Show ce y eez M cows laws chapter continued he even wrote her a I 1 ne be beseeching her to visit him once more but no answer came there was a cnance the inmates of the hosp atals who were fit to leave were transferred to prison where tl air prospects grew darker the winter wore avi away ay and cpr ng came john learned that his comrades had bad reached savannah and head ng in a northerly direction while grant s chances of capturing the confederate capital and ending the war were con isi dered good dreary days passed john johns s greatest distress was of th nand tor for he could not learn what bad had become of mollie and his fancy some times pictured her in sickness he met with daring spirits and an escape was planned in the light of subsequent events it would doubtless have been wiser tor for them to have r re e where they were since the day of liberation was not far away but hot heads carried the day and the es cape was made the pursuit was not very hot tor for just at this time provisions had grown scarce and with coming events cast casl t ing their shadows before the people of georgia were not in a cond tion to spend much energy recapturing those who would only be a burden on their hands one day when they were hiding by a negro in a hay loft and when the shades of night tell fell they sought the railroad a daring plan having entered their heads at a siding they found a train of I 1 freight cars waiting the order to go ahead I 1 transportation was almost dead in the south at this time there was lit tie tle to carry and poor facilities tor for handling it suddenly leaping upon the engine colonel john and a companion took possession ot of it the third man detached the lococo tive from the rest ot of th the train and then ran ahead to turn the switch in another minute they were upon the main track and gathering head way while a number of men shouted all manner of threats in their rear around curves and past hamlets where lights gleamed from cabin win dows the runaway engine sped rock ing wildly under the impetus bold men in the start they had now grown reckless of consequence it was in the air it thrilled their nerves just aa as men usually get the battle fever and are ready to lead a forlorn hope into the jaws of death just when they were congratulating themselves on the progress made in n round ng a curve and dashing into a cut their ears were saluted by a shrill whistle while at the same t me they saw the flash ot of a headlight down the track A collision was ginev table tor for on a single track two engines have never yet succeeded in passing and ap preaching hing at full speed was the south bound train CHAPTER I 1 gentle wh te W aged peace the engineer put his hand to the whistle valve and I 1 let et out a shriek of warning while at the same time he lie closed the throttle reversed the lever and made every possible effort to stop jump boys I 1 he called as the flash from the headlight beyond showed that a collision was bound to occur they went nent out of the cab in a hurry ten seconds later there wa va a great crash ardithe and i the wreck occurred only two of the federals emerged i from the cut the third having been stunned by his fall those two were colonel john and the engineri engl neel ei knowing the locality was unhealthy tor for men of their calling they made haste to leave it always heading toward the north passage over the mountains was dit dif ficula and they aimed to again strike the railroad some distance beyond the wreck about midnight they succeeded in doing this but every little while idd alad i t A J fc 4 U 1 ini to hide as the news had been sent along the wires several times they had narrow es capes and as the night drew near an end it was determined to hide hungry and footsore the fugitives fugi thes crept into a haystack but even here their rest was disturbed tor for a posse of soldiers arrived with a wagon and began to load the hay upon it for transportation transport alton in the gray of early morn our two adventurers crept from the farther end keeping close to a rail rall fence and thus escaped what had threatened to be immediate capture unable to reach the woods because of the presence of more soldiers in that quarter as a last desperate re sort they entered the house by means of an open cellar window after all this turned out a good move tor for they discovered the larler of the planters home and with the charming assurance tor for which ing yankees were noted proceeded to help themselves in the midst ot of their repast who should walk in upon them but an old aunty who happily was so utterly paralyzed at sight of the intruders and the inroad they had made upon her supplies intended tor for the confederate officers that she was unable to make a sound for a full minute and by the end ot of that time they had explained who they were laws kurnel john don t youse knows old aunty chloea I 1 done thought youse dead an gone afore now was the exclamation that al most took the colonel colonels s breath away he led the grinning closer closer to the window and recognized one who had catered to his wants while at lyndhurst the discovery thrilled him tell me is miss mollie alive and wella he asked she am dat was the prompt reply where Is she not berry far