Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-01

level--perhaps above it-for she had still much
TO learn by endurance and suffering Since
that supreme moment she had had time to
think, and her horror her bitter scorn Of the
sin. had overwhelmed her pity for the sinner
what do You want?" she asked, her voice
cold. unsteady with her fear and dislike.
reckon ez how I jess KEN to ask You
question" said The Lady Betty in hard voice,
but 1t was no longer bitter or reckless, though
she felt to the quick the change in the girl,
who sat up with the starlight shining on her
white, proud face. 1T mayn't be ez what
you'd like to answer. But amt foolin. The
red skins is sorter too close for tibet. Do you
love Sorry Carew?''
Miriam stared at her speeches., a rush Of
scarlet blood staining her face, throat, and
even ears. She was revolted, shamed, enraged,
half stunned with the shock Of the question.
Every nerve in her quivered with it. 1t was rs
II rude. brutal hand had suddenly rent aside
the veil that sheltered the modesty and deli
cacy Of her maiden heart.
Love! What was it to her still, but vague,
beautiful fancy, scarcely breathed yet to her.
self. And now that this womaA-this woman
should dare, The Lady Betty stumbled to
her feet. She took the girls silence Of intoler-
able humiliation for an answer in the afirma-
tive. Such a phase of feeling tOrturing the
girl was incomprehensible to her-wasted and
degraded as all her own finest instincts of
womanhood were. For one second a sense of
her own sacrifice bitter, wild rebellion
miserable, empty life fell on her and it seemed
impossible. In some vague way she felt. too,
in her soul, that this love of hers for Carew
had been the one redeeming feature in her own
lost womanhood. 1t had been true. He had
soon tired of her, and she had accepted her
desertion with an outward philosophy,
which had hidden the deepest wound
her heart had ever known. The one
thing that had kept up her courage
to play her part was wild desperate hope that
he, ,,,,lx 81 ko
to kill even that hope? And upon her, as upon
Miriam that afternoon, great inspiration fell
She suddenly understood the girl. She was
great to love and hate well as to pity. She
felt certain that if she gave her one hint of the
past between herself and Carew the girl would
scorn him with the whole force of her untried,
undisciplined nature. A great and fearful temp
tation convulsed The Lady Betty with such a
storm OF despair, agony. longing, that she dug
her nails into her palms not to cry out the
words. And then suddenly upon her poor
storm-racked soul there seemed to shine that
golden light of the afternoon, and she remem-
bered how this girl had come to her in it, and
touched her with her pure hands, and begged
her, The Lady Betty, to enter those golden
gates, side by side, with her!
Il reckon ez now I'll try and get through
them golden gates" she said in a faint broken
voice, with strange little smile Pickering
across her lips.
She was gone before the girl could speak, or
had even understood.
The Lady Betty .glided back to her own
quarters, where she hastily made few prepar-
atiOns. Fort James, which Shaw was supposed
to have reached by this time, was full 20 miles
away. She had made up her mind to be the
messenger to him. She had assisted at that
conference the night before, and knew how
desperate matters WERE She knew. too. every
peril that would beset her. The country be-
tween this and Fort James was swarming with
Indians. She would carry her life in her hand:
bnt she did not think of that, she was only a
woman and her loss would be nothing But
her loss might entail the death of others. She
knew as well as the boys that she must not be
discovered. How to elude those vigilant foes?
But she had spent all her childhood among a
tribe of Indians, and as subtle and as
learned in their craft and stratagems as them
selves. She must go on foot. She would not
risk the boys discovering her plans by taking a
horse; besides. she could, ON foot, conceal her
self better. Greater safety would counterbal-
ance the greater speed. She would take little
ammunition, for not a shot could well be
spared; but, then-save bullet for herself
if she were caught-she would need none She
had not to fight, but overmatch her foes by
cunning: She would even take no food. for
those left behind would need every mouthful
And now to leave the fort. The boys must
not know till she was gone. great desire to
take one last look at Sorry Carew. who had Just
turned in and lay sleeping only twenty yards
from her In one OF the outhOuses, shook her
cool courage. But she conquered. Where was
the good? She had given him mp forever She
was out of the fort at last; and now to COM
mence the deadly task
At the third dawn from that night, about a
mile still from Fort James, woman staggered
and fell at the feet of some of Shaw's men, 1t
was difficult to recognize her ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
a distgured, disheveled, tattered thing she was
Her face was crusted with dust and blood. for
she had been severely wound; her lips were
black ha1 har f1.af1 -.
They thought as they raised her that she was
dead. Under the blazing sun, through the
backness of night. hunted down by her blood
thirsty foes. lying hidden from them for hours
in the water in holes in the ground, creeping
out again to stagger on, starving. fainting from
loss of blood. pain, and those awful miles upon
miles OF march. she had yet brought her mes
sage to Shaw.
1t was marvellous how she had done it. Moth
ing but that resolve. which grew as the hours
went on, into almost a madness of desire to
save Miriam and Carew, carried her through it
all. At first she could force no sound from Inns
and throat; but at last they understood Even
now she asked to go with the relieving party
dreading their ignorance of Indian warfare
which might hurry Oh the catastrophe. But
she relapsed into Inconsistencies as she spoke
and was deliriOus when she awoke again. She
was tenderly nursed. She was the heroine of
the hour-a fact which, when she recovered a
little, she resented with the whole force of her
vocabulary.
But the news they gave her one afternoon
made her turn her face to the wall and lie
silent and still for long time. Her friends
were saved. She insisted upon getting up and
going about the nc xt day. Nor would she wait
till the relieved garrison reached Fort James.
The evening before they were to arrive she
left. The sun setting across the level
prairie as she rode ont of the fort and all the
west was radiant with its glory. She turned
her horses head toward il and sat for a mo-
ment. with a wistful, rapt gaze in her eyes.
looking straight into the radiance, flooding
earth and sky. before her.
Then she turned to the people who had come
to see her start.
Tell Miriam Gresham and Sorry Carew ez
how I'm goin' toward them golden gates-she'n
know-and reckon ez how I'll never keer fur
to come back"
And she rode away into the golden light.
Nor did those who had once known her ever
see her come out of it again.-Au the Year
Round
Saturday Smiles.
There is one paradox obouf uol%o~1 o.