Show jq c CHAPTER IX cont aued not a word was apol fen en until they reached this when john looking back said it males mal es me sad to see the old bouse go well some day a new house will arise there much finer than the old and when this cruel war nar Is over I 1 predict there will arise a new south beside which the old regime will not bear any comparison she made no reply but as be he stole a side glance at her while she stood watching the greedy flames ing their work ork he be could see that she was not displeased then they walked on A strange couple man and wife ife made so by a minister of the gospel and the law of the land yet almost strangers several times he allowed her to precede him and on these occasions noted with considerable interest her proud jroud carriage for mollie held her head like a queen come john was saving sating to him self after the manner of a spoiled bachelor perhaps that marriage of convenience may not turn out such a bad thing for me after all she is handsome I 1 must confess I 1 like her spirit too though when she sas sacs she hates me I 1 remember that a woman often says something of that sort to cover up another feeling of growing interest well since fate chooses to buffet me about after the manner of a football I 1 must submit to the ginev bitable one thing sure I 1 won wont t give up my wife tamely now they came in sight of her home she showed some confusion per haps at the project prope ct of her father s frown but said nothing the federals were already in charge thanks to the shrewd plan which the squire had manipulated it was their duty to pro hect a a place belonging to the wife of a union soldier thee guards consisted of a detachment tach ment belonging to john johns s own regiment berha perhaps s there was as some thing more than accident in this the 4 r h ROD e bozay a colonel was high up in sherman shermans Sher mans s re gard and able io to secure especial favors once mollie stopped and looked straight into his face while she said deliberately you are a gentleman you gave a solemn promise last night I 1 trust you mean to keep it to the letter until I 1 am absolved by permission from your own lips to refer to the subject that will never never be she re turned coldly pardon me I 1 am not without hope said the federal colonel gravely and somehow her cheeks turned scarlet under his well bred but ardent gaze CHAPTER X the drugged W ne passing on they ascended the steps and stood upon the broad piazza he could see the look of di ure upon her face at sight of the troops who were making themselves as comfortable as possible in the grounds when squire granger came for ward with assured cordiality to greet the officer in whose care his precious estate was to be in trusted he receive ed a shock at discovering his iden city what you here he demanded frowning and casting a quick glance after his daughter who had just pass ed into the house john knowing he had the best of it kept his temper well in hand and managed to explain the matter satis factor tact orlly fly saying little of the recent adventure the house was on a knoll and from the veranda a view of at least a por par tion of atlanta could be had what they saw was a sight to arouse ahe enthusiasm of one and appall the ather federal troops were marching into tha th gate city in solid files flies music thrilled the air the harmony of piercing fifes and rolli rolling tir drufes it etwas as a tod tad day for the cont Con confider eder feder scy when this i gateway of fair geor inta into tie hands ads of the victon victori ous boys in blue colonel john did not forget his duties as a soldier it was a peculiar condition of affairs that confronted him fate assisted of course by his own olvin efforts had made him the cus toblan of his wife s property surely no federal officer was ever placed in a pooi position tion so singular the strangest thing of all lay in the fact that his wife openly prot professed essed a feeling of keenest hatred for him as she did toward everything ever thing appertain ing to the northern army her heart was thoroughly wrapped up in the southern cause and had mollie been given her own way vay lynd hurst burst would long ere this have been stripped of its beauties and almost dismantled in order to equip the con federate soldiers with necessities squire granger was ras made of less ardent material and while devoted to the baue knew enough to think of the future under the protection of these troopers lyndhurst was safe for while there must inevitably be a certain amount of looting in spite of the strict orders given the torch of the plunderer dared not approach a house that was especially guarded the georgia squire chuckled under cover of his sleeve at the successful outcome of his little plot every time he looked toward col onel john he frowned however the story of the federal federals s identity had been made known to him since major worden warden and crockett ridge way after losing their prisoner had een veen fit to visit the squire before tak ing a hasty departure in order to es cape