Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-06-22

know lust why or how, but mamma kept
him up in the attic till he was well again
He had fever, YOU see. He wasn't on
! our side,'' said the little Southern
maiden with a sigh and shake of her
head. :But mama said she would for
get the war for once. She knew it was
just what papa would like her to do. So
when people were hunting for him he
was up in our attic, and we made it as
nice as we could. We used to have beau
tiful things. said Meg, alphabetically 4,
CHANGING around the barren room.
"But, you see, little by little mother
had to sell things, or soldiers took them
away
Suddenly the child broke off, and.
kneeling at Roderlck' side, lifted her
sweet, grave young eyes to his face.
care you a Yank?'' she said very
slowly and anxiously, ga Northerner?
Roderick, in spite of the spell cast
over him by this little Georgia girl, felt
thrill of 'scountry
"My dear, - he answered, laying his
hand lightly on the pretty dark brown
head, 81 am an American. l belong to
the same land you do. The same gen.
eral freed North and South from English
rule; the same constitution binds us. -
He had spoken involuntarily, forget
ting his audience consisted of two little
children, yet he remembered that in this
Georgia household his comrade, Jack
Dale, his sisters betrothed, had not
alone been nursed from illness to health.
but, as little Meg said, been hidden.
Jack had escaped from prison, dragged
himself, no doubt, to where he saw
friendly lights and place hospitable in
appearance. and knowing that he was a
"fboy in blue' her mother had taken
him in sheltered and cared for him
hiding him, as the child said.
1t was difficult position for Roderick.
His orders were to search the house :,
not alone for an escaped prisoner, but
for valuable papers to be found, whloh
were of immediate use to the depart
ment.
And here was Capt. Roderick, the
bravest young West Pointer Gen. Sher-
man had in his command, confronted
and struck dumb by the fact that in this
Southern household which he must search
and perhaps guard, Jack Dale had been
sayed-doubtless from Andersonville!
Well it was trying moment. Par
ticularly with Meg's dark eyes gazing
into his.
''He told us such beautiful stories
Poprcorn you remember the one about the
young lady named Helen and how he
taught her to ride. Her brother was a
great friend of his. He was very inter
esting,' sig1sd Meg III conclusion.
Capt. Roderick almost groaned aloud.
For the twentieth time the war came
to his mind in that dreary aspect of
''brother to BROTHER -
'sThere come those meni' cried Meg
suddenly. Her eyes, turned toward tho
door, had seen the soldiers approaching,
and her hand, olasped in Roderick 8,
trembled involuntarily.
'Nothing ,captain-we searched care
fully. Shall we follow Tracy's clew
down the river?''
Mag breathed more freely, but never
took her eyes off the captain IS face.
As for that officer, he moved restlessly
about the room and then scribbled some
thing on the leaf of his note book
''Take this to headquarters, was his
brief order. 81 will wait here. Report
at once. %
The men disappeared and Meg's eyes
sought the time-piece on the 1aantef
One-half hour remained
Meg said the captain kuddenly,
cpd like to know more about this Capt.
Dale. He was dear friend g. nsssfe,
and in three months 1 have NOT Heard
from him. And the young lady he
taught to ride was my only sister Helensz
And-well, some day they are goingW
be married. 49,
Meg IS sweet little face was radiant.
She uttered an exclamation of delight.
Nov, little one," he went on,
"when Captain Dale left hereafter you
and your mother were so good and kind
where did he go?'
Meg's eyes fell. .ssz
''You see can It, - was her reIuctafrt
answer. stWe promised faithfully ~
her eyes were raised to Roderifk s like
those of royal angel. "We promissd,
mother and 1, that we'd never fsIls1
took him the path through the woods late
at night and we promised. -
Who could disturb the loyalty of such
a child Well enough Roderlok knew
that he might brighten her into betraying
something which would form a clew to
his friends whereabouts. ''An is
fair in war, occurred to him only to be
dismissed from his mind as unworthy. It
occurred to the young man with some
selt-pity that when little Meg discovered
he was there to hound down and perhsps
take her father back to prison she would
hate him.
''Was ever a fellow between two such
fires? thought the Young captain.
He paced up and down the room while
Meg put the album in its former place,
while Popcorn with his usual aversion sss
being uunoticed, had found q paFf of
from the window curtains. Meg made q