River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-01-15

| because by taking the short cut you might
| fall in the sooner with the army
| Here the Young man snapped crayon, and
| while sharpening it said ''rhank You for the
suggestion. II must be ten miles to Danbury?"
| ayes
you must have pushed your horse?"
"Indeed did :"
When next he looked up the portrait was
| done. He gave it to her with q graceful bow,
and the manner of indifference, but she saw
| that his face was az white as the paper itself.
| For some moments she studied the picture
! Then she said sit is a marvel 1t must be
| my very truth full portrait | thank you, sir y
/ and she extended her hand
| As he took it she said: Il wish had some
thing that might give you in return for this.
| / fear now that was far too pTesumptuous to
| ask you to do this
''You honored me, and have repaid me.
We may meet again, sir, when | can better
| repay YOU.
/ He said, ''We may; who knows?" Then as
! his eyes fell on the ground he spied number
of beechnuts that hsd fallen from the tree over
head He picked up two of them.
''See' he said, ''these nuts are exactly alike.
| You said we might meet again. | will give you
/ this one and will keep the other If We meet
| again we will put them side by side as they are
now. Ynu can repay me by doing this. 1t Is
! only a whlm of mine.
| She looked at him curiously for a moment
/ and then said, 'Why, that is playful thing to
do but if you wish it will, /" and she thrust the
beechnut under her glove. When she looked
/ back after she had gone down the road apiece
/ he still stood there with head uncovered as
/ when she quilted him. Had she looked later
she would have seen the young soldier rush
/ ing with mighty strides i'll direction opposite
/ to what he had all day been taking, and if she
/ had read his thoughts she would have known
\ that he was thanking God he had met her.
( One evening in mdwinter, more that year
later there were gathered about the open fire
place in the living room OF the Philips mansion
/ the Young woman Martha, her little sister
Ruth and an elderly woman who was plainly
tine mother A tap at the door did not fail to
cause all three to start little. Troublons
times again had come on this part of the coun
try. Rumors of an advance prevailed. Father
and brother had again set out with the contin-
gent troops to repel a threatened invasion.
However Mistress Martha did not hest
I tate to open the door. So far, at
/ least, their home had been respected by both
/ armies There stood on the steps tall man,
/ whose great coat was slightly sprinkled with
the snow that was beginning to fall He did
not offer tO enter until hidden but he said, with
great courtesy, that he was belated traveller,
! compelled to ask for shelter and food, If so be
/ the inmates felt safe in extending such hospi-
! talitics
"Bid the gentleman in, Martha said the
mother, and when he had, with exquisite grace,
bowed and thanked her, he asserted that moth
I ing but the GlIeSt necessity NOull. uaNt COLL
PEELED him to ntrude himself.
''These are, indeed, sad times, sir, said the
mother. Twice before my husband and son
\ have been called away to defend the country.
/ know not where they may be tonight, but the
! good Lord will protect them and us.
SIS there, then, disturbance in these parts:'
+ asked the stranger.
( 'Have you not heard and seen, sir, and you
/ a traveller"
/ 81 had supposed the operations were to the
west, else might not have ventured on my
( journey"
The old lady glanced quickly at him for
moment as though wishing to scan so strange
( a person as this. who did not know what was
/ going about him, but neither by hint OF
/ word or action did she betray any surprise
The stranger was young and neatly dressed
I in a heavy, close fitting surtout which reached
! to his top boots. His hair, which was long,
/ fell in curly locks almost to his shoulders, and
it was OF yellow tinge, almost approaching
/ whiteness The old lady at once perceived
I that whoever her guest he was gentle
man. and as he addressed himself entirely TO
her she found herself interested in him
Though she frequently referred to the topic
that was uppermost in her mind, he seemed to
care little about the war. The old lady decided
that ne must be merchant from below who
ventured thus far toward the British outposts
which then included the Phillips homestead
for purposes of business Meanwhile Mar
tina had herself prepared a Tepast, of which
she at length invited the stranger to partake.
