The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1888-11-02

face bent over her, andsaid: Papa"
Sand where is papa, my dear?" he
asked, gently lifting the child on his
knee.
"Way. way off fghtin' the"
Dorothy" her grandmother's
voice sounded like gravel crunched vi
ciously together, ".yourmother, isgo.
ing to feed the chickens and you'dbet
ter help her." with that she began tc
! buisily clear off the table. 81 don't
| suppose you want anything more?'
she suddenly said, when thetable was
almost cleared.
"No, we have had sufficient thanks
to your Kindness" c~ourteously re-
piled the older man.
"Taint no thanks to me at ALL"
she returned, tartly, you're soldiers,
SO l had to do it,"
"What an exceedingly curious
cream cup" exclaimed the younger
man, taking the curious piece OF
workmanship up and examining it,
with Che air of connoisseur. That
was the last drop in Mis-
tress Dorothy's cup of bitter
ness which was already over
flowing. She had let them enter
her house, given them their breakfast,
and now, after allowing them all these
liberties, always under protest, that
they would now begin to confiscate
property was too much; she snatched
the cream cup out of the astonished
mans hands, and began excitedly:
you'd better go now, you'd better
60, you've had your breakfast and a
little rest, and at this time O day
visitors amt wanted round the
farm"
"But my dear madam" the young
man broke in, 81 assure you l meant
no harm, and really my friend and /
need a rest so badly that we are
afraid we must trespass on your hos
pitality," here a faint smile crossed
the young mans face, ga little long
er; give us but a bed to rest our
weary limbs a little while and then we
will Depart"
Dame Dorothy looked al the young
man sternly. "In my days, young
man, when folks told us we want
wanted we got out"
"But, madam, the older man inter-
posed, circumstances alter cases, re-
member that these 7 strange days,
and strange things happen in them;
but by the way, madam, are you a
Tory or a rebel?"
"Tain't none ofyour business" was
the uncompromising reply.
"Well, will you allow US a bed?" he
asked.
81 think it's time you was a
startin'," was the laconic answer.
"Then since it becomee a necessity
l demand it in the name Of" Here
something seemed to choke him, for
he seemed unable to go on.
"Well, i'll must l suppose I must,
but if ever l wished a feather bed was
filled with pine needles, l wish that
thar n was" and with that she
opened a door disclosing a comfort
able bedroom. heysilentlyentere
the room, and she, with a bang ofthe
door, fed to the kitchen. "There,
I've gone and done it," she said, in
high wrath. give harbored two Brit
ish soldiers under my roof, and ifany
body ought to be taken before Gen
erai Washington and convicted as a
s~pyIfeellike that me-. Joel Ashley"
she said, suddenly, turning to the
boy who was the sole occupant of the
Don and who was gazing at her in
bewilderment, 1--WE got an errand for
you" "Yes'm," he said, meekly
enough. Joel was always meek when
the madam was in such a wrath.
"You know where the Continentals
are stationed about ten miles from
here, eh?" Joel nodded. "Well, you
just stir yourself and go over there
and tell their commander there are
two redcoats in this house andifthey
want them to come Tor them right
away, right away, mind you; now
hurry" And Joel did hurry.
Madam sat rocking herself violent
ly to and fro. "'There, you've gone
and done another mean thing" she
said to herself, angrily, "Doin' a
mean thing is jist like tellin' allie, you
do one and you'll surely do another;
! guess I'll just peek in the room and
see if they've set it aire yet" She
tiptoed across the hall and looked
through a crack in the door, then her
conscience smote her worse than ever;
carelessly lying on the bed, his fair,
handsome face looking so worn and
thin even in sleep, he reminded her al
so of her soldier boy. The alderman
was YEARLY writing at a table, rest
ms every once in the while, but soon
resuming his task.
'I'm a mean old woman" she solil-
oquized. "But-they're Britishers."
That settled the question, ands she re-
turned to her work.
Morning entered into afternoon,
and afternoon slowly melted into
early evening. the shadows were gent
ly creeping over the land, the birds
were twittering a good night, and
still the soldiers slept. Softly, eau
tiously, a band of fifteen men were
vending their way towards the Whit
combe farm house; nearer and near
er they got, until you could see that
they wore the Continental uniform.
They reached the house and we're met
by its mistress; she pointed to the
room where the soldiers We're, then
sat herself rigidly down in her rock
ing-chair to have an argument with
her conscience.
Suddenly-what is that she hears?
A hearty laugh re-echoed throughout
the house. She hurried to the door
where the soldiers were. And what