Omaha daily bee., 1888-03-11

breath,
81 must take a nap" he said, "there
is nothing to be done here"
Just then he saw a cloud OF dust in the
distance, a mile or so away.
81 will wait" he remarked, "there
may be trouble In that quarter"
The commander was right. In a very
few minutes u number of cavalrymen
rode in with a captured spy.
'Shall we hang him or try himp'
asked the leader of the party.
Colonel Melton was about TO give an
offhand reply, when his eyes fell upon
the face of the prisoner. He saw n
handsome youth covered with dust, and
bearing the marks of travel aed expo
sure.
leave him to me,n said the colonel
quickly, II will question him pri-
vately.n
When the prisoner was alone with the
commander of the post the latter said:
"Clara, | penetrated your disguise at
q glance. How is it that you are herep"
The prisoner gave a captious nod,
such as only o could give.
John Melton" she replied, 81 am
sorry TO look upon your hated face
again"
"But you are in trouble, ;" answered
the commander .grayely, "and l must
see you out of it,"
II scorn your helpl" cried the dis
guised spy. You deserted me after 1
had been a faithful wife for years, aud
you left me to face the world and earn
my own living. My talents found m
ployment down this way as a spy, and 1
went into the business with afull knowl-
edge of the consequences. You may
tell your men to take me out and shoot
me-"
81 cannot do that" replied the COM
mander, 'nor can I allow you to be
tried. II you are held for trial you will
be searched by q crowd of rude soldiers.
My wife must not be subjected to such
indignities."
"Your wife!n sneered the spy. "What
did you care for her when you ran away
from herp"
The colonel shivered, and then looked
straight into the woman's eyes
II had my reasons" he said, land l
have never regretted my action. 1 wish
you were dead, but / don't propose to
have a hand in heaping disgrace upon
you.'
The woman's eyes fell, but in a mo-
mentshe recovered herself.
"Then, John Melton" she said, lam
safe.n
"You are,' answered the commander
of the post; mot a HAIR of your head Will
be harmed.n
He spoke with an air of authority and
the woman looked at him with a newly
kindled interest in her eyes.
"John," she SAID softly.
"None of that responded the col
onel. when ] left you, it was for good
and all. I must get you out of this
scrape, but you must never cross my
path again.
But what are you going to do?"
asked the spy.
leave it to me, said the colonel.
Then he called in q couple of soldiers
and told them to bind the spy's hands.
Leave his feet unbound" said the
colonel, Il am going to make the fell
low take q walk with me-"
''How is that, colonel, o~inquired Cap
tain Dallas.
ga secret of state,n whispered the
colonel, sit is the only way to
get it. I will walk with him to
the place where he has buried his
papers,. ~
as his hands ara tied, it is safe"
In the course of a few moments the
commander of the post started off to the
woods with his prisoner.
/ ''The cunnle will come back by him
self" said a soldier to a comrade, with
a significant wink.
All the soldiers smiled as they watch
ed the couple.
THE cunnle wants to do a little shoot
ing himself" they said. well, it is
all right"
Colonel Melton escorted his prisoner
through the woods for u mile or so. AT
last he paused.
CLARA he said, ''do you know where
you are now?n
make my way back to the lines if left
free"
Tho colonel cut the spy's bonds.
Goodbye, Clara he said.
But you?" asked the spy. ''What
will become OF your"
"Be off at onceE' shouted the colonel,
II must return, and you must not lose q
moment"
The frightened woman sped away
through the forest.
The commander of the post quietly
followed her trail for an hour or two.
When he was satisfied that she had
reached a place of safety he retraced
his'steps.
He was almost in sight of Cottonboro
when he drew a pistol and placed it
against his head.
The discovery of Colonel Melton's
dead body excited the garrison at Cot
tonboro toa high pitch of wrath, but
there was nothing to be done.
THAT id spy!" said one Of the Off
GERS. HE got loose in some way and
murdeted the best soldier in Florida"
This was the general verdict. 1t was
thought the spy had taken advantage
of the colonel, and had assassinated
him.
Nor did the spy aver find out the true
explanation. She knew the magBani-
nifty of her husband, but she never
knew the. secret of his death.
Perhaps the commander of the post
did not care to live in the same world
with his wife. Perhaps he preferred
| death rather than return to Cottonboro
without his prisoner.
Noone ever knew. But a gray haired
| woman in oneof the northwestern states
spends hours at a time in her little cot
tage with folded arms, thinking of the
mysterious chapter in her life.
'If / only knew" she whispers every
day to herself, sit / only knew"
But she never will know, and the
world will never know.
Every person is interested in their
Y $3.50 4