Wichita eagle., 1890-01-22

! are true rs Steel fidelity Itself. They never
told. They would have died rather than be
| tray mel"
"You are Northumberland for il
took right good deal OF this to find out any
| thing and he threw a silver coin upon the
table.
Greta meanwhile had fixed upon firm re
solve As soon as she had assured herself of
the trustworthiness of the warrant thought
had flashed through her quick brain, and
whispering to her lover, keep these men
here as long as you can" she giided from the
room.
"Oh, for the strength to succeed" she
prays, as she flies through the hail. catching
up cloak that lies there and hurrying irto
the porch. Here she walks out leisUrely,
thinking If the men have confederates with.
out she wiz not seem dismayed All is still
and hardly breath of air is stirring. 1t is
| bitter cold and the neon is dark tonight.
She shuddors little as she steals out upon
the graveled walk and draws the cloak closer
about her, There under q tree stand three
horses, and her heart almost fails her as size
thinks of what VIII happsn if her project
fails. Courage, courage" she murnurs, as
she creeps across the lawn TO the shadow OF
! the trees. The men had not dared bring the
! horses nearer the house for fear of being
! heard and SO disturbing their prey and this
! circumstance is favorable one for her. She
! knows there is not horse upon the place, all
| OF HRS. Thornton'S having been sent Us offer
! ings at the shrine of Mars, and if she can
steal away tie ones on which they came they
are prisoners as well as Maj. Merriman-or
more; for Arches regiment goes by in the
morning, and them
| She has unfastened the bride that binds
the one horse to the tree and to her Joy finds
that the other two are tied to it. With one
bound she has swung herself upon it, and,
with quick, firm ''Gee' starts Off upon her
ride. Gently over the springy turf, upon
whose veInal bosom no equine foot has ever
trod before. Gently until she reaches the
great gate at its farther end, then out upon
the road and On into the darkness. Faster
and faster now she goes, listening sometimes
for sounds of pursuit, and, hearing nothing,
going faster still On, on, until she fancies
the wind is blowing a gale, but it is only the
still air resisting her face as she dashes
through. On, while the cypress boughs flap
in her face and the horses stumble over rocks
and bitches. On, on, until rider and horses
fall together in a heap, and do not move
out as the horses stagger to their feet and
pant and whinny low.
They are so tired, it is not hard to calm
and make them quiet, and rider and horses
lie down to rest. And now she thinks of
what she has done and wonders what they
are doing at home. 1t must have been nearly
midnight when she started cut, and now she
fancies she can see a streak of dawn over to
the east. But her eyes are Pickering SO she
cannot. be certain, and can only draw the
cloak close, close about her and shiver and
try to think. Everything about her is reel
ing the trees are whirling past and round
and round, and she herself joins in this mad
dening dance, fast, round and round and up
and down, until she closes her eyes and shuts
this phantesm out.
Perhaps she has been unconscious OF per-
haps she has slept for when she opens her
eyes ii is lighter and the horses are grazing
quietly beside heE And now to her con-
sciousnesS there seem to come along the
ground faint tremorings, and putting her
ear down she can bear the measured tramp
of many feet. She cries out joyfully and
tries to rise, but sinks back with a eroan and
cries softly.
''Oh, this is terrible; this viii never do! l
cannot stay here" And then her eyes grow
fixed as she thinks, ''have I been wiseg' for
the thought has come that perhaps Archie
has had to walk it to the northern camp in
the cold, all through her having robbed them
OF their horses. The southern army is COM
ing, and these men, she thinks, would not
stay. Any means would be used TO return to
their friends and she knows they would not
return alone "W hat to do, what to do!'
Never mind the pain; there will be time
enough for self indulgence later Archie
must be saved! That is the one idea that is
dear, and swinging herself upon the horse
once more and G'ying with toe pain each
movement causes, rides back upon the way.
she must see what her action has done, and
if it has not helped him she will at least DO
at home when his regiment arrives Slowly,
slowly, step by step they retrace the narrow
path and she has just the strength left to
hold and guide the patient animal on which
she rides; nor does she blush nor think it is
unseemly that the saddle is a mans
Back under the drooping cypress bows and
over toe stones and through the bitches,
while behind her, nearer and nearer, comes
the friendly army. Only another mile to GO
now, and she can distinctly hear the tramp,
tramp, tramp of the feet coming to her on
the fresh, crisp morning air. It sends new
life into her heart and makes her forget the
pain of her poor little cold, bruised body,
and she spurs the horses on to galop. On
again till she sees tie broad park gate and
two pen Fastening toward her in dark blue
regimeptals
Saved, thank God," and her Heart is so
glad she forcives her lovers enemies. Spring
ing TO the ground she dashes a silver pin into
the horses flank and cries out through her
hands: Fly for Your lives, the Confederate
army is co.nipgF' and points down the road
where the FIST ray of sunlight plays along
line of lnuSkets
Fly and they catch the fleeing horses
and the air brings to her the sound of .
curse as Uney dasi away.
And now Archie is beside her, and Archie
holding her in bis arms and kissing her and
calling her his brave darling; and Archie
is carrying her 10 the house and Mrs. Thorn
ton comes out and helps him, and together
they bring her back to life, for she has
tainted.
'Margareta, how could YOU do thati 1t
was brave, noble-it was srana!'
at was for Archie, she says, and looks
into his eyes. And Mrs Thornton joins
their hands and says: God bless you both"
And they are happy.-Ralph Lee Stuart
n New Orleans ?; lyrne.