Show NJ WARDEN c esaff Q or juc ju c 7 CHAPTER continued cont aued As he finally passed beyond the en emy s pickets and felt safe his thoughts began to turn once more towards lyndhurst he wondered whether the old darky with his snail moving mule could have arrived and delivered the note major worden had so I 1 andly written con berning his fate it if so how would she receive ita colonel john wanted to be magnan amous but he was deeply interested here and he never in his life wished so much for anything as a chance to witness what occurred when that note was delivered it would possibly settle some little matters in his mind which were beginning to worry him and thinking thus he reached the gate that opened into the spacious grounds of lyndhurst then the house loomed up lights could still be seen ab about ut the house though the hour was close on to midnight he wondered at this for they re tired early as a usual thing upon entering the house john felt a deep satisfaction over his escape somehow he seemed to associate it with mollie why not when she was the prime cause of his big adventure 7 he advanced to the library a voice fell upon his ears a voice that was peculiar and which he knew belonged to the odd genius of a darky who had driven the mule by means of which worden conducted his prisoner of war to the shell wrecked house the special courier had arrived ahead of him colonel john halted just beyond the door A mirror in the hall reflected the interior of the library and he could see that mollie was alone with worden s messenger who was turn fum bling in the pockets of his ragged army coat 1 I done speck I 1 lost im missy de cajah he skin dis darky alibe if dat be true I 1 d jest as soon be dat yank wit de rope round his neck as dis ole coon dar s on y one last chance dat I 1 put it in de linin ob my hat shore nough bough de kentry am gabed agin and he triumphantly dragged forth the missive that had been In trusted to his care Is this for mea she asked receil in ing g it he done said so missy who gave it to you youa unfolding it de cajah wid de curly mustache and de fierce eyes wat make a trem ble come up from old pomp s shoes her eyes were fixed upon the page colonel john moved a step nearer and unobserved by either stood in the doorway his gaze fastened upon the face of the southern girl his wife by the fortune of war it was as though he expected to read his fate there over her usually composed features there shot a sudden look of alarm of even horror as she read worden a message can it be possible they have done this terrible thing why I 1 saw him here only a few hours ago alive and well at eleven it Is now nom half past and worden has done this he ex pacts to win my esteem by such an act colonel john was an enemy to my country but an honorable foe to me he was a friend oh ohl I 1 cannot believe this it is a dream he can not be dead that would b too cruel I 1 have seen a cousin and a brother g to battle never to return and now tin same fate overta overtakes kits this frieda she sud denv cau caught bt th tb 3 darky a arm pomp were you present when this terrible thing was done answer me deed an I 1 wasn gasn t missy but dey had de rope all ready an de yankee he smoke um cigar jest as cool as a cucumber returned the ebony messenger showing his ivories she wrung her hands in distress it Is too late then he has before now suffered the extreme penalty of the court martial it if I 1 had only known of it in time I 1 would have saved him even as he be did me from the burning house oh ohl I 1 shall never forget the clasp of his strong am as he bore me out of the flames I 1 awoke then to a know ledge of the fact that I 1 no longer hated him as formerly sweet words to the man who stood at the door and strained his hearing to catch m what hat she said he saw her press a small kerchief to her eyes she was weeping tor for him ye gods how it thrilled john ridgeway he had never before felt the in fluence ot of the divine spark and as Is natural when a man reaches the age of thirty without having given any time to love matters then the shock wren it comes has an irresistible force then her frame seemed shaken with emotion and the tears could be seen glistening in her eyes as she turned to the negro do you ou really believe they hung him pompa she asked with a tremor in her vo ce I 1 specks dey did missy da was abool a 1001 on de cajah s face flat dat mean briness bu iness I 1 done reckons him goose cooked shiah the con emp tible wretch to think the w m ay to a woman s heart Is over the body of her husband for he was such to me by law even if I 1 did say I 1 hated him poor john I 1 d 1 d I not I 1 now prejudice blinded me As for basil worden I 1 shall never speak t to 0 him again he has created an abyss be us that will live forever and cannot be bridged oh john why did you come to arouse these strange feel ings in my heart I 1 thought I 1 was devoted body and soul to the cause but now I 1 feel strange doubts arising we are losing the game perhaps his side is the right one after all 11 I 1 she seemed to sadly muse mus and the unseen witness was wondering how he could disclose his presence without giving her too great a shock when suddenly ahe he looked directly at him he advanced her pallor gave way to a rosy blush she