Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-09-12


Why M'Ginley, you haven't but one eye
open She's beautiful woman, but she'd turn
q fellows home into Pandemonium. 1t would
be violation Of nature for her to be d wife,
She must be the man, and she d rule every thing
with rod Of iron. 70 yied one inch Of her
own will would be torture to hor."
81 do not think So" replied M'Giniey, with
a quiet smile lie might still have retained his
opinion for he was rot man who formed or
rejected beliefs lightly but he would not have
smiled if he had seen her once that evening stop
there in the darkening shadows and clench her
delicate hands upon her breast with passion
that fitted the hali-frlghtened defiance in her
eyes Defiance? Of whom Of what Per-
haps Of herself.
You think an telling you OF woman who
belongs only in poetry and romance. assure
you that ] am not.
IL was about an hour after NJ Ginloy had left
her that one of the servants came hurriedly to
the parlor window, near which rho was sitting
alone 10 the dark.
" Miss Margaret
Oh, is 1t YOU, Dan2 You gave Prince the
extra quart Of meal, as told you, and sent my
message to the gardenerl
" Yes, Miss Margaret, dc work all gone done
out OBJ do way for Dc night 'Tain't DAT ar
come fur. Pears ike knows something you'd
oughter be tolled on,
Something in the negro's face arrested her
attention.
q" You may come in, Dan. What is it?"
" Notoiy hedn't oughter to be hearin' ob it,
Miss Margaret Der no tellin wha. might
become OBJ we al cl dey did,"
You may close the window DAN
lie closed It, and tn door. lie said then
few words to her 1ly above a whisper.
She changed color-as much as she ever did.
" Arc you sure
" Yes, cIar sure, Miss Margaret. war hunt
in fur eassaras fur my ole woman-she's sot
her heart on { fhe's done got d. Resumption,
an der warn't nothin' ior't but de sassafras--
an dcy come long atween de trees-two OBJ 'em
an heered every word az | neber breaf till
dey get by an dey don see me III dey d zee
mo-laws Miss Margaret | would MT a b.n
here ter tell
" What was the time to be, Dan?
" Je5' ten clock, case heord EN- name 1t
ahsr dey d got trough"
Miss Bronson looked al her watch.
" You may lock up well, Dan, and the peo-
rle can come into the kitchen if they are at oil
frightened There is, however, nothing, think,
to fear They will have work enough without
coming into the town. And, Dan 90 not
care 10 be disturbed this evening | wish to
be alone. Toll Rose and Eliza, If any thing is
wanted 10 wait I'LL call them. "
" Yes, Miss Margaret
She took off her Grape mantle and began 10
fold il up, while she listened to bia retreating
footsteps she sm0othed every crease and care
fully Strengthened the fringe. There was some
thing curious 10 the mechanical aetion perhaps
an intensity OF excitement which word or
cry would have weakened.
Then she went to her own room, divested her
dress OF some. Of i.s feminine encumbrances,
threw over her shoulders dark, hooded cloak,
examined her revolver and loaded it. After
that she went hurredly down stairs, out of the
door, and into the street.
A great lurid moon gared through the mist
that night, and the clouds that the wind tossed
ty i were stained with sullen red. NJ Ginley
watched It's rise over the hill where they were
encamped, with some odd fancy about It's color
and the last long day when it should set forever.
His lace had paIed within the last hour. A GER
tain hungry longing had crept into it-that
longing which can Dot be mistaken, and which
is 10 pitilu TO sec, especially in man, and a
man like Robert MGIney. do not mean that
be would have sought or deliberately chosen
death he was too thoroughly s0ldieriy IN the
warp and w0ot Of his nature for that. Mar
garet Bronson c0sld never make a sentimental
lst, or that most cowardiy of cowards-a sui
eide out OF him. But simply that, standing
there apart from his comrades and their cheer
lul campfire talk that night, with the smoth-
cred passion Of the redeemed moonlight. above
and around him, and the memory of that one
womsns face for his sole oompanionship, be
may have thought Well, | fancy death
seemed i pleasant thing and fair to look upon
1t had become 50 iamli ar to him in the life be
led it 50 dogged his steps aud hedged him in
it talked with him In his dreams, and woke with
HIM in the cool summer dawns, it basked in
the glare Of the sunlight and lurked in the even
ing shadows; it and ms troubled life hung for
ever beside him, balanced in the chance Of
single shot He may have wondered, as be
stood there with his face turned toward the sui
len moon, and the group of pines below ii, be-
yord which her home was hidden-he NAV
have wondered liItle-we all like to speculate
at times as TO what the world will be when we
60 out OF it-whether the sight of his ife-blood
would thaw one i0t OF Miss Bronson's frozen
elegance. Probably Its contrast TO the dazzling
white of her own folded hands would not be
pleasant. Probably she would beg them to
care for him deceniiy, and bury him out Of her
sight Possibly she would say the country was
making terrible sacrifice Of its young men
then 60 and dress for dinner
Looking down through the trees where tho
shades OF the valley hung aud deepened, his
eye caught at last the outline OF IN form
threading its way through them. Itsimotion
was rapid, its path direct to the camp. As it
came out into the light OF little opening among
the oaks, he saw the ilntter Of woman S dress.
lie watched it curiously as it began tho slow
ascent over fallen trees anu stumps and tangled
underbrush. IL was dark, hooded figure,
somewhat tall and erect with certain fearless
disregard OF the obstacles in the path, which
was more natural to a man than a woman, and
gave him for the instant suspicion of disguise
and treachery. Just then, however, the light
struck full on hand raised 10 push aside a
dead bough-s slender, ewelled hand, that had
an indesorlbable air OF familiarity to him in the
strained Iepose OF its fingers. lie saw also with
distlnctness her black dress whose trailing folds
had been shortenci out of reach of briers and
rocks. She came up the slope under shadow,
through CLEAN of lurld mist, then out upon
projecting rock beside him, where she stood
quite still. Her hood had fallen of, her face
was full in the light of the campfire
Miss Bronson
al believe so. :"
You here, and alone
" here and alone, Mr.. M'Glnley owing to
the little circumstance that have discovered
plot to surprise your camp tonight, with force
very conveniently outnumbering yours, every
man of them thoroughly educated blood-hounds.
Their calculations, il remember rightly, com.