly allowing a sbado of anger to sweep over her face. "So, you nro allvo after all was this a trick on your part to tinmnsk my feelings? It would bo contemptible contempti-ble If true," sho Hashed. "What you say Is qulto Just. As It happens I havo Just escaped from your friends, leaving them In tho old house with Home wounds to caro for nnd an empty nooso on their hands. Hence, you seo I don't merit your sarcasm." Sho looked Into his faco eagerly as If desirous of reading tho truth. "Can It ho posslblo jou would not dccelvo mo?" "Why should I? Seo, my six-shooter is empty upon my wrists notico tho marks whero tho cord cut Into my flesh, nnd hero wo havo tho burn Hint Inovltably followed when I applied ap-plied tho nro or my clgur to my bonds at tho Inst mlnuto. To clinch tho mat. tor you havo tho major's message." "It Is true. I am glad you escaped, John IUdgoway," avortlng her eyes. "Is that all, Molllo?" advancing another an-other step. "Why, what more can 1 Bay?" trembling. trem-bling. Ho picked up her kerchief. "This Is moist I saw you cry tears shed for mo! Ah, Mollle, I daro not Bay more that oath prevents my making advances they must como from you. I pray you lot no faUo modesty mod-esty stand In tho wny to wreck our lives." Slib suddenly held out her hand. "How can I help It, John Illdgeway? I hate you no longor. Wo nro friends yes, you may oven hope. Uot mo go now, pleaso. Rood night, John." CHAPTER XXIV. War In the Mountain Passes. Though strongly tempted to take her In his arms John forbore, and It wns Just as well, for Molllo had not yet realized that sho loved him, this man whom a strango fata had raado her husband. Ho squeozed tho llttlo hand, whllo his eyes eloquently declared tho burning burn-ing language his dumb lips dared not speak, for thoro was no clauso in that contract prohibiting tho languago of the soul. Then ho dropped her hand. "Good night Ood bless you, my dear girl I shall hope, yes, more, I will bellevo that when this cruel war Is over, and tho North and South nro again united as of old, you wilt not deny me the privilege of calling you j by that blessed name of w'fe. I shall sav no more good night " f Sho was gone, nnd Colonel John, left alone In tho library, paced up nnd down for half an hour wrnppod In thought, nnd Judging from tho smile upon his fare, he must havo had pleas-nut pleas-nut cogitations. Then he went out to glvo more pos-Itle pos-Itle orders to the men on guard, having hav-ing nn Idea thnt tho venomous Major Worden might make still another attempt at-tempt to unhorso him. Morning enmo without further adventure, ad-venture, and with It n sudden order from hendqtmrtcrs calling for Colonel John's presence. Ho was not oven glfen n chanco to flco Molllo again, but looking back as he galloped down tho nvenuo ho saw a fluttering white kerchief held In n hnnd that protruded from tho shutters shut-ters of her room, and raised his cap In answer. ncnchlug Sherman's quarters, ho ro-celved ro-celved Instructions to get his command com-mand In rendlncss for Immediate action. ac-tion. Already a relief detachment had gono forward to nisumo tho guardian-Rhlp guardian-Rhlp of I.yndhurst, nnd John would thus havo all that wns left of his command. com-mand. Upon leaving Atlnnta their courso wns almost directly northwest, through tho rugged defiles of tho grent chain of mouutnlns that guards tho border line between tho threo states, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee Fow know whither they wero going. go-ing. Sherman kept his secret well. Among tho officers, however, tho fncts wero known. In his march from Chattanooga to Atlnntn tho Kcdcra general had been compelled to fight almost every foot-of foot-of tho way. To accomplish this, Indeed, to remain re-main even at Atlanta for months It wns necessary that his lino of communication com-munication with Chattanooga remain Intact. Of course, onco Atlanta fell, the Confederates Con-federates saw tho chanco to rcduco their victorious enemy, and for tho tlnio their energies wero devoted to tho task of cutting of his lino of communications. com-munications. If this could bo dono, Sherman would be In n serious condition indeed. Thoro promised to bo somo lively times on tho scenes of former desperate desper-ate battles. Colonel John nnd his regiment hnd been ordered to Join tho column about, to move bnck to the relief of tho brnvo general who hnd been left among tho mountains of Georgia to guard Al-toonn Al-toonn Pass, a point of Immcnso vnluo to Sherman In keeping up communications communi-cations with hts base of supplies at Chattanooga. Messages had been received from General Corse, messages that told of overwhelming foes against which ho nnd his llttlo command wero holding out with n bravery born of despcra-Hon. despcra-Hon. So nbrupt wns their departure, owing ow-ing to tho need of haste, that Colonel John wns not given a chanco to havo another Interview with tho girl whom tho fortuno of wnr had mado his wife. Ho sent her a message, however, Jimt ns they wero lenvlng tho city. The march was ono of hasto. Should Altoonn Pass bo taken by the enemy, much of Shcrmnn's hard work must ho dono over again, That meant despcrato fighting, climbing tho granite-faced hills In tho midst of n deadly flro, of awful hand-to-hand fights all this and moro It bravo Corso had been compelled to surrender beforo Sherman arrived to succor him. Thero wero not mnny obstacles in tho way. (To bo continued.) |