The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-09-18


the adjacent trove, evi gently at loss
which way To turn TO end the retreat
Of the Yankee officer. They were the
guerrillas. Il scornfui fash Lit up the
wine-dark eyes of the girl as she
turned to the man, who seemed to be
awaiting his doom or his salvation at
her fair hands. Yes; she would save
him. But how?
An it is surely too late to help him
to escape recapture. See! two of the
guerrillas have started toward the
house, leaving the others in consulta-
ton at the border Of the grove. In
another moment they will have seen
the hunted man, screened by the
clothes on the line. On they stalk to-
ward the house.
Elma is a girl of ingenuity, one &C
customed to acting in emergencies.
She will foil those rough outlaws yet.
1t is not too late.
Here" she said, in very low voice,
and she quickly lifted the clothes which
she had thrown into thS capaclous bas-
ket, IF you will lie down in my old
clothes-basket / think l shall be able
to hide you securely
Very obediently, very quickly Ar
thur Hartwell coiled himself up in
Elma Starlton's clothes-basket, and
very skillfully she covered him COM
pletely with the clothes she held.
Then she went on unpinning clothes
from the line, which she threw loosely
upon the basket. No one would have
guessed there was a man beneath that
mass of clean clothes.
Elma was again singing as merrily
rs lark when the guerrillas drew
near. One of them bounded over the
hedge. He approached the girl, who
gave well-feigned start, greeting him
thus:
IKE Carter! What do you mean by
startling a body this way?"
She knew him well, as his home was
not far from the Starltons'.
Didn't go ter startle yer, Miss
Elmy; I'm on Their hunt of a blamed
Yankee officer what's escaped u.s..
Wall, Ike. we're not in the habit of
entertaining Yankee officers here I'M
less we are obliged to. 1t is not good
place to hunt for them on the Starlton
premises"
81 know hit amt, Elmy," said the
fellow; "but we tracked him this away"
he explained.
"How did he escape you, Ike? she
asked, trying TO show an interest in
the subject, hoping thereby to allay
any suspicion that might have been
formed in the guerrillas' minds.
The guerrilla launched out full ac-
count of the capture and escape of
Lieutenant Hartwell. Elma listened
as attentively as if it were all new
story TO her.
AS weuns was consultin' in yon
grove, Pete Jarvis lowed he done seed
a blue uniform, or somethin' tibet looked
mighty like one, over hyar by these
clothes. Thet's why 1 come hyar q
botherin' you-uns."
A musical laugh followed this an
nouncement. Then Elma said:
AN optical illusion. / suppose it
was mothers blue muslin curtains
that Jarvis took for Yankee uniform"
And Elma held up to view pair of
pretty blue curtains.
Ike Carter eyed them closely, then
glanced at the overladen basket on the
grass, then back at the girl who was
smoothing the azure curtains.
"Hain't Pete Jarvis good un ter
sight Yanks? No wonder we-uns done
los his trail with SIGH a leader as Pete.
I'm plumb sorry, Miss Elmy, tibet he
insulted them curtains thet away, by
takin' 'em fur a Yank's trousers" And
Ike Carter laughed at what he consid-
cred clever joke.
Il should think" the girl remarked
dryly. Ike, tell your party, with my
compliments, that L think their eyes
must be full of cobwebs brushed from
the canes. Tell them to wash them
out and make another investigation of
the thicket," she called to him as he
strobe away, looking rather crestfallen;
for Ike had seen what Jarvis had, and
both had decided it must be Hartwells
uniform. But Jarvis being absent had
to bear the ridicule. Ike Carter could
not stand it to have the bright South
ern girl laugh at his blunders.
Dear reader, you and l know that it
was a glimpse of a blue uniform that
those guerrillas had caught. But we
can smile over the cleverness of Elma
Starlton in turning il off so nicely, and
heave deep sigh of full gladness that
her mother had those blue curtains,
and that they happened to be in the
wash that week.
The guerillas went off, and evidently
felt too sheepish over their mistake to
venture within range of those hooking,
dancing, wine-dark eyes, for they did
not return.
When the coast was clear, Elma I'M
covered the queerly hidden Lieutenant,
who crawled out, with real thankful
ness TO his lovely deliverer, though
his limbs were so stiff that she had to
assist him to the little closet, where he
remained effectually concealed during
the rest of the afternoon. Here she
brought him every refreshment that
her home afforded.
Under cover of the night, brave FL
ma Starlton escorted Lieutenant Hart
well safe within the Union lines. Ere
he parted from her, he pressed her soft
hand, saying: IF L survive the war,
L shall return to thank you, as / am
unable to do now"
Arthur Hartwell did not forget his
promise. When peace reigned glori
Il e L.