Show pow or 9 I tk 41 1 f N edwarda 5 n a a CHAPTER VIII vill through flame and smoke it rt was the fateful day ot of atlanta s all the federal forces bad had so en the city CAY that nothing was left to the southern anny army but a farther re treat fever never to be forgotten were the scenes that marked the departure of the brave men who had battled against eu su perlor numbers with a valor the equal of which history has seldom soon SOO smoke arose in many quarters here the retiring confederates put the torch to huge piles plies of cotton rath er than have it fall into the hands ot of the victorious federals la in other quarters houses could be seen ablaze fired by one of the rum erous bands of guerrillas that haunted the course oc of the rival armies gh copse cor se and over hill a squad ron r on of ot federal cavalry dashed heading for the region where we have witness ed these strange scenes on the previous night at their head rode colonel john and near him the sergeant the house Is on fire kurnel cried the latter as they rounded a bend in the wood names burst from many windows and his ancestral home was doomed I 1 perhaps crocket ridgeway determine de ed to ruin it he could not rule had applied the match t A headlong rush was made colonel john threw himself from his horse determined to risk k much in order to eave bavo the papers one sweeping glance he took and then dashed into the hallway at this very moment a ry was beard heard a cry thai that might have been of and came in a woman s I 1 voice olce reaching john s ears while he was bat efing with stifling smoke there was no time for john ridge way to consider the matter for he found himself compelled to buffet bil 1 lows aws of smoke cm on his way to he well remembered dinin dining groom room where the found himself at the door of a small room II 11 was v as closed when he tried to open it he found himself baffled then he shook the door savagely open open he shouted I 1 cannot I am locked in a pris oner can cane e indistinctly from beyond the door for the flames were roaring g and crackling with the fury of demons john threw his weight against the door it was ras not a cumbersome affair and when one who possessed pisses sea such strength as nature had ghen to john ridgeway beat apon it with desperate energy something was bound to give way thus he entered a room filled with smoke entered it to find no one at the window for the girl masoner pil had suni down in ili a heap seeing that she was too exhausted to follow him he immediately swept her form into his arms and t arned to to retreat just as he expected his retreat was cut oft off for the flames seemed to have followed him and already the passageway w ay was a i 1 oaring caring abyss having already made up his mind as to what he should do john moved along to the short ladder that went to the root roof here was a scuttle which he burst through and gained the open air with his burden the whole east end of the building was already in the grasp of the fiery octopus and a west wind blowing was all that saved him from being suffocated on the root roof As his only means of escape lay in the extreme west end of the hou house se it was in that direction john bore his halt half fainting burden reaching the end of the root roof he looked doa don n through the eddying smoke that curled around the corners of the house he lie could see that the ladder was corn com ing that it wo ild speedily be placed I 1 in position 1770 great hearth and chimney place were to be found some woman had seen him enter and in hei her weakness screamed that was the conclusion he reached his valno being bent upon securing the precious papers reaching the hearth he found fire in the room dow down ii on his knees went the soldier and tor for the second time his eager hands touched the hearth stone under which he expected to find the oen of his hopes or else despair fortune was kind hind when be he had snatched the packet ot of yellow papers from the hiding place im a which it had lain for years he bast hy aly buttoned his coat over the prize then for escape A kick sent ent the shivered glass fly ing in every direction and left an out let for escape through the window he made a fly ing leap and landed safely on the ground lie ile ran arlund the house to where he had left his men and before reach ing them saw a sight that caused an awful sensation to overwhelm him hima a spectacle that no man could look upon unmoved tn in an upper window of the doomed southern mansion he saw a face and waving arms it dav ned upon him then that the screams te Oc creams reams he had heard as he plunged into the house in search of the papers under the hearth hearthstone stone must have been beeh cries of distress was it too late now john took in the tle whole situation with a comprehensive glance knowing the lay of the land he saw there was a single chance of beaching eachin the room from whence the gill signal ed so wildly shouting an order to the sergeant he made a motion of enco ira gement to the flame imprisoned girl above then he b arst in a rear door and sprang up the back steps three at a time the room in ili which the girl was con fined fried was ras a portion of the attic for differing from most southern houses theold mansion had a hig high gh root roof 4 4 1 who she ayas was and how she came there thes were questions that john did not bother himself