Show CHAPTER ellen Y I 1 NN us its one of the oung est e at colonels colonel 4 in the federal BY niev ai my aliu i it was its easy fol foi lie ine to find and it brief furlough when we passed near I 1 on oil our nav to the blue ridge gap ill aull I 1 then ran rail down fur for it a look tit at our valley alloy allo y I 1 found di bond lu in ills big little brick office nt at the lie tot top of the bill overlook ing ng alio ic v village age it was lie who ilio allt showed me the lie iti amond pipers with lists of the confederate elate dead colo net nel nume name oa 04 was among the first 1 saw lie had bad bieu with both cum forces doely do ely to my luy own oun position nt at bull ruu run his 1111 son poll clarry pi at his side wi w iq se fie llou aloush sli possible fatalis wounded nal was as no now in hospital at I 1 I 1 showed dr bond the writing of gaidon oruie orme and put beffie him the hank bank of england notes that I 1 had found on oil ormes person and which by tile the heimi of his testament I 1 thought mient berh aps belong to me I 1 could I 1 use u ie any of tills mone monc plean conscience I 1 asked could it honorably be employed rup loyed in the di lug ing of the ceat orme left on my fam lly ily ilk part of that debt aou ou tune hilie nl at ready caused liaro tin to the old doctor answered slowly loll 1011 ou would be doing n wrong if aou QU did no oblige him to discharge the rest 1 counted out and mid hid on oil the delc before him the amount of the funds which my fathers tatt lers memoranda showed had been talen taken from him film by orme thit fatal night more thau than a 3 sear ear ago the bal ince of tile the notes I 1 tossed into the little prate grate ind with no more ado i we burned them there we concluded our conference in regard to my mv business q matters I 1 learn ed that the coal lands had been ro redeemed 1 from foreclosure e colonel vei meil I 1 wether m tb er having ada anat d the necol saly t y funds fudi and as tills now jiow left oin debt running to him I 1 instructed dr bind to take steps to cancel it immediately and to hi me e the propel prop property eity ty partitioned I 1 as colonel should deter mine n and now tick pick said aid my wire inar pd ed old friend hores here 8 something ou ought tn see pee I 1 sn s n ni ed it for you 0 oi er there the morning you threw it into the fire fireplace tie be rime id out on the top of the desk n folded hit bit of hide bial rai nillar ellou enough gh it was to wl un aou ou saved but half I 1 sold paid I 1 the other it of I 1 is gone ile he pushed a mke flike of snuff far up his long nose I 1 I 1 es said aid lie he quietly 1 I sent it to her home three months ngo ago what did she say nothing you ou fool want did you expects expect 1 now mv son SOD be concluded sar abely I 1 if you ever dreamed of marrying any other woman dah da h me if I 1 come into court anti and mike this indenture witness for you both for her as well as youl you go on aw away ay now and ion don t bother me any more our forces passed up the valley of virginia and rolled through the old rockfish fish al ap we overspread all the piedmont volley and passed down to the old town of charlottesville lt it was nearly deserted now the gly southern aou thern boys who in the past rode there with their negro servants and set at naught good thomas jearel jeff ei son it a intent of simplicity in the lie enow lit tle tie chambers of the old university of virginia now were gone with their i horses and their servants today you may see their in bionde on the tablets at the 11 university DIversity doors BOOM I 1 I 1 had quartered quirt ered mv men nebout the quiet old place when I 1 b hard ard the voice of rov my sentry illenye ch and clu c night ailt nil an word ord of indignation in n m woman 9 olce A low single seated cart was halted bolted near tin the curb and one of its occupants was wag app apparently much ang angered pred I 1 diw her clutch the long brown rifle kitrel which W bich extended out at the he reir arpir ocr the top of tile the seat 1 I oil git out n t the he roid nun min repeated she he or 1 I 11 tithe take a hot nt at you for luck we done come this fur and I 1 reckon N we e c en n go tile the ret rest the way ray that could tip IP no one but old mandy mcgovern lor for the wile sile of nm ise ment I 1 should lore dive left her to mike lier her own ar ciment with the guard had I 1 not in the tie same glance caught sight 0 of f her compin companion com pinion lon a trim figure vi close titling rord of golden brown a wide ide h hit tt of russet et straw her fa face ce it wn ralen ller her face went rosy red as I 1 his ened to to the side of if the cart and put down mandys it arm she stammered unable to speak more connectedly than I 1 myself handy could not foigel her jaimet and Insi insisted steil that out abc winced to wv L the boss bogs 11 am the colonel in command right here aunt mandy I 1 said wont I 1 do you A kunnel nhe retorted looks to me like lc la Is mighty easy arde if you 11 II do no welte otter atter blural meriwether Merl wether chos camill here to lie he the real boss bog or of all you folks sv say wall ion 00 oo taken away my man ami aad my boy chete they at NN ith we here I 1 was waa aglid to safe mate and somewhere not far n awny w it y the boy 1 la q wounded but bin oi arm iw im nearly well