Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-05-10

put his hand to his head, and didn't
seem to know what to do. led his
horse up to the veranda. He dis
mounted and walked feebly up the
steps and sat down on bench, while
l took his horse round to the barn
Well. the captain was put to bed.
He had typhoid fever, and very bad
case it was. Occasionally when troops
would come into the neighborhood, |
would mount my pony and ride over
to their camp and ask to have a sur
geon come over and see him. Between
the surgeons and my nursing we got
him through the crisis. / nursed him
for six weeks. Then he became con-
valescent, and it was very nice to
have him sitting up in an armchair
on the veranda looking so pale and
handsome. | used to sit by him with
my work, and he seemed so gentle and
so patient-not at all like he appeared
to me when | first saw him riding
back to the barn to press the horses
that | began to feel sorry that he
wasn't one OF our own men instead of
being nothing but detestable Yam
kee.
One day while l was sitting on the
veranda beside him sewing, he said:
Miss Molly, are you still holding
my horse as hostage2"
Eyes. Ours haven't come back yet"
Don't you think you could let me
take him when | get we'll, if l should
promise to go and find your horses,
and have them returned2"
I'll see about that when you get
we'll
He'd been talking already about go
ing on to join the itrmy, but didn't
think him well enough, and didn't
mean to let him go. He couldn't very
well go without his horse, so L
wouldn't let him have it.
What hostage do you require in to-
ken of my appreciation of your kind
ness since I've been sick2" he asked.
You haven't anything to leave.
Besides, I've done very little I'm
sure"
He thought a moment, and then he
said, somewhat sadly:
Yes; there's one thing l can leave
only one. I'll leave that with you. "
Icouldn't think of anything he had
except his revolver, and was sure he
wouldn't leave that. 1t wasn't appro-
pirate. | waited for him to tell me,
but he said nothing about it then.
At last he was well enough to go.
At least he thought SO; didn't. He
was still as weak as kitten, but saw
how anxious he was, and didn't OPP
pose him any longer. So one pleasant
morning, when the air was soft and
the roads were dry, l told one of the
colored boys to bring the captains
horse round from the barn.
The captain stood on the veranda
ready to mount and ride away. His
blanket and rubber poncho were
strapped behind the saddle, just as he
had left them, and his horse was so
anxious to be off that the boy could
hardly hold him. The captain took
my hand in his to say good-by, and
looked straight into my eyes l lower
ed them to his spurs
You're good girl" he said. "Tll
not forget your kindness"
"Oh, would have done the same
for any one"
Any one"
ANY one"
Then l asked myself; What did I
want to say that for2
II leave you the hostage l spoke
Of" he said, but it is very poor re-
turn for so much kindness-a mere
bagatelle."
could have bitten my tongue off.
He was going to make a return-tO
pay for what had done for him.
you'll find it," he added, IF you
have the shrewdness to guess where
it is.
With that he gave my hand a pres
sure and looked long and steadily into
my eyes. Then he mounted his horse
and rode away without once looking
back.
AS soon as he had gone | COM
menced to think what he could mean
about leaving a hostage. was sure he
wouldn't offer anything very valu-
able. He must know | wouldn't like
that; but | thought he might leave
some little trinket for me to remember
him by. | ransacked the room he had
occupied, looking into bureau draw
ers, into closets, any place the ingenu-
ity of man could find to hide any
thing. even looked behind the pic
lures hanging on the wall. Then !
went all over the house from attic to
cellar. Not thing could l find.
Then l recalled his words, IF you
are shrewd enough to guess where it
is, and went all overmy search again.
At last gave it up. "a pretty way
to treat me" grumbled, after tax
ing care of him so long" | vowed
that if ever should see him again he
should tell me whether he had really
left anything, and what it was.
News came of terrible fighting at
the front. Stragglers broken down
horses, mules, wagons, ambulances
from which now and then a ghastly
face would look out, kept going by
day after day for several days. The
yard, the barn, the kitchen, were full
of men. The first day they drank up
all the water in the well. Then regi-
ments marched by almost as fast as
when they were making their forced
march to the south. They passed on
by the house, but stopped on the crest
of the hill up the road. There they
| began to dig with spades and shovels,