The Newtown bee., 1889-12-27

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 And so it came to pass that q mission of Cupid was turned into geographical pilgrimage.
 Nothing could be more wilfully obtuse 1 than old Mir Rogers when he met his 1 guest. The southern hospitality delight ed Mir Van Deusen. He learned from personal experience much that had been l merely hearsay before. He saw, as Ma | bel intended, the merry, numerous slaves, the open hearted, happy life of Texas in 1859. He formed such a warm friend ship for Philip Garnet that he knew they could never really have loved the same woman.
 On the first of June, he left them and he said, as he held Mabels hand at part ing: 'sRely upon it. if ever in my life can serve you. there is nothing so dan gerous or so difficult as to deter me-
 It was the 18th of May, 1863. The hot sun burned the Galveston sands, as in days gone by, but it sent it's lurid rays on the northern gunboats as we'll.
 | The war cloud rested over the land and Mabel Garnet, in black dress and with a pale, set face, was in the military hos pital. Her father had sent a company to the civil war at his own expense, and her husband had marched away in his gray uniform at it's head, under the ssbonny blue flag" she loved. For the first two years, she often heard and she gloried in his success aud patriotism; but now for months there had been no word, only the record missing after his name when one great battle was over. For d little space she lived upon hope deferred, then donped her widows weeds and gave her life to her country. Early and late, she nursed the soldiers and deep in her heart she cherished an abiding hatred for the Yankees. It seemed to her that each separate unit in the vast northern armies was her Philips murderer. On this par ticular afternoon, she stepped out on the gallery and spoke to her father. His fine old face was full of anxiety, but, al- though the lines expressed care, they did not convey the idea of Encouragement.
 
 The smoke of battle, the weakening of all commercial interests, the general dis integration of the country could not de stroy the business instinct. He owned several contraband cotton vessels and sent them freighted to England in spite of the guardian union gunboats. The profit was in proportion to the risk and the British gold helped Mir Rogers in many daring Confederate scheme. He held Mabers hand and looked into her sweet, pale face. ''rhe Daredevil sails tonight, my daughter, and she will stop at Havana,' he said. 'I have sent line to your Uncle Stephen and he will con- tribute to our cause, I know" Stephen Delville was her dead mothers brother, a wealthy tobacco dealer of Cuba. At the mention of the name ,her face lighted up. Dear old uncle," she cried 'sI can never forget him. Do you remember in the Summer of '5S how he came with us to Saratoga and wanted me to marry Sidney Van Deusen? It seems to me now as if I saw Philip lying dead on the bat tie field and that man bending over him."
 He tried to comfort her as we'll as he could, but he knew how useless words were. He was to leave Galveston that afternoon; it was never considered ad- visable for him to be on hand when his vessel sailed.
 | He did not notice a ragged, miserable looking soldier approaching the hospital by another gate and he bade his child good-by, quite unconscious of the mes senger of destiny.
 'Can you tell me,'' said the soldier to Mabel as she entered the hospital, sswhere I can find a lady by the name of Garnet? have brought her a letter from her hus- band and risked my life to carry it through the Union lines.'' It was indeed a message from Philip, but as she took the tiny scrap of paper her heart throb- bed and her brain reeled. The words were few, but they brought back hope to her despairing life. II have been wound ed,'' he wrote, s'sorely wounded-and 1 may yet die, but if 1 live 1 shall owe my safety to Sidney Van Deusen. He has promised to have me conveyed in disguise to the sea shore and sent to your uncle in Havana. He is brave man and true friend, Mabel. He told you no danger or difficulty should prevent his serving you and he has kept his word.''
 It did not take her long to reach de cision. Philip ill, perhaps dying, in Ha- vana and her fathers vessel bound for the Cuban shore lying at the docks. The Daredevil should carry freight more precious than cotton than night.
 I Just before twilight, she sent for the captain. The sky was overcast and a wild storm threatening. Only in bad I weather was it possible for the low, gray painted boats to deceive the blockading force. They were obliged to take odds both on humanity and the elements. The captain fiatly refused to take her at first, but, when she told him that she should I go if she had to sail the vessel herself, he yielded She left word for her fath- CT; his intrepid spirit would applaud her, she knew and at 9 o'clock she went on board. The whitecapped waves rose around the little craft and 1t seemed part of the heaving waters, until a vivid flash of lightning showed it for moment to the officers of the gunboats.
 1 Several shots were fired, but without I effect, the random balls falling harmless Fly upon the oceans breast. Down in the hold among the cotton bales, Mabel Gar net heard the artillery of heaven and the tartillery of earth war above her, but, though she wept and prayed, she felt no terror.
 In the uproar and the darkness, the bit terness of the preceding months fell from t her like garment. Her hatred was sub