aln ain t got miff fight lill alt no both he and auberry seem to he just beginning I 1 humph reckon happy tile then if a ino inkins 11 s gittin three squares a tar lav and plenty 0 tin dont see hut mote moie he fie kin ask corporal Cori oral I 1 culled called to my sentry who wes a 4 now pacing back and forth before the door hiding biding his mouth behind his hand put this woman un ua der arrest nil and hold her until I 1 return site ches looking for eriv privates ates auberry allberry ind mcgfern Mc Goern ern G company first vir finla volunteers olun keep her la in my of lice while sent tor for bring me my bog bas front from the table it was reilly a pretty fight that between mandy and the corporal the latter was obliged to call out the guard for aid I 1 side sick em cm pete cried mandy when she found her arms arma pin pill boned and at once there darted out aiom under the cart a hairy balry little demon of a log dog route mute pink eared which began silent havoc with the corporal a leg I 1 goold again at that dog I 1 was re idy to take it in my arms anna and arv out that it m was no nay my friend it was the little indian dog tart ellen and I 1 had timed mined why then had bad she kept it why had she biou brought glit it home with mith her I 1 doubt which way the contest would have pone gone hod not mandy seen me climb into tier her N spat sent and take up lip the reins pete then stolidly tool took up his place under the cart we ne turned and drove back up the street ellen and 1 1 I saw tier her fingers twisting together in n her lap but as et rile file had not the flush on tier her cheek was wag deeper now noi she bett be t her hands together softly confused half frightened but she did not beg me to leave her if you could get away she began at jilt I 1 would ask you to drive me hick bick home aunt mandy and I 1 tire anre chete together kitty steven sons visiting me boull aull vant to call on kitty my ity father has been in eist kentucky but I 1 understand ho s ordered here this week major stevenson is with him we thought we tie might pet get word and so came on through the lines lou iou had no tight light to do so the pickets should have stopped you I 1 said at the same time I 1 am acry ery plod they dida didn t so you site aie 1 1 colonel she said qaid after a time with an army girls nice reading of insignia s I 1 answered 1 I am an officer nov isow if I 1 could only be a gentleman I 1 don t she w whispered I 1 dont talk lit in that may w ay please do aou ou think thin I 1 could be 1 I think you have been she ahl pared ill tier her face rosy now then she ehe pointed to n i mansion manlon house on a far off hill such guch a house as can be found i in america but in this very valley an old family seat lying re belied and full of dignity at a hilltop shielded m with ith great oaks abat 1 bat is iq our home she said we have not dot often been here since grand father died and then ray my mother but this is the place that we mcf ethers ill call home As we approached the gate I 1 heard beard behind us the sound of galloping horses hores there came up the road a mounted of fleer with Us his personal escort fin an or derly several troopers and a grint grinning ilag body servant I 1 look there be comeal comes it Is my father faher t exclaimed ellen and in a moment men she was 8 out of the cart art and ad running town down the road to meet him ank ing his hand resting her cheek against his dusty thigh as he be sat in saddle the officer saluted me sharply you ire outside the lines said he be have you leaie leae I 1 saluted also and chught the twinkle in his bis eye I 1 on detached service this morning general I 1 sold said bif if you please I 1 ob chill ill report to within the hour ile he wheeled bis big horse and spurred on up along his own grounds lit fit mas tor ter for their stateliness A A wide seat lay beneath one of the oaks wo W wandered an dered thither ellen and I 1 the little dog mute watchful kept close at tier her side ellen sold said I 1 to her the time tae come now monr I 1 am not going to wait ray any lonnei read hand this I 1 put into her hand gordon ormes ormea confession she read with horror starting on her face 11 what bat a scoundrel eco undrel what a criminal I 1 she said the man was i i demon ile he killed your fat berl I 1 I 1 ies eq ond and in turn I 1 killed him I 1 slowly iler her eyes flashed she was nage s again as I 1 bad seen her my ity soul leaped out to see her fierce relentless exulting that I 1 had bad fought and won careless that I 1 had slain I 1 orme did all he could to ruin me in aery way I 1 added read on then I 1 siw her pice fice change to pity as she rhe came to the next clause so now non she bhe knew the truth about grace sher her aton and I 1 hoped the truth about john cowles vita ran you forgive met me she se sald ia brokenly her dark eyes swimming lit in airs as she turned toward roe me that Is riot not the question I 1 fin an slowly it Is cm cin you yon for give gire me her hand fell on my arm amt in ir lori naly 1 I have no doubt donal that I 1 was much to blame blaine tor for that poor girls act 1 continued the che ane question tio only la is haa flag my punishment been enough or can it be enough do oil oi met cae we ve all wake inake mistakes ara am I 1 good enough for you rilen ellen answer me but bhe