The Penn's Grove record., 1885-11-14

had gently restrained her. She looked
at HIM in~quiringly, 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 were, indeed, on
a tour OF devastation and ruin. Just
as they reached the stone fence that en-
closed the yard before the house, and
were about to surmount it, the stran'
ger 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 returned to the house his manner
was as calm as it had been an hour be-
fore. To their thanks he simply re-
piled: "You deserved protection. You
have earned it.n
Then he babe them farewell, though
they expressed much establishment
thereat and pleaded with him to stay.
81 must hasten on my journey" be
said. "Before l go, however, would
ask if Mistress Martha can produce the
counterpart of this?" And, thrusting
his hand into his bosom he drew forth
a beechnut.
II knew it. / did know it," said
little Ruth; but Martha made no re-
| spouse, only turned for a moment so
that her face and bosom were turned
from him, and when she again faced
him she too held in her hand a beech.
nut.
81 am very glad" he said. "When
we meet again you may then not know
me except by this same token.
He said this somewhat sadly, and be-
fore another word was said, departed.
A moment later he mounted a horse
that had been held in waiting for him
in the highway, and galloped forth into
the snow and darkness.
When the buds were bursting into
blossoms, some five months later, and
when Martha was reaching her DIM
pied arms up among the lilac flowers,
one day, she turned suddenly and there
behind her stood a tall young man in
the uniform of an American officer.
His hair was black, his face pale and
unsbaven, and he was plainly laboring
with excitement or trouble. He said
nothing until she had first spoken.
"Yon have come again" she said,
with a tone half tremulous, half cold.
"This time a suppliant. L see you
know me now, l am my natural self
but for these clothes. Protect mt.
mistress, l beseech you'll"
"Protect youVh
Eyes, for unless you do in an hour l
shall be captured. / can escape no
further
.'Why should II You saved us that
mght-you-no, 1 will not. You be-
trayed my girlish, foolish confidence
twice, and may thereby have cost us
our country's cause. From my words
the day you drew my picture you learn
ed enough to enable your army to de.
feat us at White Plains. From my
foolish speech the night you rescued US
you gathered enough to foil the plans
of our people, and cause thereby my
brother to be broaght home dead. l
trusted you then for what you seemed
to be. They have told me whom l did
harbor."
"Then you know my name2"
"Yes.u
SWELL tell me-"
She leaned forward, and her face was
white as her neck as she whispered.
Eyes" he said, 81 am he."
"Then you must go your way"
"You forget. only did my duty,
and 1 never asked you for the words
you spoke"
"And l must do my duty now"
"My pursuers will be after me in a
moment"
"Do not ask me to do this. / can
not"
He turned and saw the cavalry COM
ing over The hill, and then he turned
again and looked at her with unspeak-
able sadness. She saw the horsemen,
too, and knew that he had given up
hope. He tore open his vest and drew
some papers therefrom that he rapidly
destroyed. Reserving one. he held it
to her and said in the saddest tones she
had ver heard:
s'To-morrow will you read this?"
She would neither take it nor speak,
but the paper was taken from his hand
by little Ruth, who had come there I'M
observed.
81 will. MI. Picture Man."
"Thank you, and God bless you, my
childl You keep it, and give it to your
sister by noon of tomorrow
The cavalry had now spied him, and
were putting their horses to their best.
He held his hand out to Martha. In it
was the beechnut. Without taking her
ewes from his, she thrust her hand into
her bosom, and when she withdrew it
there was within it the other beechnut.
When the soldiers a moment later seiz-
ed him he babe Martha farewell and
kissed little Ruth. Then he took Mar
tha's limp hand and placed therein the
beechnut. Then the led him away.
AT evening two solo. s delivered to
Martha a erayon likeness of herself that
they said their commander had instruc
ted them to bring. They said it had
been taken from the man who was cap
tured there that morning, 1t had been
drawn from memory, according to the
note at the bottom.
"Where is he now?" she asked.
The soldiers seemed confused. AT
last one pointed to the ground, and
then they both rode rapidly away.
Dead" she said. 81 did not think
it meant that. l let them kill him."
and an hour later they found her there
under the lilac trees. When, a year
later, just after they returned from the
cid burying ground. there they found
among her other treasures the two
beech-nuts wrapped together. They
put them away in an old chest.