The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-04-04

ness. HAVING teJhereu LAe MORSE W
tree, Frank had turned his attention to
the man, whom he found to be a young
Confederate cavalry officer, shot through
the leg and literally bleeding to death.
1t had not taken him long to fashion
rough tourinquet of leather strap
and piece of wood, and to revive the
wounded boy with water from neigh
boring creek; so when he had done all
to make him comfortable, he. had
mounted the horse and sped for assist
ance.
And now he found himself, after
hours Of useless riding. cut off from
further hope by this turbid stream.
cold day in latter March had passed
away; a pale and cherries sun, that
had cast no heat on the leat1ess scenery,
had sunk, and the darkness of q, stormy
night was coming On rapidly On the
brink of the torrent he had refined up
his weary and Undiscovered horse, and
by the light of day that yet fingered
in the sky, had seen far away on the
opposite bank the indistinct outlines of
a house.
''Swim the river | must" he NUT
tered, but death may be the pen
atty
He knew that in his rear, the way
they had marched, lay wastes of mo-
raises and dense pine woods, inhabited
only by the few wild animals civilian
tion had driven to it's reccsses AS he
looked anxiously at the house, the abode
evidently of some planter, it's out
lines disappeared in the gathering
gloom of night; but lights were begin
ming to sparkle cheerfully through its
many windows Could those who were
comfortably, perhaps luxuriously, seat
ed within but know that there was a
being on the eve perhaps of per-
ishing helpless'y amid the dark flow of
that deep roaring river! Again and
again he hallooed loudly but in vain
''Ah if I should perish here-such
fate" thought he, shuddering. ITO be
cast drowned corpse On some lonely
swamp: and to be found and stripped by
some reckless woodsman who will never
even send word OF my fate to the dear
ones at Meltonburg.'
With a brief invocation on his lips, he
gave the horse the rein, and with a
fierce and angry snort the gallant beast
plunged into the torrent. Floating
roots and trunks of trees, the debris OF
the storm that had swept the land,
struck rider and horse and forced them
down the stream; bat after twice near
ly giving up the struggle, the horse
gained it's footing on the opposite bank
and emerged from the flood, painting,
snorting, dripping and trembling in
every fiber.
Leading the sturdy steed by the bride.
and caressing it the while, he made
his way up the bank, and, guided only
by the lights in the mansion, he CROPPED
his way onward 1t was a large house.
The glowing warmth within shone
through the curtains and bespoke COM
fort to the weary traveller, who could
scarcely drag along his benumbed
limbs. He boldly approached the door
and knocked vigorously. A colored
map-servant answered his summons,
and hastily calling another to take his
horse to the stable, ushered the
lrenched visitor into a comfortable
room, on whose hearth big log-fire
was burning.
As Frank stood reveling in the glow
ing warmth, d tall, digni6ed, aristo-
cratic old man entered. whose keen,
dark eyes expressed d spirit that could
be suave or irritable as occasion
prompted
s:Where are you from?" he asked, alb
rul1tly, more in a tone of authority than
OF anxious inquiry.
Frank, shiverng with cold told his
story briefly and without comment.
When he recited his adventure with
the wounded youth in the forest, the
hosts manner quickly changed Moth
ing could be more urbane and agreeable
than the tones in which he bade the
young man welcome to his roof.
we must thank your accident for
procuring us the pleasure Of your visit
in this lonely place. he said, with a
sweet smile. "And, if you will excuse
me a few minutes / will see that
chamber is prepared for your occupa-
ton. You will be glad to be rid of that
dripping uniform"
''But the poor lad. wounded in the
woods Frank said, anxiously, eve
must lose no time in going to his relief"
"Ah, that is already attended to. A
party of my people, attracted by the
firing, FASTENED to the spot and found
him just as you left him. They brought
him here an hour ago-'loubtless you,
being ignorant of the country, wandered
by a more circuitous route
''And is he much hurt?" Frank asked,
greatly relieved by the information. 1t
did not strike him then as remarkable
that his hosts people, should have
been SO fortunately successful in spot
ting the whereabouts of the unfortun-
ate young man, though afterwards
events made the mystery clearer
"You certainly saved his life the old
man declared. gravely. "And now,
without more talking, let me go and
make preparations to relieve your dis
comfort.
Frank soon found himself in delight
full quarters-a CHEEKY, airy bedroom,
with a roaring fire on it's hearth and
suit of his host clothes and linen lying
handy Cd the snowy coverlet of big,
old-fashioned four-post bed To strip,
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