Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-04-05

last nope Is to reach the Spanish lines,
to tell General Cuesta my story, so that
he may know it when he takes revenge.
Think. sir, of a widowed wife, mother,
who has lost her all-even her tears.
God has brought me through thou
sand perils thus far; l come from be-
yond Madrid, where the usurper rules:
think of that; and would an English
soldier, chance-met, show me less pity
than God himself has shown to poor
woman like me?"
Dicks experience of the sex, large as
1t was, did not include woman of this
kind. Her beauty, her tragedy, her
eloquence, her romance, and certain
fascination about her. fairly took his
breath away. He did not know what
to do. Doubtless he was in the land OF
romantic adventure; but this was be-
yond any he had ever dreamed.
MY lady," said he, $50 far as one
arm can help you to vengeance on the
cowardly French brutes, this shall. But
meanwhile you'd best come with me to
Escalona. You won't get much to eat
there; but you'll be safe, and that's the
great thing"
Safe! As if cared for safety-and
among the Portuguese scum; beg par
don of your uniform, sir. but not of the
Englishman inside. swear to you by
all the saints in heaven that 1 will not
turn back. will 90 on or l will die;
but go backward from vengeance
no."
Madam" exclaimed Dick, "it is i'm
possible. 1t musn't-it can't be. Do
you know that the French army is not
many miles beyond that river; and
their foragers don't pay heed to which
bank they forage on, as our bellies
knowp You're as safe to fall in with
their scouts if you go farther as you
sit there. Can't be, indeed-it sha'n't
be. You must be my prisoner, Count
ess. It's for your own sake"
Then" She turned her horse.
md was off. before Dick had fairly
seen she was no longer there.
And prudent man would have let
her 60. and, when he returned to his
quarters, held his tongue. But to Dick
Blackthorn it was horrible to think of
what would happen should she fall into
tuC huuuS VI
had seen something already of the
fouler side of war. and none of its
glory. He ceased to be a soldier-or,
maybe, became one; at any rate, he
urged his horse up the bank and was
after her, as if at fox-hunt at home.
The chase was sharp for burst over
the brown turf, and. in the dust, he al
most lost sight of her. But the burst
was soon over. In less than six min
utes he was beside her with his hand
on her bride.
"You are my prisoner, madam"
said he, with all the sternness he could
assume.
"And your enemyr' she answered.
while her eyes flashed. and her bosom
heaved. An EDglishman, and you
rob woman of her one hope-her
one! Iwould sooner meet the French.
They are devils, but they are not En-
glishmen; they are not towards, after
all"
"Cowards!" cried he
"Yes; towards. Who but q coward
would treat a woman as you have
treated me?'
Reason in her charge there was none.
But who looks for reason in a woman
who is held back from precipice
against her will? And her words had
stung Dick Blackthorp so that he al
most began to think himself the thing
she called him. If man had said
that word! But spoken in voice
from which angry scorn could not rob
the sweetness. and with such flashing
of eyes as the lightning itself could
not surpass, it was not to be borne
He hung his head for moment. and,
when he raised it. it was to meet such
look of agonized appeal that his
heart seemed TO melt away.
DO you know your way to the
Spanish lines?' asked he
81 must hold by the river, suppose.
Do you know?"
=" Not a hang. Do you know how
fare"
mo. How should know?"
"And you're all aloner'
All alone" she sighed.
Poor Dick Blackthorn had been in
many scrapes, but never in one like this
in al his days. Discipline had to be
observed; and what account could hs
give of himself for absence, when the
presage of coming battle filed all tbs
cir? I, might, for all he could tell,
take days to reach the Spanish lines.
And though many good soldier is
missing after battle, who would be |
found missing before? He might tell
some lie; but then a Blackthorn was
always safe to be found out if ever he |
on lie. But then, how, as q
man, could he leave woman like this
TO make her way alone? IL was not:
How could he force her back-that
question had been settled long ago. On
one side honor and duty; on the other,
beauty in peril
He possessed a single coin-a six
,ence with hole in (which Kate or
Nellie or Susan or Mary had given him
or love and luck; he forgot which, but
le had kept it for her sake, all the
ame Suddenly he tossed it in the air.
Heads, go back-tails, go on. Hang
t all, it's heads. I'll try again-twO
'ut of three. Tails this time. Now for
he third. Heads, by all that's blue!
70 back. that means. No; it was tails,
urning tail, you know, for go back;
md heads for going ahead; that's 60
ng on. Which was it, Countess? I'm
langed if know"
II know nothing of incantations."
aid she. "Au reUoir, sir. You have
meant WELL"
On she rode
''Was it heads, or was it tails?" he
rooied. ''Yes; it Das tails. Woman
vins.'
The coin was not made by mortal
mint against which, when twirled by
)ick Blackthorn's thumb, woman
Tould not have won. But he had done
Is best And. having done his best,