Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-03-23

| room,
and rudely throwing his arms around her
neck, exclaimed with an oath, swell, YOU
are the prettest rebel that | have seen in
tins confounded country. Give me kiss
for the compliment"
III give you something else that begins
with K, if you do not let her alone!'' ex-
claimed manly voice behind him. ltwas
Annette,s brother, a STRIPPING of nineteen,
whose cheek burned with anger at this in
suit to his sister.
You'll give me something else, will
you, you spawn of an old rebel! We shall
soon see that" and the infatuated soldier
was about to draw his sword, when
the entrance of his captain, (called to the
spot by Annettes shiieks,) caused him to
sneak away. To him, Charles stated the
cause of the alfray, but with caution TO
him not to be too hot-headed, the valiant
captain staggered back to his bottle.
30 that were but once on the road to
Whitehall. could take all these dastardly
redcoats, without losing hair of my head.
have it, exclaimed Annette Joy fully; but
what she had. must for the present remain
a mystery, as the entrance of a soldier stops
ped the ulterance of the sentence that was
on her lips.
There had resided in the family, for
many years, an old and faithful negro wo~
man. Hecuba, or Cuba, as she was com
monty called, was never black Venus, and
her age was far from adding TO her charms.
Her appearance was more like that ofsome
antiquated sea monster, than that is gener-
ally supposed to belong to the female sex.
Bent almost double with the weight of years
her motions were as slow and tortuous as
those of wounded snake. 1t was in these
pecularities, as will soon appear, that An
nette placed her security. Placing the smo-
king viands on the table, and whispering
few words in Cuba ear, she anxiousIy
awaited the termination of tl:eir repast-
The liquor which was furnished them,
though insufficientto intoxicaie many, was
yet, thanks 10 the care of Charles, who
mixed the different sorts together, sufli-
Client to not only render them merry, but al
so to bewider their intellects. Hecuba was
ordered to wait upon the table. and many
were the brutal jokes cracked at her ex.
pense.
"Here, old Triangle" cried one, "pass
along those eggs. Hurry, or they'll hatch
before you get here" while another, with
drunken gravity, demanded the price of
wool, declaring his intention of procuring
sample forthwith.
Poor as the jokes were, they were re-
ceived with shouts of laughter, increased by
the low muttering grumbles of Hecuba.-
81 Bad 'nough to have to sleep in de barn to
make room widout bein' made game Of
Must been scarcity of hemp last year,
any how" Luckily for her, her last words
were drowned in the general uproar.
The meal was atlength finished, and the
sentries posted around the dwelling for the
night. But two or three were thought nee
essary, as the house stood by itself in large
meadow, rendering the approach of any
object. without being seen, impossible
They had just begun, with unsteady steps.
il must be confessed, to pace their rounds,
when the bent form of old Hecuba was
seen crawling along towards the barn, IA
building about forty yards distant. "Who
goes there?" was the prompt challenge of
the sentinel, but an indistinct mut,ering was
the only reply. Drawing up his piece, he
was just about to fire, when his comrade
exclaimed. Its the old wench, should
know herJaw among thousand. Let her
pass. | heard the old bag grumbling at be-
ing turned out of her den at SUPPER
Needless alike of words and deeds the old
woman kept on her way, until at last she
reached the barn. christening the large
door, she entered and carefully closed it be-
hind her; but instead of pausing when this
was accomplished, she kept on to the end
of the barn, where feeling about among the
straw she found another door, so small as TO
be unnoticed on the exterior, but of sulfi-
Gent size 10 permit her egress.
Whatever might have been her motive,
she did not, however, Immediately avail
herself of this, but remained in listening
| attitude for some fifteen or twenty minutes.
At The expiration of that time, she SLOWLY
crept through the opening and earthly keep
ing iii the shadow of the barn, she stole
towards the river. Half an hour sufficed
to bring her to the tree which grew on the
bank, when changing her. bent and decrepiG
gan to quick and active step, she threw
back her hood, and the moonbeams fell
bright upon the face of Annette Murray
Rapidly she sped along the stream under
the shelter OF tie high banks, until she
reached place where the river suddenly
narrowing, permitted the accommodation of
foot>bridge. Rapidly she few across it,
Slow as had been her former progress, her
! present speed more than made amends for
1t. Annette Murraywas not girl 10 start
at imaginary dangers, but her heart beat
fast at the thought of the risk she ran, should
she meet any of the traitorories.
! Old Cuha's cloak and bonnet would, she
feared, prove but very inadequate protec
lion, still, it was her only hope. Bata very
shot time suiIiced to bring her in sight Of
The first houses of the village. The third of
these was the residence of the father of
/ Hugh Robertson. The hour for retiring in
those primitive times was somewhat earlier
than at present, but luckily tie family were
still up. With a joyful exclamation she
flew uP the steps, the ihrobbing of her
heart-aimost rivalling her knock at the door.
Shall we confess her woman weakness
Ever, at this moment, a thought of Hugh nm
PEELED her 70 throw of poor Cuba's old
hood. In an insianst, although it seemed
TO her an ace the door waS orened ~.