away I 1 reckons in this housea yep marse kurnel he was amazed at the hand of 0 fate that had directed him here and de lighted it may be set down as positive though the mystery of her sudden disappearance from the hospital caused him some uneasiness I 1 must see her aunty can you keep our secret don t know bout dat ar dey may call for de you uns got away bif I 1 kin try mighty hard dar am some coons round dis ar place an t like atlanta I 1 in youse where is she here when did she come comee has she been sick gory ask em slow like we have been ayar quite a spell miss mollie she sick when we arrive but butter now speck she work too hard in dem pore chile dar sump n on her mind I 1 reckon too tell her I 1 am here that I 1 must see her well honey dat kin be arranged you wait an don youse get away wid any more ob de provisions or dar way come then she was gone time passed the engineer worn out slept but john kept vigil alone he anticipated coming happiness and each minute seemed interminable at last aunt chloe came down the cellar stairs her ebony face beaming a strange messenger ol 01 cupid a mock ery of mercury she say come 11 hat kept ou so longi hours have passed gorry de dey stay and missy you be seen she mighty kearful bout one of marsel linkun B boys now time was w en she delpire de hull bull lot bag an baggage which last muttered remark was music in his ears of course john did not present a very elegant appearance indeed he was much mich like a tramp but had made himself as presentable as possible with the lim ted accommodations chloe led him to a room and left him to finish his toilet in ten minutes john came out feel ing fresh and eager to discover the I 1 girl whose fate had so strangely been linked with his he ile stood in the doorway at her she was white and thin but had never looked to lovely in hie his eye their glances met she smiled and held out her hand in a moment he was at her side on one knee and had seized that hand borne it to his bearded I 1 ps and I 1 assed it passionately nor did mollie offer the s sl objection you have been ill III my darl ng 1 I feared it when you failed to come back then in the hands ot of the enemy I 1 was sent to a prison made my es cape and the same strange fate that had linked our lives directed me here but you are tn in mourning who Is dead your father no no I 1 tell fell in a faint they brought me here and for weeks I 1 lay hovering between life and death when I 1 grew stronger they told me you had died I 1 I 1 even saw the item in the paper she replied with a slight blush that caused john to grow even bolder only one of his hands held hers now the other having stolen around her waist you mourned tor for met me oh ohl mollie my wife through the fortune of war why should we longer resist this decree of fated heaven intended us tor for each other I 1 have learned to love you dearly will you deny t that hat I 1 am of more importance in your eyes than other mena it would ba be tolly folly john closing her eyes and this time he was not content to press a kiss upon her hand those ruby lips so near it is strange that we should meet aga again in on this day ot of all others you have not heard the news john iti it was inevitable and although it almost breaks my heart when I 1 think ot of my suffering country I 1 am glad it is over richmond has fallen then he asked qu akly yes the news was brought by my father who has gone to his room pros grated thank god that this terrible war will soon be over that brothers north and south can again clasp hands and allow the wounds to heal amen she sobbed from the shel ter of his arms for john had taken the full liberty of a husband to em brace the dainty little woman given into his keeping by fortune fortunes s favor john went no farther in search of ol 01 the federal lines squire granger waa wag stricken down as a result of and for a time lay helpless in this emergency john proved a godspeed an and won the old man s heart eve even n a ad he had already captured his daugh ter s in their long chats mollie and heil husband had a full understanding hel HEI brodu ed the pap s taken from the burning house and which he had car ried on his person all through his ad ventures these documents so precious to him related to his inheritance be sides there nere certain facts con berning his leaving home under a cloud and with these papers he wag was able to clear his name in full no wonder then he risked his 1 in order to save them As or his cousant cousin should the papers have been it de ea strayed there was a chance of hie big gaining the property which accounted for his interest then came the news ot of lee lees s sur sura render and last of all johnston yield yields ed up his army to sherman the war was over all the sorely stricken so ith breathed easy they had fought long and bravely tor for their cause and yielded only when further warfare would have been madness inhuman john was at the head of his regil ment as it marched through washing ton but he lie laid down his sword and returned to georgia to identify hima self as a lawyer with his native city atlanta the war brought misery to many but to colonel john it gave a loving wife and today to day the gate cit honors him as one of her leading sons the end |