| Show OEM val R I 1 AAR L am T oft FRI y malady the av alorth ma J we LOVE STORY sf A GRAY JACKET by randall parrish tAu e ahm was KIZZ illustrations DY BY y ARTHUR B williamson N by A C mcclur A co at Stal loners 1141 london londom 1 6 SYNOPSIS the citory opens in a Von confederate federate tent at a critical stage of the civil war wai genlee imparts to capt wayne an important unimportant message to longstreet accompanied by sergt cral cragg an all old army scout wayne starts on h his ils mission the two after a wild ilde pet get within the lines lilies of the enem enemy in the darkness wayne Is taken for a federal officer who came to happ an appointment and a young lady on oil horseback to la given in his charge she la is a northern girl and attempts to escape but falls fails one of th the 0 hores hor es ea succumbs and n craig roea goes through with the dissat dispatches c es while wayne and my lady of the north are left alone they seek shelter in a hut and entering it in the dark a huge mastiff attacks wayne the girl shoots the brute just in time the owner of the hut one jed bungay and ills his wife appear and soon a barty of horsemen approach they are led by a man claiming to be V red ed lowrie but mrs airs bungay discovers him am to bo be a disguised impostor Impo who proves roves to tn bo be maj brennan a federal w whom am tho the union girl recognizes lo le ot ders the t lie arrest of 0 wayne as a spy while it a prisoner soyler wayne sees flies of confederate pass anti and knows that craig has tho the message heis he Is brought before sheridan who refuses to set bilm in free unless lie he reveals the secret nies mea sage lage wayne hel believes leves edith brennan to be tho the wife of maj brennan he Is given the choice of revealing the lee message or of being shot as a spy lie he Is rescued by jed bungay CHAPTER XIII continued that lio lie meant every word he spoke I 1 felt convinced and his enthusiasm was contagious my afy bloo leaped within roo me althis at this call to action all ledi lethargy argy fled and with it every deadening thought of her who had so suddenly donl woven about me the meshes of her power false or true mald maid wife or widow my duty as a soldier to dojny my commander and the arm y r belonged blotted out all else evens even as this new rush of determination swept over me above us there sounded clearly the dashing music of a military band in the strains of a straussa waltz and we could distinguish the muffled shuffling of many feet on the oaken floo overl overhead lead batons catons chance remark about the great ball to be given that evening by officers of the headquarters staff recurred to my memory that dancing up tip there will help us jed I 1 said quickly my mind now active to grasp every detail you say there Is a chance for escape from your cell then give rue me your hand and help me to crawl through that hole bole it was a narrow squeeze for a roan mail ol oi my size yet I 1 crept through without great difficulty al ai found myself in fr the dense darku darkness ebi of a room which as I 1 judged hastily from feeling about me was similar in shape and extent to the one I 1 which I 1 had been confined bungay however permitted i mitt ed me little time for explore exploration tion grasping me firmly by the arm and feeling his way along the wall he be groped across to the other side theres a mighty big stone comes down yero cap he be whispered an thor ther opening ter take out soot an ashes la Is up aist mow blow ther fluer its a sheet iron pan I 1 reckon ther way it feels an it must bo be they put a in t clean ther it gits stuffed up I 1 could clotild git up tip alone but I 1 0 o no work but thet pan ought ter cum out all right dew ye think ye end cud hol hoi me up cap im durn heavy I 1 smiled in the darkness at the lit tio fellows egotism and lifting him as aa I 1 might a child poised him lightly upon my shoulder he struggled a moment to himself against tile the wall and then I 1 could feel him tugging eagerly at something which appeared to yield slowly to his efforts As he worked a dense shower of bf dust and soot caused me to close my eyes ashes a comin all rl right he be said cheerfully puffing with his exertions but I 1 reckon as how bow chumbly aint bin cleaned out since ther war begun hold hoid up yer right han ban cap an git a blame good grip on her ber ter for ashes almighty full fiill aall wanter go down sorter easy like I 1 did as ho he suggested bracing myself to meet his movements as he stood straining on my shoulders and in another moment I 1 had bad succeeded in lowering the large she eMron fron pa pan n silently to lo the floor room yere for two men ter onera chuckled my colu companion panion in rare delight the chief in silence strode before yere goeb his weight left my shoulders there was waa a slight scramble another shower of dirt then the sound of his voice once more lift up yer hans hana cap dig in yer toes on ther stones atones an well begin our vigo 11 lie grasped my lily wrists with a strength which I 1 had no conception the little fellow possessed there was a moments breathless breath lesa struggle and I 1 squirmed through tha opening and lay panting on tile the flat slabs which composed tile the foot of t the be great tunnel funnel to afford me more room bungay had gone up a