The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-07-13
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1 peateely asked himself Willy he had de-
stToyed the pr4of thai be Its rot spy,
and al often h4 virif.ls fesslefllhered his
promise to Mrs. Arms tnlatie in the
Solemn nature of eli oaell, t4lat heswould
sooner die than reveal Tie aeerat Of her
love. Then tie idea would GET upper
most In his mind that he WIS throwing
his lie away in an unworthy cause.
Swayea by these posing considerations,
and oppressed By physical dread, he was
fast seftling into apaih fnething Tint
luaa beyond his previous agilation. and a
relief from It, when Col. Army tage en-
torad
Mr.. ygilIett, he said, ssyoNhave only
s few hours to live, unless you can yet
prove that your errand was nos that OF a
spy.
Oliver guessed that the colonel sts-
pected the TRUTH and, on the quick inn
pulse on shielding the woman Of his
worship, lie exclaimed: i cannot do it.
4 I expect to die.
Have you no desire to Hve?s
No man stronger: but I yoluntar-
lily took upon myself a solemn obliga-
ton, and ! must not be a coward because
the worst has come Of it. ?
es, you might have had some other
errand- tlaat Of lover meeting his
sweetheart, Tor example. Was that IL
lii your case.p
Oliver was certain now that his sur
mise was correct. He said as eonscien-
|tiouslv as any man ever lied, NO.
Il
pour life would be spared.
II can prove no such thing"
sThat removes a sorrow from me and
seals your fate. Within an hour by
wife has told me that you were Aer
Iover-tllat you came to see her, and not
as spy from the rebels.
Believing that she had confessed tie
whole truth instead of only an ineffect-
ua1 part of it, divers only sentiment fcF
the instant was pride in his own sacrificed
The colonel left him to himself.
An hour later, q nnfAed woman wal
III his presence. When she showed heR
face Il was soclose that he felt her breath
fall hot on his cheek, and it was MrsA
Arnaytage who spoke: 81 could not LET!
you die with the thought that !, safe in
your sacrifice, had not tried to save you.
& told my husband why you came to the
city, but he would not believe me. / con-
5ure y0u to convince him that ! told the
truth.
II is not always true that men are
Drawer in premcditating heroism than
when the time Of action comes. Oliver
had, even since his interview with Col.
.Arzl,ytage, wavered from his determine
ton to die possessed of this woman's
secret He had balanced his obligation to
her against his fanily's grief and his own
dread of death, and which was weightiest
he had scarcely been able to determine.
But now, under the powerful influence
Of her presence, and in the knowledge
that she appreciated and loved him, he
felt steeled in his purpose OF keeping his
vow. He said very quietly: Your hus-
band has been here.
aAnd told you what said::'
Eyes
"You assured him that it was true2
They will believe it, and you will be
savsd." She waited with alright for
his answer. She honestly believed that
she hoped he would say '.Yes:n but in
her mind was q sbadowy, awful fear of
what might be the consequences to her
self.
1T is too late TO alter my purpose if /
would, he said, taking her hands in
his, and feeling that they were hot and
nervous. Your letter IS destroyed. If
I were to tell its contents now | would
not be believed. / have thought it all
over. Ny life IS very precious TO me;
but mine or yours must go-for what
would be left of yours worth retaining
il the world regarded you as faithless
mifes will die ia the flush of a high
resolve. You would linger, if had
proved cowardlF. in years of death. No;
1 have kept ny oath and your secret.
When Mrs. Arrnytage was once again
IN her room, the first gray light Of dawn
Hholie into the window where she sat.
Her husband had not returned. The hor-
rible duty Of the execution of the court
naArtial's sentence deyolyed on him, and,
although he assigned its details to a
staff officer, it added to his other activi-
ties Of the night and kept him away
from her. Soon she heard the beat Of a
mnfiied drum, marking the tread Of
marching feet Looking out through
the shutters, she saw q company Of fifty
soldiers coming down the street.
In their midst was Oliver Wlllett.
The first vision Of Old Judee was real
lied. The prophecies OF the negroes had
not been recalled by the distracted wo-
man. but now she felt that divers
march to death had been foretold. With
dumb. still sense Of despair for her
lover. she watched the dreadful process
sion until it passed beyond her sight and
herring.
What was it that old JUDGE told
next she exclaimed. II remember.
She saw me riding on horseback toward
a wood. She heard me say that must
save him. How? Icant conceive a way.
She was in a condition now in which
quietude was not possible. Her SADDLE
horse was ina stable near by. She ia not
consider what she meant ID do nor Nsrdly
realize what she was tlping. Old JA lee's
prophecy inpelled her. She haAtily
dressed herself II her riding habit IND
~eaeIaed the stable unobseryed. ThAre
she saadied and hridled the horse, iAa-
pttuously mounted him and rode IN the