Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-03-25
WHOLE NO. 1923.
stranger, aud in the next place she
would lose prestige if she failed to

do 20.
sMebbe ! know him--mebbe do
she replied, Is she looked around fc
her spectacles. Somehow / allu
know all the tools going, and most o
them come around here for vittels
Now then, I'll look at him.
She put on her spectacIes, tool
the candle in hand, and Dan wa
scrutinized for Q long minute. Fl,
looked up in her face and grinnet
and chucklea, though his heart wa
in his mouth.
She don't know him. Whispered
one Of the men.
The widow overheard it, and nov
she Was on her mettle. Walking
slowly across the room to put dowl
the candle and her spectaoles sh,
turned and said:
Yes, he's . fool, and you are big
ger ones for stopping him =
Then you know him 2 asked tn,
leader.
Irayther think so! His name j,
Tommy, and he lives somewhere
around Fairfax. He's been here more
than q dozen times
Didn't propose matrimony, did
he p ask d one of the men.
NO = she snapped, bat if he did
he'd have stood q better chance thar
white men who hide in fence corners
to capture niggers
So saying che slammed the door
on them and they went away. She
sat down ct the table aud looked
across at Dan, and presently unused
yes, he's . fool. and those men
bsd no business hauling him around,
no matter whether / knew him o.
not. l guess he's hungry and tired,
and I'll give him something to eat
and send him to bed
Dan played the fool'to perfection.
and when he had eaten, the woman
had a real motherly interest IN him.
She guided him upstairs, showed him
the bed he was to occupy, aud then
went down with tho light saying
Fools can see in tbs dark as well
as by daylight, and you might Sc,
the house on fire.
The spy was out of the scrape in
one sense, and yet he was in trouble.
He wanted to reach and pass the
Confederate out posts before day,
break. If be remained in the house
he would encounter people next day
who might want him more fully
identified. But how was he to leave
The chamber was q half story at.
fair, ali in one room, and q window
at either end. One of these would
let the spy out. He crept across the
hoor and tried the sash of one. II
was old and shaky, and yet be
worked at it for a long ten minutes
and gave up in despair. The sashe,
were not nailed but so warped tina,
to get them up or down or out would
make noise enough to arouse every
body about the house. The sash in
the other window could be raised
but Dams fingers had hardly touched
1t when two or three dogs, which
seemed to be kenneled directly be.
low, commenced a furious barking.
Escape by that way was cut of.
After q moments thought Dan de.
cided TO wait until the house grew
quiet, and then descend the stairs
aud 60 out by the front door. He
might have to wait for an hour OF
more, and he therefore threw himself
upon the bed. He had scarcely go,
settled when he heard q commotion
down stairs and the heavy tread of Q
man. Creeping ont of bed, and put.
ting his ear to the floor, he soon
learned that the woman's son had re.
turned home after q considerable alb,
sence within the Confederate lines.
Dan listened for a long time, catch.
ing words enough to keep the run Of
the conversation, and when he heard
both moving across the door he
slipped into bed again. 1t was well
he did so. The stair door opened
the light appeared and as mother and
son assembled she said:
'Of course he is fool! Do you
think l have got so old that / cam,
tell an IDIOT when see him p
well, these are suspicious times,
muttered the son in reply, and both
advanced to the bed.
Dan seemed to be fast asleep. One
hand, all cramped up, was on the
quilt in plain sight, and be had his
face all screwed up until the lone.
some look ought to have melted q
heart of stone.
There /! don't he look like fool,
whispered the mother.
He may be one, but tt want do any
hurt to let the patrol take him to our
outposts, answered the cor, and both
descended the stairs.
Dan must get out of that. Not by
the way of the window, but down the
stairs and ont OF the front door. The
patrol could not be far off, and be had
no time to spare Hastily resuming
bis garments, he softly descended the
stairs. While waiting at the door be
heard the son 60 ont, and after two
or three minutes he softly opened the
door.
No enc was in the room. Tip
toeing across it he opened the front
door and stepped ont, but only to
stand face to face with the SOD, q
young man of about Is and of good
muscular development: For what
seemed . long minute they looked
into each Others face. Then the
Confederate said:
Throw up your hands, Mr.. Yank.
the game 10 playedr
i just came to bid you goodnight
coolly answered Dan, and be made
Q dash.
The Confeoera to did not follow
because he realized that Dan was
running Directly for the approach.
ing patrol. He was under full head
way when he met, or saw that be
was going to run into them, and
swerved aside.
Shoot that Yankeel Kill him
Kill him, shouted the Confederate
at the house, and the patrol opened
ere in response.
Dan was not over thirty feet away
and the gloom of the night saved
him from being ridcled. One bull