little finding foot lodgment upon the uneven stones of which the chlone was constructed for a moment ment we rested thus motionless both breathing heavily and listening to tile the music and shuffling of feet now almost upon a level with our heads the noise which was strong and continuous rendered discovery from any inis step highly improbable and ha is dela delay was dangerous neither of us its was disposed to linger long be ye lill all ready cap questioned bungay bending ills his head down per fer it if yo ye be im a coln up all right I 1 answered struggling to my lily knees in the narrow space only take it slow jed im a trifle bigger man than you and this la Is rather close quarters wal yes maybe a matter of a bouner poun er two lie he retorted and tho next Hext moment I 1 could hear him scraping ids way upward feeling for foothold upon the irregular layers of stone I 1 followed pressing my knees firmly against the rough wall and trusting more to my hands than feet for security against falling there was evidently a fireplace of some kind on oil the first floor with a considerable opening loading leading from froin it into tile the chimney we were scaling ng for as jed slowly passed I 1 could perceive a sudden gleam of light streaming across his face from the glare of the lamps within he glanced anxiously that way but lid did not pause in his steady climb upward A moment later I 1 came opposite that same game beam of radiance and cautiously peered down the sloped opening that led to the disused fireplace all I 1 could perceive was a pair of legs evidently those of a cavalry officer judging from the broad yellow stripe down the seam of the lightblue light blue trousers and the high boots ornamented with rowel spurs lie he stood leaning carelessly against the ni mantel antel talking with some one just beland the range ofay of my vision A at t that inal moment 1 cherti tisla te ceased bed suddenly and afraid to proceed until it should strike u again I 1 braced r ysela securely on a projecting stone and bent rny my head bead over the orifice until I 1 could catch a portion of the conversation being carried on by my unconscious neighbors no said the elie cavalryman gruffly and apparently in reply to some previous question the fellow was most devilish obstinate tell the first thing even a threat of treating him as ag a spy and hanging him outright proved of no avail but Sheri dans theory Is that leo lee has ordered longstreet to hit our rear while lie he makes a direct attack in front why the old man proposes to get in his work first and wp we tit at daylight to form connection with hancock by jove chesley chealey but that woman in black over there with follano Fol lanB lans e is the handsomest picture ive seen south of the line mark how her eyes sparkle and how prettily the light gleams in her hair who Is she do you chance to know yes lisped the other languidly met her at breakfast headquarters 8 tills this morning deuced pretty and all that mighty good style too but taken old man ashes brennann Bien Bren nans what not major brennan in surprise why lies hes always posed as a bachelor among our fellows dont know anything out that dear boy indifferently but the lady carne came tit in with him yesterday was in n produced traduced trad trod to the crowd of us its as mrs brennan and he called her edith deuced nice name edith As brennan has shown such poor taste as to be absent tonight to night I 1 am inclined to give a a little of my time to ills his lady far and away the prettiest thing hero here well so long somers see you in the tp morning orning im going to give the fair edith a chib the cavalry legs shifted ther position tho the band resumed its functions and in the renewed activity and noise I 1 began again the toilsome climb lily m mind now a bewildered chaos between my plain duty to leo lee and my nearly uncontrollable desire to meet once bore the woman who was dancing in the room below the little mountaineer as active as a cat and not especially hampered by lack of room in which to work was well above me by this time tile tho chimney acting as a tube brought down to me from time to time the slight noise of his climbing varied by an occasional exclamation or comment but I 1 could perceive no other evidence of his bis presence abiva all was as black as the grave holy he be ejaculated probably unaware that ho was giving utterance to his hie thoughts that was a sharp rock durn it if thara a luch inch 0 skin left on my knee ough stop thet chos got hold 0 lay tut fut hush your racket api little fool I 1 said angrily do you want tile the whole yankee army to trap us here like rats bats I 1 canno cannoth cannot aget 1 got up this ills achlin it any further therIt fur it la Is growing too small to permit my boryto pass pabs Is therso thet BO cap he asked anxiously ahu bhul he yo ye goin te ter dew bout it I 1 made no answer for a ii moment I 1 was groping about in the 66 darkness of our narrow quarters to see it I 1 could determine exactly where wo we were how high to la tills this house jed do you know three stories an attle how flow far up are we bout halfway long ther her third story I 1 reckon reci ion must be aist blow what whar yo ye are thet I 1 stuck atuck my fut down an opening i was nother fireplace replace like theta thet ane 41 lle