Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-06-13

some one was gazing fixedly at him, he
| looked up and encountered the steady eye
of little Ruth. He smiled pleasantly anc
| said How. then. little maid, do you
too. miss your father?"
You do make me think of my picture
| man., the child said.
Have you picture man.
"The man who drew my picture. Shall
l show il to you?"
Yes, indeed"
The child brought not only her own, but
| the crayon of her sister.
They are well done; well done, little
maid, but you have grown older since this
was made"
Yes, more than year
"a year, indeed" said he half meditat-
lively.
my sister Patty looks every day at hers,
and sometimes l do hear her say Won
der if l shall ever see him again"
Hush, Ruth, the gentleman cares for
nothing Of that sort, y 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 into for the night, there was heard
ing of the wind
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 SIS the
curtains were tossed aside, they saw yell
low light through and beyond the thick
falling snowfiakes. The light grew brighter
and brighter.
at is the army" said Martha.
(which one?" asked the mother.
The British, l think. Look, they are
burning Neighbor keeler's house. They
will come here. They have threatened be-
fore. They will burn the house and they
may kill us. See there, over the hill they
are coming. There, they have set fire 10
shall not hurt you. ] viii not let them, y
and the girl turned with flashing eyes and
flushed cheeks and seemed to be going to
seek for q weapon. But she was stayed.
The stranger, whom they had forgotten,
had gently restrained her. She looked at
him inquiringly, 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 q tour of
devastation and ruin. Just as they reached
the stone fence that inclosed the yard be-
fore 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 stop
ped, as did those behind them, and after
the stranger had said q 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 before.
TO their thanks he simply replied lyon
deserved protection. You have earned it."
Then he babe them farewell though they
expressed much establishment thereat and
pleaded with him to stay. 50 must hasten
on my journey" be said. Before I 90,
however | would ask if Mistress Martha
can produce the counterpart of this? ," and,
thrusting his hand into his bosom, he drew
forth beechnut.
Il knew it. did know it," said little
Ruth: but Martha had no response, only
turned for moment so that her face and
bosom were turned from him, and when
she again faced him, she too held in her
a beachnut.
81 am very glad he said. When we
meet again, you may then I.yt know me
except by this same token
He said this somewhat sadly, and before
another word was said, departed. A mo-
nent later he mounted a horse that had
been held in waiting for him in the high
way, and galloped forth into the snow and
darkness.
When the buds were bursting into bios
SONS some five months later, and when
Martha was reaching her diInpled arms up
among the lilac flowers one day. she turned
suddenly, and there behind her stood tall
young man in the uniform OF an American
officer His hair was black, his face pale
and unshayen, and he was plainly laboring
with excitement or trouble. He said moth
ing until she had first spoken.
You have come again" she said, with
tone half tremulous, half cold
This time q suppliant. ] see you know
me now. | am my natural self but for
these clothes. Protect me, mistress, be-
seech your'
Protect your
Yes, for unless you do in an hour 1
shall be captured. ! can escape no fur
Their"
"Why should 1? You saved us that
trayed my girlish foolish confidence twice,
and may thereby have cost us our coun-
trys cause. From my words the day you
drew my picture you learned enough to
enable your army TO defeat 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 brought home
dead. I trusted you then for what you
assumed to be. They have told me whom
| did then harbor.'
-" Then you know my Nance
Yes"
well, tell me-
She leaned forward, and her face was
white as her neck as she whispered.
" Yes" he said, / am be"
N'Hhar Won r1o1ISt on --OIIr way
You forget. l only did my duty, and
never asked you for the words you spoke"
and l must do my duty now"
MY pursuers will be after me in mo-
ment."
" Do not ask me to do this. I cannot
lie turned and saw the cavalry coming
over the hill, and then he turned again and
looked at her with unspeakable sadness.
She saw the horsemen, too, and knew that
he had given up all hope. He tore open his
vest and drew some papers therefrom that
he raridly destroyed. Reserying one, he
held il TO her and said III the saddest tones
she had ever heard:
"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 unobseryed.
i will, Mr.. Picture Man.
Thank you, and God bless you, my
child You keep it and give it to your Sis
ter 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 becchnut, Without taking her eyes
from his, she thrust her hand into her
| bosom, and when she withdrew 1t there
was within it the other beechnut. When
the soldiers moment later seized him he
babe Martha farewell and kissed little
Ruth Then he took Martha's limp hand
| and placed therein the beechnut. Then
they led him away.
al evening two soldiers delivered to Mar
| tha crayon likeness of herself that they
said their commander hadinstructed them
to bring. They said it had been taken
from the man who was captured there
that morning. 1t had been drawn from
memory, according to the note at the bot
| tom.
| Where is he now?" she asked.
| The soldiers seemed confused. At last
one poin5ed to the ground, and then they