about ascending the la las f taht of stairs he I 1 he ile crept down dow n toward the gutter if this failed him everything was lost but thank heaven the old wood was still firm and john swung loose upon it that strong arm sustained its double burden until he had acquin ed a certain momentum when he broke loose and landed on the lower root roof with some of the agility a cat would have shown this done he made his way to the edge those below had discovered him and loud shouts attested the admiration they felt tor for their dashing leader the ladder was reared aloft alo by rare good luck inch it reached the edge of the roof and john knew the game was saved As he reached the ground and stag away with his burden he was surprised to feel the girl snuggle in his arms how dare you hold me so I 1 am able to stand please put me down barbarian the voice the maner gave urn lim a shock and cally he dropped the strong arm that had carried her from death to life ilfe released his bur den and stood there amazed gazing at the face revealed to his ees eyes as she shook back the mass of black curly locks it was mollie his girl wife CHAPTER IX fate weave the c amazed almost stupefied tupe fied he be looked at t the georgia girl whom fate had thrown across his path in such a re way I 1 beg your pardon it if I 1 was rojah 1 the case demanded action it was a question of life and death he said at length recovering his usual gentle manly manner I 1 would rather it had been any body but you ton sir to whom I 1 should be indebted for my life she said couly but john only smiled in a grim way there s no use trying to ficht fate I 1 told you we would meet again and it has come true nor do I 1 believe this to be the end sir Xe remember that I 1 said I 1 hated ou he burst out glit with some soine show of temper that must have been assumed eor for no living woman LOUI ouli 1 maintain such a feeling toward a dashing sol i u A dier abc v lito at the risk of bis big own life had snatched her f am what threaten ed to be her hr funeral ayre pardon me again if I 1 say I 1 don t fully believe that but it does not mat ter at all I 1 am curious to know how iou you came tp be fastened in that attio attic room a place where as a boy I 1 spent many an hour in play and even once escaped doing penance up there by tol fol lowing the same route over which our line of retreat ran how came that door locked she joked at him what right have you to demand an answer answers the best right in ili the world that ofa of a husband I 1 refuse to acknowledge the rel rela s tion sir just as you on please then I 1 have a riat to ask the same question because my life was put in peril to save you on that account I 1 will w ill answer you it was a strange thing tor for pie me to do I 1 had not been over here tor for a beir year or more though we keep the keys of the ridgeway ho house use perhaps the men tion of your name last night stirred up some so in e memories in of pleasant ramblings tn in these grounds in years go gone I 1 e by at any rate I 1 came and h having d ving en the house roamed all over it A flood of memories swept over me as I 1 went from room to room suddenly t f heard voices looking out of the window I 1 saw unknown men dismounting I 1 became alarmed escape was no longer a possibility and I 1 retreated to that small room hoping they would look tor for valuables and go away without discovering mei my hopes were without m foundation for I 1 was seen by a man who came seeking some bidden hidden wealth or able property I 1 have in these lous IOUS times always gone armed and my father taught me as a girl how to shoot when he would have seized me I 1 pu put t a bullet in his shoulder that sent him 1 I in tumbling down the attic stairs then I 1 slammed the door shut it caught in soine some way tor for I 1 could not open it again when I 1 discovered the house to be on fire that Is the story in brief sir you have no concern with other particulars he knew there was more to it yet et would not presume to ask questions this haughty girl aroused his inter est just as the hunter s keenest en thusia sm is awakened by the game that gives him th tho most trouble so this man who all his life had fought shy of the gentler sex bad had met hia his tate fate in a way never known ot of men forced to wed to save his life hated by the girl who took his name in order to save the old he now found himself actually swearing under his breath that in due time SOO sooner ner or later he would hear from the lips of mollie grander granger the sweed confession of love r thus her very expression of dislike only served to arouse his determination allow me the privilege of seeing you home he said courteously but firmly she opened her lips to refuse I 1 shall go whether you say yes op or no so please don t put yourself to the trouble your nerves have received a shock from this experience besides the smoke has served to disguise you so that the lady of granger plantation might not be recognized just no v the safest place tor for you Is at home your shrewd father has seen to it that a guard will be thrown around his grounds come let us go miss mol lie he ile gave a few orders to his men who mounted and went around by the main road tho the two made use of the shorter path in the dividing fence was a turnstile that had seen much service in years gone by but was decrepit from age now to be continued |