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Show fECOWNECSWlH CHAPTER XV. Continued. "Quite right g that the party behind you, sergeant?" "Yes, colonel." "Bring him here, then." Lights from the interior of the Souse found avenues of egress through loor and window, casting broad bankers across the darkening piazza. The messenger was a Finding it guarded by a Federal force they could easily judge the owner must be in close touch with the enemies of the South. This would naturally arouse their passions, and such lawless marauders would take the keenest delight in ap-plying the torch to the buildings that had thus far existed through the troublous times marking the siege of the Gate City. Sergeant Shanks presently appeared again, announcing that the horses were ready. Together the three mounted and rode away, the black looking more like a grinning ape upon the back of a horse than a human being. The colonel having one arm in a sling was not in a prime condition for an engagement of any sort, but his wound was slight and would be healed jn a few days. Soon the environs of the city apwhich the peared, the breastworks Confederates had defended stubbornly against a superior foe, until the disasters at Kenesaw, Peach Orchard and other battlefields warned them Atlanta was doomed, and they must evacuate unless they desired to have their homes wrecked by a bombardment. "fthen they rode among the houses, along the avenue that in the years to come would be the most beautiful in the Southland, the homes of senators, governors and bankers. When they pulled up at a stable and dismounted, leaving the horses in charge. Colonel John turned to the grotesque scarecrow whose hand had delivered the message, saying: "Now it's your turn, my man. Lead us to the house where this lady may be found the lady from whom you received the note." The negro cast a glance of inquiry toward Shanks, which action was not unnoticed by the colonel and his faith- larky. "Well Sambo, what do you want?" demanded tie colonel. "Is you Kernal Ridgeway, sah?" "That is my name " "Kernal John Ridgeway?" "Yes." Tie got somethin' for yoase, sah. " "Well, out with it." "Yes, sah, in one minute, sah, jess as soon as I disremembers whah I secreted urn, sah." Then followed a hasty search of his garments, until John was really afraid the scarecrow would fall to pieces under such vigorous action. He knew just how to deal with such creatures they only Irresponsible need a firm hand to guide them show-anexcitement and they become too rattled for anything. "Was this a note you had, Pom)?" he asked. "Dat's jess' wat It am, massa, if I kin only recerlect what- I put um." "Stop and consider you desired to make it secure so it might not be lost." "Gorry, how you knows dat, massa - kernal?" "Where would the safest place be In the lining of your coat?" "Ain't got none, sah." "In your shoes?" "Gorry, I specks not wif dem holes." "In the lining of your hat?" "Gorry, massa kernal, you am a wizard. It am dar, suah euuff, an' hyar am de note." Colonel John took the crumpled paper and opened it. No doubt his curiosity was some- - "stood Tffijar, ful attendant. "Does we all go, massa kernal?" asked the negro. &r: wha aroused, and yet the chances were ten to one lie would find it a beTgiriK letter from someone he had orxe known many years ago. who believed he might have some influence new to save him from threatening dagger, for with the advent of the Feieial forces into Atlanta no doubt mere than one private score of long standing was wiped out. Whatever the contents of the miss lv the colonel seemed interested, lor - reail it ovar oi .0111.. .iieasanl .Nat It .) could readily guess from I lie mwfroi(P upon his brow. ffli turned upon the messenger. "vVho gave you this note. Scipio?" "Gorry, de lady herself, massa kerthe fellow, who nal," stammered seemed to answer to any name, so long as it applied an African descent "Can you take me lo her?'' "I spect I kin, sah " "Sergeant." "Colonel," and Shanks, who had respectfully fallen back while his Officer Interrogated the darky and read the , note, loomed up again "Have two horses saddled and prepare to accompany me to Atlanta. See here, how did you come out to Lynd-hurston a horse or afoot?" "On a mewl, sah." "Well, you'll ride back on a horse sergeant, an extra animal for Pomp Tie can get his mule in the morning." "Gorry!" was all the scarecrow eald, but he looked as though he could hardly contain himself at the prospect of soon being astride a genuine horse, flanked on either side by a soldier In the hlue of the United Siates Government. That was glory enough for one day. Colonel John walked over to the group gathered about the planter, and excused himself. "A sudden private matter calls for I shall be my attention In Atlanta ten. Unbefore In all hack probability til then, good night, gentlemen." H' called- his second in command aside and gave him orders concerning the disposition of the men. few In They were comparatively number Rnd on the outskirts of the Fedeial line. It behooved