Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-22
V /.

When the night was past; when the next
day shone; when the dIal-hnger marked the
hour a little after noon, the garrison Of
Sunda Guuge was shaken suddenly by
strange excitement. First, there became
audible a noise of wild confusion in the en-
campmen: of the Sepoys round the walls. 1t
grew-it gathered volume; it swelled Hnto a
tumult. Guns fired; voices yelled; a sound
was heard as of the stampede of innumer-
able feet. Then, drowning every other
sound, arose the loud hurrahing of English
voices; and this, taken up by those inside
the garrison, became in a few minutes a per-
feet tempest of wild cheering, ringing far
and near.
Suddenly Unexpectedly - relief had
come The rebels were flying in all direc-
tions; their camp was In the hands OF En-
glish soldiers. The siege OF Sunda Gunge
was over.
1t is not our purpose to dwell upon the
scene that followed. From that tumult of
wild joy, of almost fierce excitement, we
must turn away, and follow st. George
Vane.
AS soon as the fact of the relief was GER
tain, he stepped out of the crowd, and made
his way, alone and unperceived, along the
deserted passages, to a certain room which
| Law in the rear of the walled buildings. 1t
was the very room from which the night be-
| fore a slender, gray-draped figure had stolen
softly oui.
Just as he reached the door, and was hesi-
| tating at the threshold, Mrs. Jessop, who
mad been called out bv the noise of the
| cheering, was seen returning in state of
much excitement. Vane accosted ner
eagerly, but in low tones. us she better?
| Can see her yet?" he asked.
StShp il muph better. she is dressed and
| sitting up. But the noise alarmed her. She
| does not know the cause of it. Will you
come in and tell her?"
Vane followed her into the room. In a
| large chair, next the window, looking very
white and weak, with bandage round her
temples, where the shot had grazed and
stunned her, sat Mary Sulland.- As Vane
entered she looked round. He paused, and
for some seconds the two regarded each
other.
He had not seen her since, the night be-
fore, he had carried her, swooning, to her
room. He had heard, with infinite relief,
that the wound was not serious; and ipquir-
! ing hourly at the door throughout the night,
he had learned that the swoon was passing
| off, and that with some hours of rest there
would be little to be feared. Yet now, as he
stood before her, even the great event which
had Just happened was less present to his
mind tnan anxiety to satisfy himself, with
his own eyes, that she was safe. The shock
which he had felt at the moment when he
had raised her in his arms, and caught
sight OF her white face in the moonlight
was with him still. He had felt at thai
instant a certainty that she was killed.
And indeed she had had a wonderful
escape.
Every sportsman who has tried his gun a.
a sheet OF blank paper knows that it will
sometimes happen that, while the paper will
be spotted thick with pellets, there vii
sometimes be a space LETT free OF shot larg,
enough, perhaps, to have let the game es
cape, however true the aim. 1t had so hap
pened here. Amid the storm of shot onl,
one had grazed her; the rest had whistleC
past her without harm. But where he
slender figure had so narrowly escaped,
man, being of larger bulk, would inevitabl,
have been struck down. Mary Sulland had
in fact, been slightly wounded, where Van
would have been killed.
During the hours of night, while he hat
wandered up and down outside her door, to-
restless to seek for sleep, he had thought o
all these things. He had thought of th,
girl who had risked her life for his; he ha,
let his memory go back into the past, an,
, call to mind all that he had owed to Mar
Sulland through the years that he hat
known her; how all his noblest aspirations
! dreams, ambitions, had come from her, o
had been fostered and strengthened by he
svmpathy; and he had won niered how it wa
.6at he himself had never realized, till now
what she had been to him. And now, as h
stood beside ner. as he looked at her again
he wondered more and more.
, The look of inquiry on her face recalle
him to himself.
II am forgetting" he said. ST am gla,
, to be the first to bring you the good news
see you guess it. Yes, relief has come
The siege is over"
She looked at him with eagerness. On
: thought filled ner mind-it forced passag
TO her lips.
''Then you will not have to 60 again 70
S water?"
s As the words escaped her she flushed rec
? Her action of the night before had hardl
been her own-so overmastering had bee
the impulse which had hurried her ava,
And now, like q woman, sne was trouble
e | by doubt-what would he think of hel
= Had she, in thrusting herself between hil
t and danger. torfeitedHforever his esteem
n How could she expect that he would unde
e stand?
e He did understand, however-at lea
e partly. He saw that she was troubled, an
q he took the best course possible to set her
u | ueT ease. hc mcduL 10 IegdIu muht BIG ho
o done as matter which, between themselve
:. required no explanation. As for other
they knew nothing. Except that she hs
y been slightly hurt by stray piece OF she
no one, not even the Colonel or Lenor
s knew the truth. The men who had been
: the archway had only the vaguest idea
t what had passed. The secret was their ow
:; No." be said, smiling. ST shall not ha'
|. to 60 again. Nor, what is Of much great
e | consequence, will you, Mary"
. She answered with smile. They upds