The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-11-28

filed with a fierce indignation, and,
like Saul, breathing ont tire ana
slaughter, but when the magic OF the
season began to work in his blood; when
days and nights whose counterpart had
never shone for him, unrolled their
brilliant panorama; when every
thicket and morass laughed back to the
laughing skies with myriads OF
strangely beautiful blossoms; when the
yellow jasamine hung its clustered drops
of scented sunshine in the deepest forest
shades: when the great magnollas,
those sylvan priests, held up to heaven
their ivory chalices filled with the wine
of fragrance, there had occurred with
in him a responsive awakening to softer
words and sWeeter emotions, winch even
the rude encourage of the military camp
could not dispel. In the face of this
beautiful and muniicent nature the ter
ribIeexpedients of wa took on an aspect
of aggravated barbarity and though by
sheer force of will he still held himself
sharply to his convictions of duty, he
was conscious of q certain mental relax
ing and expanding which he alternately
Welded to and strove against.
After q brief delay the servant an
nounced dinner, and the two officers
followed her to o room, where a table
was spread with a repast so bountlful
as to excite the suspicion that the fami-
ly dinner had been diverted to their
use. ODowd fell to with appetite, his
tongue keeping time with the play OF
his knife and fork, but the Major made
little response to his remarks.
AS he ate in silent abstraction, the
Major glanced from time to time at a
pleasing picture of the wide, breezy
hall, n section of the shadOw-haunted
gallery, and the swaying b~lossom-star-
red branches of a climbing rose reflect
ed in a large mirror above the mantle
piece. All at once something interest
ing occurred, Upon this shadowy sccne
entered n little white kitten, with sim
uous back and protesting tail, that
spoke of wounded sensibilitles. Close
behind, running silently and swiftly
upon tiptoe, and laughing breathlessly,
came a young girl, hardly more than46
her little slim figure draped in a cling
ing gown of blue home-spun, open at
the throat, and with loose sleeves that
afforded enchanting glimpses of white
girlish arms, her sparkling face crown
ed with an auriola of red gold hair;
such a vision as a watcher in an en-
chanted mood might hope to see.
Catching up the runaway pet she shook
it reprovingly, then set it upon her
shoulder, and holding it there with a
hand that showed like rose-veined ala
baster against its white coat, she arched
her snowy neck and seemed to listen
toward the door.
Hearing nothing but the clatter of
the Captains knife and fork, she began
whet seemed to be a dance of defiance,
addressed to the presumably
scious enemy. 1t consisted of half a
dozen polka steps too and fro across
the hall, terminated by a vigorous kick
of either slippered foot and a fierce
brandishlng of an impotent little fist.
After several repetitions of this spirited
impromptu pas seul, she waltzed nois-
lessly out the door, and so passed be-
yond the scope of the mirror
The Major who had fairly held his
breath during the enactment of this
novel and captivating pantomime, now
astonished his friend by springing up
and t~ip-toeing hurriedly from the room.
Following with like circumspection
the Captain found him standing on the
gallery with a blank, baffied look on
his face.
what was it2' asked the Captain,
"guerrillasg
mot dangerous ones," returned the
Major laughing. "Come, let's be going.
You were right about the place being
enchanted
what have you seen ~ again de-
manded the Captain.
"The Queen oftbe Pixies. Come on"
aBut / should like to see her, too"
"Whatl you don't suppose she'd
show herself to a prosiac b~eef-eater like
you 2"
He looked back with a little sigh as
they remounted thei. horses, and turned
down the hill road. Here now was a
rebel in whose subjugation he would
have taken genuine delight, butthe rig
id finger of dnty pointed inaexibly to
the rude camp near the river.
Peace was in all the air. Birds called
and cbirped. cicad@ droned their sleep
songs, wild bees swarmed with q warm
humming sound in the tops Of the tall
locust trees. The atmosphere was dis
tinctly realizable as a fluid, warm per-
fumed, and tinged greenish gold. War
and all its horrid appurtenances ap'
peared to belong to the class Of unthink-
able things.
Suddenly from o thicket-crack
| crack l. 1.-Two nnffs of light blna smoke
curIed upward and melted away among
the tree-tops two frightened, riderless
horses dashed madly into the wood, two
men Law bleeding on the ground.
Secure the horscsT cried q voice
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