them to keep a sharp watch Bands of guerrillas were roving in a miscellaneous way around the country, and might at any time uapp k upon the plan! i n t- - , 1 lilt iu& UM :i ssr 10 t In the same "ondition, he did not appear to have any fears regarding the attendant circumstances. And at length their black guide came to a halt. "Here am de house, massa kernal, sah." CHAPTER XVI. The League Against the Colonel. Colonel John was aroused by these words of his guide he had fallen into quite a reverie as he walked along, and it may easily be surmised that the peculiar adventure had happened to him under the Lyndhurst roof oc cupied a prominent place in his J thoughts by day and by night. He now found they were in front of a plain dwelling house. It did not differ from scores of others In the immediate vicinity, which was of the poorer classes. There was nothing about the place to Indicate danger. Federal soldiers could be seen on the street in either direction, for Atlanta was tight in the grip of Sherman's host, and overrun by the boys in blue. "Sergeant, wait for me at the door." "Yes, colonel." "If 1 call or you hear any suspicious sounds, enter." "Yes, colonel." "After you have broken every bone in the body of this darky whom I leave in your charge." "Yes. colonel." "Golly, dat am me I'se a dead nigger if de massa kernal hah a fit '' groaned Sambo, but the sergeant paid no heed to his lamentations, and calmly proceeded to lay a hand upon his shoulder, while with the other he exposed a revolver, the sight of which almost made the poor darky's wool stand up on end with fright. Meanwhile Colonel John stalked up to the door, upon which he knocked loudly. There, were lights in the house, but the curtans were drawn so that not a glimpse of the interior could be obtained. In answer to his summons the sound of bolts being withdrawn could be plainly heard. Then the door opened a few inches. "What do you want?" asked a voice. "I have come you sent for me," returned the soldier. "It is Colonel Ridgeway." Then the door opened wider. Colonel John experienced a queer sensation as in answer to the invitation extended to him he stepped and entered the across the door-sil- l house. He found himself In a plainly furnished room. Colonel John, having cast his eyes around to make a mental note of his position, now turned his gaze upon a woman, the only person in the room. She had quietly closed the door, and stood there facing him. He started at sight of that darkly beautiful face, seeing which she gave a low laugh, a disagreeable laugh that gave the hearer a shudder. "Well, I hardly expected to find you here, madame," he said, with a frown. "No doubt, and yet you knew I was in the city, my dear Colonel John," returned the woman, advancing close to his side. "That is true you dared to call upon my that is upon Miss Granger, and tell her a base lie to affirm that I was your husband because through the grace of my cousin Crockett you have a right to bear the name of Ridgeway. Perhaps I ought to thank. you for your kind action, since I have reason to believe it has furthered my cause." (To be continued. "The sergeant accompanies us. This city is In the hands of the Federals, but there are many quarters. I do not doubt, where the life of a Union officer might be in danger, did he choose to roam about unattended after nightfall. I am not so great a fool. Lead on, Scipio, you hear?" "Yes, sah, at once, sah," returned the other. Colonel John had already positive evidence of the fact that he was not without bitter enemies. That was the most cruel part of the civil war it divided families, caused Got Good Dog Cheap. hatred between brothers, and pitted father against son. Byrnes N. Watllng of the secret His cousin hated him bitterly, not service has a handsome Russian wolfbecause John bad ever done him an hound. evil turn, but simply on account of the "This dog," he said the other day, bitter feeling the wicked always en- "cost me $200. If he had belonged to tertain toward any one .tlfferent from a commoner breed if he had been a Boston or French bull, a griffon or a themselves. Pomeranian I could have gotten his Then there was Major rVorden. He had good cause to feel especially like for $25. "How? By using my knowledge of hitter toward the Yankee colonel. Being enamored with pretty Mollle crime, by profiting from crime a C ranger, and resolved to win her for thing I wouldn't do, of course. "But some men would. I used to his wife, it must have been deeply to soldier this of in Terre Haute a reformed conknow proud humiliating the South to know that she had sacri- fidence man. He had a good job In a to she and charity society, went regularly ficed herself to save the ho-'- e church and professed to be thoroughly her father loved so Intensely. " Yes, she was the Yankee colonel's upright and good. But over stroked and Mr. bent as a is true it brilliant made Watllng so, wife, stroke of business diplomacy, but out the silky white coat of his hound. met this chap one morning on the of his reach so