ona on ther first cluro I 1 lowered myself silently and felt along the stones until I P located located the opening and roughly measured its dimensions 1 I shall have to risk crawling out here jed I 1 said finally for I 1 shall surely stick f fast ast it I 1 go up another ton ten feet do you suppose you can squeeze through to the top 1 I reckon I 1 kin kau lie he returned calmly but lindet hadn t we better stick torget terly gether her cap no I 1 answered firmly you go on and one af us must M t got get through to lee dont don mind md 0 at all got down front from the root roof as best you can if I 1 am caught it will be all tile the more important that you should succeed T Is doner 1 I hank thank thee roderick for the wort word it nerves my heart it steels st eels my sword even ets as lie he spoke I 1 coufa hear him upward it soon became ev lIeU growing slower more difficult then all sounds abo above ve me ifie ceased and I 1 know lie he must have attained the roof in safety CHAPTER XIV I 1 became a colonel of artillery my own situation at this moment was too critical too tod full of peril and uncertainty to afford opportunity for moralizing moral izing over Bun gays chances of escape only one pos possibility lay before me there remained ano choice no necessity for planning it was pure luck which pries open most doors of i 11 I 1 saw no other signs of human oc c igancy life and it w upon luca alone I 1 must rely now I 1 have often won dered since hon hoi I 1 ever succeeded in squeezing my b bily dy theoti through gh that nar row opening I 1 in nt I 1 the empty fireplace without at leas knocking over some thing during th difficult passage but I 1 did manage corking ork ln g my way down slowly creedin inch by inch like a snake carefully care full testing each object I 1 touched in the kirkness argness for fear of its proving loose until I 1 finally lay stretched at fall f length upon what was evidently I 1 from its feeling a carpet of knust aly lly fine texture the room pro proved bd to be an an inner one and unlighted a bedchamber as I 1 soon determine for my but outstretched stretched hands en counte ed tho the of a bed then a slight gust of air partially swept aside a benging curtain which rustled like hlll 11 and d I 1 caught a brief glimpse of the ja en t parlor it was lihew likewise ise but the door leading into th the front hall ball stood ajar arid through ahat hat opening there poured a stream of radiance together with the incessant hubof hum of many voices in animated conversation the deep blare of the band with the ceaseless mo vemont of dancing feet I 1 satisfying myself by sense of touch that tho the bed was unoccupied for I 1 was far too experienced a soldier to leave an enemy in my rear I 1 crept cautiously forward to tile the intercepting curtain and drawing it aside took careful survey of the outer apartment it was waa a largo and handsomely furnished room a polished mahogany writing table uttered littered with papers occupying a prominent position against the farther wall A swivel chair stood beside it and across its back bach hung what appeared tp to be a sult suit of clothing cloth ilig I 1 saw no other signs of hu fill man dian occupancy convinced that the h apartment was deserted and discovering no different means of egress I 1 crossed the room on tiptoe find and peered cautiously out into the hall it ii was waa not a pleasing prospect to one in III my predicament tho the lower portion judging hom doni the incessant hum of voices was filled with people who were either cither unable t to 0 find place within tho the crowded ballroom or else cise preferred greater retirement for conversation conyors tation even the wide stairway had been partially pro preempted a young lieutenant as I 1 judged from frola his shoulder straps sitting bitting just juat beneath beneat li the landing whispered eagerly into the attentive car of a pronounced blonde who shared the broad carpeted step with him I 1 drew back noiselessly to figure out tile tho situation and determine det ernine what was waa best for roe ind to attempt it would bo be sheer madness to venture upon a passage to the front door clad as I 1 was waa in travel worn gray uniform to rush through that jam was impossible if I 1 were to watt wait until the dance was concluded the later hours of tho the night might indeed yield me somewhat clearer passage yet it was hardly probably abla th that at the house used as I 1 knew it to bo be for a military prison would be left un unguarded guarda besides such delay must absolutely prevent my getting beyond the federal picket lines lilies before daybreak and would hence render lender valueless the news I 1 sought to bear to lee I 1 moved to the only window and glanced out it opened upon the back of the house and presented a sheer drop to the ground at the slight bolso of the moving sash a sentry standing at the corner glanced up suspiciously evidently each side of the tho great building wn was 8 abundantly protected by patrols something had bad to be attempted and at once the room I 1 wa was s in bore unquestionable evidence of 0 recent occupancy and at any moment might be reentered entered re my searching eyes jell fell upon the articles of clothing carelessly folded over the chair back I 1 picked up tip the garments one by one and |