capture by the advancing fed brals the more he studied john s face the deeper grew the conviction that while his shrewd plan tor for saving lyndhurst would probably work mark to a satisfactory point he could not shake off the husband with nith whom he had provided his child as easily as he had expected leaving orders with a subordinate colonel john rode into the city the army of incas on having fought its way flom chattanooga to atlanta leaving every rough mountain pass sprinkled with the blood ot of heroes on either side would have to rest and recuperate in the latter city before st starting artini upon the march through georgia to the sea a daring scheme already far advanced in the mind of sherman the da was well on toward the close when colonel john rode out in the direction of lyndhurst again when challenged by a guard he gave the countersign and continued on the sun was just sinking behind the rugged horizon when our soldier found himself oh the confines of lyndhurst already the fires of the troopers could be seen among the trees and a sentry stopped him with ath the usual demand though perfect Ij aware that the advancing rider was as his own colo cola nel I 1 it was ras customary under the condl condi alons that prevailed here for the peo pie of the house to offer their hospi talley to the officers in command of the detachment sent to guard their property the squire though he hated the federals with all the fervor of a true georgian smothered these feelings it would seem and provided a meal which colonel john and three of his officers were coldly invited to grace with their presence it was with the hope of seeing mol he ile that the colonel acael accepted ted the in vi tation squire granger joined them though with mith only halt concealed displeasure perhaps he fancied he should have to hear many rude remarks about the declining star of the confederacy the yankee officers were tar far too gentlemanly tor for this their talk nat aurally enough was shop but they had only praise for the gallant defense the stubborn fight kept up by the boys in gray all the way from mission ridge to the gates of atlanta listening the squire was actually carried out of his hillh ill humor mor perhaps hr the wine mellowed his feelings in some respect for he had produced some from a secret cellar and treated his guests mollie poured the coffee and it was the genuine article too not charred beans colonel john made no advances he had mapped out a line of policy ind bould w illo v it up in the bope t f arousing her interest and finally her regard she per performer formel her duties with grace but maintained silence and when the meal was ras over excused her self the gentlemen ligh ed cigars while they sipped their wine once sergeant shanks came in und lind placed a paper in the hand of his colonel which appeared to I 1 interest ante r est him deeply for he frowned as he took in its contents crunched it in n his hand then changing his mind smoothed it out and placed the same in his vest pocket perhaps to 0 o future reference the squire had noted this with a keen eye he would gladly have seen the con tents of that note it if it concerned some se rae movement against the desperate of johnston what a piece ot of strategy it would be for him to secure it and by special carrier trans mit the same to lo headquarters colonel john bard hard y liked the taste of his cigar still he smoked on and sipped his wine he talked less indeed a peculiar silence seemed to have come upon the five men each being apparently wrapped up in his own thou thoughts gats colonel john tried to shake off the lethargy that appeared to bind his limbs he looked around and saw that thal two of his companions had already yielded to tho th drowsy god while the squire was staring at him in a way that caused a spasm of suspicion to dart through his heart the wine it was ras df 1 what dark purpose was behind all this his brain seemed active while his limbs were apparently weighted down with lead just as that moment the georgia squire seemed to take on the form of a huge vampire bat hovering over a sleeper eager to suck his life blood above the thought of personal dan ger there came to the colonel the rec reel ollee tion of the paper he carried trough TI ough the effort cost him a mighty concentration of mental and phyll cal powers he managed to drag the paper in question from bis his vest pocket candles candies were upon the table tor for lamps they had none owing to the scarcity of oil he raised his arm the paper came in contact with the blaze clarles over charred and then flashed up into flame still squire granger moved nut not he acted as though under the same strange spell as had fallen upon the federal officers his sacrifice of 0 power to tg duty was colonel johns john alast last attempt bradu ally the candle lights grew bjes be beadi ayi 14 danced in a fantastic fashion tho myriad noises from the captured city rolled into one dull roar then his vision failed his senses lost their comprehensive grip and colonel john johi slept to be continued |