long as her husband street. lived. " Lx)k here,' I said, is this your adNo wonder then, Worden was eager to put him out of the way Mollle as vertisement in the paper for a lost the colonel's widow would be a pos- dog?' " 'Yes,' said he. sible prtze for him to win. on "'But. hang It all,' said I, 'you never Colonel John had these things had a dog to lose. his rrilnd as he and the sergeant walk"He grinned. ed along the s'reets of Atlanta behind " know It,' he explained, 'but I their sable guide. The railroads had been crippled want a good dog now and I'll be able ere Atlanta fell, but Sherman's men to make a very satisfactory selection my advertisewere now engaged in building them from the animals that ' call forth will ment and them. up defending "That night he showed me a superb All the vast supplies for his army French bull that had cost him six dolmust come by rail from Chattanooga, lars "Chicago Chronicle. and until these had been accumulated Sherman would make Atlanta his An Advertisement (A. D. 1850). headquarters. witscenes could be The American School of Resting. Many stirring nessed In the streets of Atlanta. Art of resting taught by corresponNo apparatus ami no latiora-torHere blazed an Incendiary fire, and dence work necessary by our method. the soldiers In blue fought the flames like heroes, for If it once passed be Development of latent and neglected Stubborn cases of yond their control, with a strong wind talent a specialty. blowing, the entire city might be con- atavistic Industry solicited. Testimonials and photographs of sumed. good Whatever the motive that brough grateful graduates who have v on thla night In thelelsu:. olfti M " - Puck. Colonel John to the i i pcti-Hon- I and prices big. awful scarce this 'low meb!)" we'd better sell all ourn and eat Simon for our Christmas dinner. One room ain't any good and he eats more than any hog on the place." " 'Pears like Simon was just ma4e to die young, anyhow." agreed Maiy. "La! the times I've reskewed him!" Fully a month before Christmas city people began to send out to engage one or two of Farmer Martin's well known turkeys. A week before the da Mary Ann shut up all the salable turkeys and Simon in a couple of large carriage crates which served as coops. They must have the choicest food and be ready to deliver into the hands of the many stiff backed coachmen who came for them daily. The gobblers spread their fine young tails and grew red with indignation; but Simon took it all as philosophically as wat his wont, contentedly eating more than was his share of food and on warm days wallowing in the basin of drinking water. Soon all but two of the turkeys were carried away. One of the two. a handsome young gobbler. Col. Robertson and bis grandson would call for on Thursday. Proudly and stiffly the young turkey strutted up and down the now roomy cage, and gobbled his protest from morning till night at the top of his voice. Simon lay at his ease In the basin and blinked at his irate companion as if the air around him did not fairly reek with garlic. Whenever the turkey came too near in his swollen pride it was only necessary for Simon to open his mouth anc" extend his tongue. At last the Colonel came for his turkey and bore him away, still protesting volubly. Only Simon and an undersized hen turkey remained. it ain't much of a turkey, that's a fact,' acknowledged Farmer Martin as he and Mary Ann passed the pen Friday evening. "She ain't worth much. Wouldn't you ruther I'd kill her than Simon tomorrow?" tentatively queried Mary Ann, with her eyes on Simon, who ran to the bars to see if more food was fort h coming. "Goose is good enough for me, and Simon ain't no money value. Mebbe that turkey will fatten up 'gainst spring ami make a right respectable mother hen," replied Farmer Martin. "She's not likely to unless she makes a better fight for her victuals, Mary Ann returned. "Pears liko Simon gets most of 'em in spite of all I can do. He's sich a fool he don't know when he's got enough. Most seems a pity to kill such a silly critter." That night Mary Ann had everything In readiness for the morrow, planning to rise early and prepare Simon before breakfast, for even Mary acknowledged that a goose is hard to r he would bare liked nothing bet ter than to rest alter the great exertion of the day, he seemed bent upon carrying out the request of the note. Beyond making sure taat he was armed, and that Sergeant Shanks was when s U' F' - Simple Simon's Part in a Christmas Dinner F ANY of old Speckle's queerly assorted brood were atepchil-dreor only adopted she never betrayed it by even so much as an upward roll of her eye. Truth to tell, old Speckle knew as well as any one that her inclination "to set" had come at a slack egg season but the maternal instincts thrilled her, 1 f n providence she submissively turned every egg in her nest each day, and sat a week longer than any other hen would have thought compatible with her dignity. Most of Speckle's offspring came in twins. There were two fluffy white chickens, two