Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-11-15

and reached her, and she secured II
about her, "iIurry now" she cried,
laying her arms along the two sides
banow,wisel ~ can but be killed,
Aud then she had 4 sensation as II q
comet had seized her and was dragging
her beyond the eaflh's influence, aud 10
q minute more torn, scratched, and me
paste Of black mud, she Was landed on
firm soil, II don't know how TO thanh
you" she said, when she Was heed from
her harness, and could stand for trem'
bling, 'iiut II you will ride down 10
the place, my brothers will acknowledge
the debt they owe you for my llie,"
ut Ia pDrndohh daughtof,' said q
voice from the shadow "the cusssiest
little rebel among oil these rebel
women. Bay, colonel, 'twOuld DO q
good nlghts work to carry her into
clmp, She would DO worth the rausou,
oI score OF our men,"
"Will you be HilentY' said the first
voice, "Do the United States make
war on womeni Comol Do you want to
do a dashing thlngp We will nee the
young lady home"
OF couTae she know now irto what
hands she had ialleni q party OF tho
encmy's scouts from whom hor beliefs
and prtjulicoa told her to expect no
layor Tor ono nome, she wished fhe
had died In tho swamp, And Jet the
iace Of the leader shining In the moon'
light
vi perceive" she said then, without
q break In tho ringing OF her clear voice,
"that l avn IN the hands Of my eoun-
try's enemies, But ! require you, ~
gentlemen, TO take me 10 my home,
Lot tho traitor who knows DurRdon's
daughter diamount, and give me his
horse II shall be brought back 10 him At
this spot, aud his lie be sparel as niue
shall be-
Z" Az tho queen said, so was II done
cried the first voice, joyously and al
most before che knew Il she was mount
cd, with military cloak hiding her dis.
array, and the party We're threading the
wood, and then, out upon tho tnrnpiKe
were galloping 10 Durndon place,
whittier less than IN hour brought them,
alighting amids q chorus OF yelling
dogs, neighing horses, and cxclaiming
servants.
"Durndon's daughter thanks you,
gentlemen she said, "and insists that
You come In and sup, The hospitality
OF Virginan ia as safe rs m Arab'S,"
"No, no, no, colonel" said one. "a
little too much OF n good thing~
"Do you think so? But I've q mind
to Try it, and doillng his cap, aud
holding up his arms to swing the young
lady from her saddle, he answered ;
"Onc does not need urging when Miss
Durndon invites. Permit me to intro
duce myself US Col, Greene Rivers, Of
Massachusetts,, my friends, Capt. Bige.
low, Capt. Preston, Mr.. Colin, Me-
Lawrence, all OF the Wild cavalry"
Directly afierward they were in Il long
wido entrance room, where fire wal
lowing up the chimney in the cool
spring night reddened the dark vain.
scot with rose and purple light; peo'
pie were yociferating and moving on
every side; Laura was surrounded and
carried away, and they were left to
themselves.
They looked Il. one another n littlo
obviously. We'll, WE'LL" said the
colonel, az have brought into the
scrape, ] must bring you out" And
then there entered to them stately old
gentleman, who announced himself as
Judge Durndon, grasping their hands as
he thanked them one and all for the life
they had saved. 81 can not hold as my
enemies,' he said, "those that have
done this nights work. Until you
know my daughter cannot realize
the service you have rendered me. 1t
is an obligation l might repay with my
life-I know OF no other way.' Before
he had finished, the door opened, and
Miss Durndon, surrounded by her
brothers and cousins, came into the
room.
She was wrapped in Geecy white
robe, and her long black hair, still un-
dried from the bath, and breaking into
thousand tendril-like rinslets, fcated
over her shoulders. "These are my
brothers," she said to Col Rivers.
"They are ut home on furlough. And
these are my cousins, Mr., Ben Chaunce.
forth, Col. Tufts also, Capt. Jones,
Maj. Tucker. l suppose" she said,
alter this long speech had made the
greetings gay and easy, "that it is the
strict duty Of part of these gentlemen to
make you captive. And when did the
Durndons neglect duty?"
"One OF the Durndons," said Col.
Rivers, in tone meant only for her
ear, "has already made me captive"
"But if they did," she said, as if she
had not heard, I" it would equally be the
daty of the Chaunceforths to set you
free. So by resolution Of forces you
must remain as you are, and 60 as You
came"
There was one gentleman. however,
the dark-browed Col. Tufts, who had
heard the unguarded speech of Col.
Rivers, and who felt in his heart a lit.
tie doubt if these dashiAg and daring
strangers would long remain as they
were or go as they came, if he could
help the who hsd aspired to Laura
Durndon's hand this three years, and
this three years hopelessly.
"Now," said the Judge, "we will
forget for little that there are contend
ing armies in the field, aud household
set against household up and down the
land, and we will meet rs we might
have met two years ago, good friends in
good-fellowship."
And they all sat down at table
where Laura presided in gracious obliv-
ion of the outside world, like q queen
with her court about her. That Col.
Tufts absented himself moment from
the table was hardly observed in the
gayety where there was good cheer,
nor of course did any one know that his
servant had cautiously led out horse,
and stolen away. It was only when,
long after midnight, the Rivers party
rose to go, made their adieux, and gal
loped out in the moonlight, that Col.
luits' mmomentary absence bore any
significance. Then, as they still stood
at the gate, just as he too had said good.
by, and made of in m opposite direc-
ton, old Rosy whispered into Laura's
ear, and the young mistress turned to
those about her, repeating Rosy's
words.
at is too much to hope for in Tufts"
said her father. "His little soul is not
big enough for this. But these men have
L n -. .,..l.. Aln ollinnlinn ol nnai,,rr