Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-06-04

| SO low as 10 Steal, cease 10 DG worthy OF
my commission
The girl tore open the letter. 'Then!n she
cried, learn who am, and what am try-
ing to do"
He took the letter and deliberately tore it
into fragments, throwing the bits to the
wind from the porch. Miss Clara" he ex-
claimed excitedly, 81 know all want to
know of you. You are doing your duty, as
you see it, like brave-hearted woman, for
man, for mine"
-'.She looked at him earnestly, half in sur
prise and half in tenderness, and said in an
undertone, as if speaking to herself, my
task grows harder than l thought for. ),
Then she added, offering her hand, LET Us
be as kind to each other as we can"
The day after this strange interview she
insisted upc- their daily ride, although the
morn opened with thunder storm, and the
rain came down at intervals in torrents.
Ellersly demonstrated, but she laughed, say
ing, 1--WE are soldiers, you know, and must
not be cowed by little rainn
They started, followed by Corporal Bang,
and after an hours riding gained the summit
of the mountain, along which the road ran
for mile or more comparatively level, and
then she cried: "Now for my last race and
started on the run. Bob followed as well as
he could, and while numbering along, the
girl rapidly gaining upon him, he remem-
bered that at the end of a mile the road
sloped down gradually to the river, and he
also remembered gully, along which ran a
path dangerous for horse, but that cut off
half the distance to the point where the main
road touched the stream. Instinctively he
plunged down the deep declivlty. Fortunate
| ly his horse, though slow, was sure-footed,
and in a few minutes he gained the bank
He gained this Just in time to see his fair
fugitive enter a light boat and push into the
stream. He was below the point she de-
barked, and saw before she could get hold of
the oars that the boat, caught in the swift
stream, was floating down to where large
tree, nearly level with the water, leaned over
the stream. She would pass under this, and
running out he swung down, catching limb
with his knee, and caught the skif with his
right hand At that instant the sharp crack
of a rife rung out from the opposite shore.
| and Bob fell wounded into the boat.
His weight nearly upset the fra1 craft, but
| it righted, whirled around, and the next in
slant the girl pulled it to the shore Leaping
to the bank she beached the boat half its
length, and then reaching to him said
care you much hurtF'
81 believe so,n he answered as half crawl
ing, he worked his way out and fell upon the
| ground A second shot from the same
| quarter struck the ground within an inch of
his body.
1.-THE cowardly miscreant," she said,
throwing herself upon him eff he kills
| you, he must kill men
Poor Bob gave grateful look and weak
smile in return for this act of devotion. At
that instant the clatter of horses hoofs
were heard upon the pike. Corporal Bang
appeared Taking in the situation at a
| glance he dismounted, pushed the girl one
side, and picking up Ellersly as he would a
child, carried him round the bend of the
road, that made shelter from further shots.
Placing the Lieutenant timidly upon the
grass he asked:
'Are you hit bad, Lieutenant"
''Bad enough, Corporal" he gasped, and
then added, ''water."
Clara started hurriedly to the ri-e er. As
she approached the brink she took the beau
tiful little leather sack Bob had so often
eyed suspiciously from her belt opened it,
| drew out package Of papers, threw them
into the stream, and then stopping, filled the
sack with water. When she returned Bang
was cutting the blouse from the boys
shoulder exhibiting a wound not larger than
| pea from which the blood spurted like
fountain. At the sight the girl nearly
tainted, but raIlying, administered the
draught to his eager lips.
Again the girl hurried away. Throwing
off her riding dress she took her linen under
skirt, tore it into strips, and, without wait
ing to put on her dress, handed them to Bang,
and then assisted him in binding up the
wound. She presented a strange sight to
the two men, in her short skirt, for the collar
and linen cover were displaced and the
white column of neck and snowy precipice
| of shoulder were exposed. She did not seem
to be aware of her exposure and started,
| blushing crimson. when Bang said:
snow, miss, git on your toggery and sit
here while go for an ambulance. Give him
handing her his canteen that seemed full of
commissary whisky. Catching Chancellor,
as the best horse of the three, he mounted,
without waiting to change saddles, and rode
off at gallop.
The girl, once more in her riding habit,
seated herself, and putting her arms about
| the wounded man drew his head upon her
shoulder, like little mother, all care and
| tenderness The storm had passed, the sun
came out above the mountains, warm and
bright, and the mocking bird, in the cedars
| near, poured out its food of joyous melody.
| The poor boys passion found utterance at
last, and, in words made eloquent by gasps
and pauses, he told his love. She listened in
silence, responding only in tighter grasps
and sobs she could not repress.
Her heart, in strange agony of grief,
was communing with itself. She found in
this sad event revelation and revolution
in one How different was this declaration
from the one she had courted and intended
playing upon. And up through the new
found love in her heart came the cry, ''You
have murdered him.
A long silence followed, and Bob, feeling
the hot tears falling on his brow, tried to
smother down the groans the fierce pain
wrung from him, and looked up with an ex-
preston of loving tenderness no words could
express. She saw his increased paleness
heard his shortened breathings, and claspmg
him to her she said:
''Ohl Mr. Ellersly-Ohl Bob, don't die
1t is killing me-"
Vain appeal! Deaths higher claim was
closing in upon his heart. He gave one more
look, shut his eyes, a shudder quivered
through his frame, then all was still
The sun glimmered brightly on the wet
laurel leaves, the mocking bird sang in the
cedar near, and the great world rolled on in
endless life, as it ever does, regardless of the
comedies and tragedies we mortals enact
The driver and escort of the ambulance,
hurrying down the road, beard as they turned
the bend only the low wall of broken