Then for the first time he took note of the girl
Eve have simple fare now, she said
1.-The simplest fare has always been my
choice and habit, he said, and then added:
This must be lonely life for you, although
perhaps an exciting one.
''Not lonely when father and brother are
here and when there Is no war"
''Your father and brother are in the field?"
( eyes, sir. y
at is pitiable lot for you indeed"
''No. sir; no indeed We are glad we have a
father and brother to fight for our country.
The stranger looked at her for moment
/ with such admiration could give no offense
Then he said: THAT is indeed true patriotism. J"
She silent for so long time that he
stopped for moment as he ate and said lis
there then to be fighting near by"
Father did say to us as he went away
s'rhere will be no general battle, but we are
going with the contingent and regulars to cut
off the approach of the British They do ex-
pect by night or to morrow to have thrown up
! such forts or defenses will head off the
/ British and as it is but twelve miles away
where they dosso at the Carmel Cross Roads,
maybe father and brother will be home Satur-
day"
! Here the stranger seemed much occupied
I with his meal, nor did he pause in the eating
of it until seemingly conscious that some one
was gazing fixedly at him, he looked up and
encountered the steady eye of little Ruth. He
smiled pleasantly and said: 'How, then, little
maid do you, too, miss your father:
lou uu IldhO tllliAfA Va HASNNAS AAAsFAAS
the child said
Have you a picture man?n
1.-THE man who drew my picture. Shall
show it 10 you?'
''Yes, indeed.
The child brought not only her own but the
crayOn of her sister.
'dThey are well done; well done little maid,
but you have grown older since this was
made
eyes. more than year"
ind aaJ1 ha half fneIItatIV1-
envy sister Patty looks every day at hers,
and sometimes do hear her say, L wonder if
| shall ever see him again. "
''Hush, Ruth, the gentleman cares for moth
ing of that sort" said Martha.
''But am interested"
AS they sat by the fire later chatting, and
while Martha was meditating upon which of
the two spare rooms to put the Stranger mo
for the night, there was heard without a
sound that rose above the moaning OF the
wind.
''What is that" asked Martha
The stranger fastened to the window, and
even as he did so the sound grew louder and
more significant 1t was the yell of maddened
men, and now as the curtains were tossed aside,
they saw a yellow light through and between
the thick falling snowfiakes The light grew
brighter and brighter.
at is the army said Martha.
(Which ones" asked the mother
''1he British think. Look, they are burn
ing Neighbor Keeler's house. They will come
here They have threatened before They will
burn the house and they may kill us. See
there over the hill; they are coming There
they have set fire to the hay rick Mother, be
calm. They shall not hurt you. will not let
. them " and the girl turned with flashing eyes
and flushe cheeks and seemed to be going TO
seek for weapon. But she was stayed. The
stranger, whom they had forgotten, had gent
/ w restrained her. She looked at him inquir-
ingly, and he said; "They will do you no
{ harm
The madmen rushed on down the hill. and
there were two big fellows at the front They
wore the uniform of the British army. They
We're indeed on a tour of devastation and ruin.
Just as they reached the stone fence that IN
+ closed the ward before the house, and were
about to surmount it, the stranger went out
and stood with the snow whitening his bare
head He lifted his arm and the two big men
stopped as did those behind them, and after
the stranger had said a word or two to them
they turned and went their way. When he re-
turned to the house his manner was as calm as
it had been an hour before To their thanks
( he simply replied: You deserve protection
! You have earned 1t
Then he babe them farewell though they
expressed much astonishmeet thereat and
/ pleaded with him to stay Il must hasten on
my journey" he said "Before go, however,
l would ask if Mistress Martha can produce
the counterpart Of thisi" and thrusting his
hand into his bosom, he drew forth beechnut
Il knew il. did know it, said little Ruth !;
but Martha made no response, only turned for
+ a moment SO that her face and bosom were
turned from him, ana when she again faced
MIN she TOO held in her hand a beechnut
Il am very glad, he said, ''when we meet