would not yet annaer so II 11 I 1 went ent on 1 I killed gordon orme myself in fair fight but in he wrote this of his bin own free will ile he himself to told 1 I in me e it would lie be proof la Is it proof she put the paval gently to one side of her on the long sent seat I 1 do not need meed it she said if it came to question of we baab learned carried much of these matters m mi fataei bild 1 I since we last met 3 ou oil but butt I 1 ha have ve never nf needed aided it not even that night we vie said goodby ah how I 1 wanted you back after you had gonel gone and our father I 1 asked tier her my bond falling on hers lie ile knows as nim much li ns I 1 lately he has haq bawd fiam jour friend lr dr bond we have both learned a icat many things we ne tile me sorry I 1 nin ain sorry gorry I 1 hive a always IT ays been sorry 4 nut but alint mote I 1 asked I 1 El illenz Ille leill nl she put out her hands in a sort of terror dont she sold said 1 I haie put all this away for so BO long that now lowi I 1 cant begin again I 1 can t tj I 1 canti I 1 am afraid do not ask me do not nol no iso not no she started from the seat as aa though she would have fled in ft a swift panic put now I 1 caught her stop I 1 exclaimed mee in nil all my heart I 1 ve been a fool long enough 11 and nd now I 1 will nill haic hae no more of fool ashness I 1 will aly no mote to figure niceties not try to understand it a woman but gentleman or not I 1 swear that if we were w ere alone again we m c two tuo out there you should do as I 1 wild bild vs as I 1 desired and I 1 say any now you roust must 3 oil shall I 1 site she sank back against the rail with a little sigh as of content a little smile quille fis as of a child caught lit in mischief and barred from escape oli ob though I 1 ched a thousand thon thou years neier neer would I 1 I 1 understood a woman now sow we tie will nill end all this I 1 said brov frowning ning I 1 harght her er by the arm and led tier her to the gallery where 1 I picked up lip the bag 1 I had left nt at the drive driveway iNay I 1 myself TO self rang at the door riot not allowing her to lead me in ia the orderly came 1 ialy my compliments to general meriwether wether I 1 said land and colonel cowles would like to speak with him ile he came that tall man master of the man mansion mandon don dusty with his travel stern of face like a gray hear bear of the hills but be smiled and reached out his hand come in sir lie he said and now we entered it seems you ahnie brought back rov mv girl u gain I 1 hope my welcome will be warmer armer than it was nt at lara mie lie ile looked nt at us from one to the other the brown skin akin al bout about his keen eyes wrinkling 1 I have certain things to so say gen eral I 1 began we were walking into the hall As soon as I 1 might I 1 hand ed to him the confession of gordon orme lie ile read it with shut lips of this I 1 know already he sold said finally but not this as to your father lou w baie my sympathy and sir air my congratulations on our accounting for such a fiend there at least ju justice has been served ite he hesitated before continuing As to some details I 1 regret that my daughter has been brought into such matters he said slowly 1 11 I regret also that I 1 have made many other matters worse woric but I 1 am very glad that bat they irive hive now been made plain dr samuel bond of wallingford your fat fathers tiers filene has haa cleared up much of all this I 1 infer that lie he has baa nd ad you of tho the condition of our joint business matters our bour estate Is in your debt gener general all I 1 said but I 1 ran r an now adjust that we ne dball pity pay bur share after tint that it tue ll 11 L linds I shall lie ie divided or held jointly ns as 3 sourest sou relt shall say illar could they not remain as they are tie rie mailed at me let iet roe me hope so I 1 turned to ellen IP please leae I 1 euld bring me the other half of this I 1 blunz open my bag and spread upon the nearest table my half of the record of our covenant lone done its as it lind had seem beem ed to me long years ngo ago colonel mer bier idether and I 1 bent over the half rigid parchment I 1 saw that ellen had kone gone but presently she crime came again bI imitating tating flushing red and put into my handt the other half of our indenture slip she parried pete the little dog doc under her arm I 1 placed the pieces edge to edge upon the be table the old familiar words worda looked up at me again solemnly again I 1 felt my heart chole choke my throat as I 1 read 1 1 cowles I 1 ellen take thee take thee until death do us ua part I 1 handed her a pencil she wrote slowly freakishly haling bailog her maiden v will ill and it seemed beamed to me still a week to 0 a letter as aa she signed but at last her ier name stood in full hulln tulln 11 I 1 le ie I l e n mer bf e r I 1 w wet e t her h e r general genera I 1 I 1 said eald I 1 this indenture wit v I 1 t bl we two are bound by it we have consented together in holy wed lock vie ne hae bae witnessed the bame ea before god we have pledged our faith either to other ile he dashed his hand across hl his t eyes then thea with a swift motion he be placed our hands together my boy said he aie ie always wanted my girl to be taken by an army man an officer 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