pert black ones, two The Thief Threw Himself Over. fvee striped bantams, two long legged peevish turkeys, and two perpetually hungry ducks. But when it came to the twin goslings there was only one of them. Of course, the different twins associated together and told each other their trials and Joys, their fears and hopes; but the gosling was the '.lilow sheep of the family. He knew no troubles but his own, he wanted little, and when he found a happy hunting ground of bugs he had It all to h.mself. He had also a little habit' of wabbling In while two chickens f 'lght over a bug, quietly gobbling up the insect and calmly turning bis back wfthou( even 80 much as a remlndei that there no longer existed a cause for quarrelling. Others might hare sharp bills to dig and fight, but he had a broad one to grasp and retain. In bis Independent, way he waddled through the world, making strange friends, and having feajher-breadtescapes known only to hliiself and the Martin familv. May Day dawned warm and sunny. W.ims bad fairly wriggled themselves ,nt the goslings mouth that morning am he felt more than content as he sq tted in the sun on the back kltchon tep. Suddenly, In turning his head to he left, he splel a tempting red t ob. peeping up from a great, round, . he gosling wl Ish looking surface rat I a dash, and splash' he went un ,r the shining white surface. Ho ha that red bit, however, and as he HW lowed It he Instinctively struck oul with hit legs What a dollgh"ul happy-go-luck- h - sensation the gosling had then. He seemed born for paddling, and as he paddled he kept bobbing his head down into the white substance and fetching up the most appetizing things. Evidently the world had been made for nothing except gobbling and paddling. By and by he began to feel tired. He determined to jump out on the steps again, but grange to say all his jumps turned to paddles. He couldn't seem to get over a hard, brown object next to the steps. He decided to try no more but just to sit still, so he doubled his short legs up under him and floated. After a while he felt himself sinking, but he paddled twice or thrice and got up again. Still it was pleas-ante- r to drift, so he rested once more. Lower and lower he sank. Strange odors floated up around him. Drowsiness besieged him. Not much except his head was now above surface, but somehow, as he rested bis bill on that cool substance the gosling didn't care. Just then Mary Ann came out with a pan of peelings and dashed them in. "Peep! peep!" murmured the gosling, bobbing up and down. "La!" ejaculated Mary Ann, and ran for the shovel. When she had shoveled him out on the grass she finished her exclamation. "La! aint that fool goose got no more sense that to go swhnmln' in the sIod bucket!" "Peep!" replied the gosling, placidly turning over on the grass in the warm sun with a deliclously filled feeling. Lazily the summer months drifted by. One day and another "that fool goose," as every one came to designate him, figured continually before the public eye. So entirely devoid of sense did his escapades seem that the hired man named him "Simple Simon," for short. With the coming of the snappy De cember days people began to think of Christmas feasts, and the farmers to look over their Kultry with an eye to the markets. One frosty day when Mrs. Martin's kitchen breathed spicy odors her husband slouched In. "I've Just been looking over the poultry," he drawled. "Turkeys are A dreBS. About four o'clock in the morning she was aroused by an unearthly quacking and hissing. Hastily throwing a quilt around her shoulders and plunging Into her shoes, she rushed to the chicken yard. A man fled toward the fence with a bloody turkey in one hand. "Drop that, drop that!" yelled Mary Ann, hurling the cloths stick at him and bearing down upon him at full speed as he neared the barbed wire fence. The thief threw himself over, but his trousers and a turkey wing caught on a barb. Gaunt Mary Ann, in her motley quilt, loomed up before him, armed with a chicken trough. With a desperate wrench he freed himself, but he lost his prize. Mary Ann grabbed up the turkey. Its head had been wrung off. She ran frantically to the coop. It had been overturned. "He's stole Simon, he's stole Simon!" walled Mary Ann as Farmer Martin appeared, hitching up his trousers. Suddenly a familiar sound smote her ear. Glancing up, she caught a glimpse of Simon quacking merrily and waddling rapidly through the rusty weeds in the direction of the corn pen. "Well, I reckon we'd better have turkey for Christmas after all. Ain't no use of losln' two fowls," said Farm- er Martin, after relieving his feelings. "La!" muttered Mary Ann, as she watched Simon blissfully quacking and gobbling In the middle of the corn pen. "I do believe Simon ain't such a fool after all." N. Y. Herald. When to Moralize. We will not expatiate upon the evil In Christand folly of e mas giftmaking until after Christmas. Such moralizing follows the "dark brown taste of the morning after." Atlanta Constitution. PERTINENT QUERY |