The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-04-17
"I saw you running,'' she said again, in

"Ohl darling" she said, ''ohi my dar-
| ling. Go back-go back-go back. No one
will ever know. You can say you came to
| get horse. There is Hautboy-take him
and go back. Quick -quickl''
| He stood there, ghastly white under the
| red stains on his face, with his sullen
brows drawn down. :,
az tell you I'm wounded" he said. .srve
| been shot twice in this arm" 81 -
"Twicer' she cried. s'If it were twenty
| times, what matter2 Obi Dick--'' .se.x
It's my bride arm" he mnttered. ~
| ."Your bride armi What! you stand
there and tell me thatl You whose father
has ridden to hounds many and many
time with his right hand so crippled with
| govt that he had to wear it in slingl Oh!
we are wasting time so. Come-come on
| Eden's here He will have Hautboy in
minute. Come, Dickl Come, darling
| Then he turned on her. He wrenched
himself free from her hands, and stood
scowling down at her.
"Iwill noti" he said, with shut teeth, as
| she herself sometimes spoke. You think
| it's very grand, don't you, to come and bully
| fellow with one arm helpless, to get on
| great fiery stecd like Hautboy, and ride
| into that devils mess down yonder? That's
| the way women are bravol Oh. yes-push-
| ing men forward into all sorts of danger, and
| then playing the coward under cover of
| their own pettlcoats. Yes, say"
"Stopl' said the girl. She got to her
| feet, but looked at him no longer
| "Uncle Eden 7, she called.
He stepped forward, his black face taking
on that strange ashen hue which is the
synonym of pallor in a negro.
| "Come with u.s." she said, once more
| speaking to her brother.
"What are you going to doa" he burst
out, querulously. s'If you think you're go
ing to force me into going, I'll be d.
| firstr'
| .Ol coward-cowardi" she said, with
very mirthless smile. And then again,
"Cowardl''
1T went through his very marrow. But
| he took no step forward
| s.Come," she repeated. "Don't-don't
be-afraldp' She smiled again. 81 only
want you to come to Uncle Eden's cabin,
| where yon will be safe ~ Again the smile.
Then he followed her. Once inside of the
cabin she turned sternly upon him.
..Take off your uniform she said. ~
am going for Hautboy. Uncle Eden wlll
! stay with your
"What-what are you going W dos" he
gasped, staring at her.
II am going in your place. Don't sneer;
mean it. Have off your uniform by the
time come back"
| He did not in the least believe her, but he
| took off his clothes as she babe him, more
out of sullen curiosity than any thing else
He wanted to see how far she would go.
In ten minutes she was back. He handed
| her the uniform with sort of laugh, and
| she took 1t without word and went down
into the copse, lead Hautboy, who was sad
died with MANS saddle. Half way there
she turned and called the old negro, who
stood the picture Of misery just outside the
cabin door.
| .sUncle Eden,,, she said. She tool,
his horny hand and held it between her soft
palms "I'm really gong. He doesn't be-
| lieve it, but pm going. It-its the only
way My father, Eden. Obi dad-dad p
| Then she went on quietly again. Il want
| you to get him off if I'm hurt, you know
well-kiled. Either way therel be room
| for HIM to start over. If I'm killed, and
they bring me back, don't tell any one. Have
me buried for-him. If they wonder about
me, never mind. The other would kill dad.
That's all. Goodbye, dear Eden"
| She put one soft arm about his black
neck, drew down his loyal old woolly pate,
and kissed him twice. Then she went, and
left him sobbing as though his heart would
| break
| 1t was a soundless gallpp over the new
| fallen snow, past so many familiar places
| and objects. NoW came the old mill. now
| the barn, now the spot where she and
| BoughtOn had climbed the straw-stacks
| that other December day. Now the leap
| over the mill-stream. She noticed that the
marshmallows seemed abloom again, with
| their brown cups full Of snow.
| Suddenly there was fash to one side. A
saber lying on the snow There was bleaa
pm it All the ona Dick had thrown away,
| OF course. She aismounted and took it
into her hand, and got up again. The blood
was stiff with the keen air, and did not
come of when she grasped the hilt. On
and on. Nearer and even nearer that sharp,
incessant sound. She had ridden as often
on mans saddle in her childish days as on
any other, and she had o hight, beautiful
seat in her boys clothes.
All, yesl there they were How the
smoke hung in the still air. Some crows
| actually few cawing away, as she rode
underline dead sycamore tree where they
pad their nest NeareF nearer, nearer.
That was what Hautboy's hoofs, as they
suddenly struck the frozen road, seemed to
say to her.
| Then all at once came something close by
her ear. The sound of a wasp alightinp to
sting. Another and another. Then she re-
| allied what it was. Sne was within range
of the rifles. A bullet st9ng Hautboys ear
and he reared little
| Suddenly he swerved sharply aside. They
had nearly ridden over something that lay
on the ground. Something huddled, and
dark, and small looking in a gray uniform.
| sort Of horror got hold on her; she looked
back at it again and again as she rode on.
Then came another and yet another.
Then some lying in this way and that, and
was in whirl of smoke, and of noise, and
Of leaping blades, and Philip was beside her,
And he, too, had lost bis cap, and there was
2 great ugly cash al aeress his cheek, and
be was saying:
.Dicki Ioua Thank God thank Godi
thought you wera killed Come on-this
once will finish em," and then she was
rushing on with Philip, and on, and on, and
| on
And then it was red as though blood had
been poured into hes eyes, and she could
see it. And then golden as though with q
| great sunset. And then came darkness un-
| utterable, and the noise as of thousand
rivers about, and above, and underneath
| her.
When Boughton rode up to Carylon with
Dick. as he thought, on the saddle in front
Of him, old Eden was the first who met
him, and in spite OF all bis agony (for he
thought the boy Was dead) Philip couldn't
help noticing, with a DUP sort Of wonder,
pow the old man had aged SINCE yesterday.
de shook in every limb, as he followed