even looked glad for a moment though quickly allowing a shade of anger to sweep over her face so you are alive after all was this a trick on your part to unmask my feelings 9 it would be contempt i bl if true she flashed what you say is quite just As it happens I 1 have just escaped from your friends leaning leai ing them in the old house with some wounds to care for and an X 0 4 a C U C empty noose on their hands hence yo i see I 1 don t merit your sarcasm she looked into his face eagerly as it if desirous of reading the truth can it be possible you would not deceive mea way should 19 see my six shoot er Is empty upon my wrists notice the marks where the cord cut into my flesh and here we have the burn that inevitably followed when I 1 ap piled plied the fire of my cigar to my bonds at the ast minute to clinch the mat ter you have the major majors s message it is lq true I 1 am glad you escaped john ridgeway averting her eyes Is that all molliee advancing an other step why what more can I 1 say trem bling he picked up her kerchief this is moist I 1 saw you cry tears shed tor for me ah ali mollie I 1 dare not say more that oath prevents my making advances they must come from you I 1 pray you let no false mod esty stand in the way to wreck our lives she suddenly held out her hand how can I 1 help it john 7 I 1 hate you no longer we are friends yes you may even hope let me go now please good night john CHAPTER war in the mountain passes though strongly tempted to take her in his arms john forbore and it was just as well tor for mollie had not yet realized that she loved him this man whom a strange fate had made her husband he squeezed the little hand while his eyes eloquently declared the burn ing language his dumb lips dared not speak for there was no clause in that contract prohibiting the language of the soul then he dropped her hand good night god bless you my dear girl I 1 shall hope yes more I 1 will believe that when this cruel war is over and the N north orth and south are again united as of old you will not deny me the privilege of calling you by that blessed name of wife ashall I 1 shall say sav no more good night she was wai gone and colonel john lort ia alone in the library paced up and down for half an hour wrapped in lit thought and judging from the smile upon his tace lace he must have had pleas ant cogitations then hf he went ott olt to give more pos itlie orders to the men on guard hav ing an idea that the venomous major worden might make still another at tempt to unhorse him morning came without further ad venture and with it a sudden order from headquarters heal quarters calling for colone john s presence he was not even given a chance to see mollie again but looking back as he galloped down the avenue he saw a fluttering white kerchief held in p hand that protruded from the shut of her room and raised his cap in answer reaching sherman s quarters he re calved instructions to get his corn com mand in readiness for immediate ac tion already a relief detachment had gone forward to assume the guardian ship of lyndhurst and john would thus have all that was left of bis his corn com mand upon leaving atlanta their course wag was almost directly northwest through the rugged defiles of the great chain of mountains that guards the border line between the three states georgia alabama and tennessee few knew whither they were going sherman kept his secret well among the officers however the facts were known in his march from chattanooga to atlanta the federal general had been compelled to fight almost every toot foot of the way may to accomplish this indeed to remain even at atlanta for months it was necessary necess iry that his line of corn com muni cation with chattanooga remain in act of s course ourse once atlanta tell fell the con federates saw the chance to reduce their victoriou iou enemy and tor for the time their energies were devoted to the task of cutting of his line of corn com it if this could be done sherman would be in a serious condition inde indeed ed there promised to be some lively times on the scenes of former desper ate bittles colonel john and his regiment had hac been ordered to join the column about to move back to the relief of the I 1 rave general who had been left among the mountains of georgia to guard al toona pass a point of immense value to sherman in keeping up comment with his base of supplies at chattanooga messages had been received from general corse messages that told of overwhelming foes against which he and his little command were holding out with a bravery born of despera derpera tion so abrupt was mas their heir departure ow ing to the need of haste that colonel john was not given a chance to have another interview with the girl whom ohp fortune of war had made his wife he sent her a message however just as they were leaving the city the march was one of haste should altoona pass be taken by the enemy much of Sher sherman mans s hard work must be done over again that meant desperate fighting climbing the granite faced hills in n the midst of a deadly fire of awful hand to hand fights all this and more II 11 brave corse had bad been compelled to surrender before sherman arrived ta to su succor cor him there were not many obstacles la in the way to be continued |