The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-08-02

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''oH, FRANK, You MUST HURRY
| But other things even more important
| than the fact of Missy's detection
weighed upon the girls mind A crisis
had suddenly arrived in the family af-
fairs. The instructions which ter1ni-
mated her brothers short furlough and
the orders for which he had waited had
| at last arrived, and Glen was feverishly
anxious to convey them safely to hie
| hands. On the evening of the arrival Of
the Union troops at the homestead he
had barely escaped being made pris-
| oner by receiving information of their
coming, and since then he had stead
| fastly refused to leave the vicinity with
out orders, hoping to be able to carry
some information concerning the enemy
| to headquarters.
And all this time Glen's heart was
torn by a thousand fears. Her imaginar
ton intensified the real dangers of his
situation, and the unsettled state Of the
country, just before the close of the
war, warranted in a great measure her
anxiety. He might be made prisoner
at any moment, or shot as spy. Many
night the girl awoke sobbing and pant
ing from frightful dreams, and the fact
that the whole responsibility of the
household rested upon her shoulders
that upon her devolved the duty of sus-
tanning her timid and gentle mother
rendered her position thousandfoId
more trying. When her brother left
home they had hulriedly fixed upon a
rendezvous where she might meet him
at certain times, but experience had
taught her that her visits to the deserted
little shanty, deep in the woods, which
they had selected, were not unattended
with danger.
OF any personal peril she did not stop
to think, but there were scores of runa-
way or disconnected slaves, eagerly look
ing forward to their expected freedom,
who would gladly bear tidings Of Con-
federate soldier TO those whom they con-
sidered their best friends and liberators.
But these papers must be delivered into
her brothers hands. She could not
breathe freely until this was done. It
was late in the afternoon when she made
her preparations for the long walk. It
was not safe to meet her brother until
night had fallen, but the moon would
rise on her homeward way, and her mis-
sion once accomplished she would know
no fear. At last she was ready to set
out. Missy put up her lips for goodby
kiss, and her mother overwhelmed her
with whispered precautions and messages
to her boy. At last Glen was out Of the
1 horca op1 xx,o1izi,,ox cursf&lxy 1oxr>, %1,a
long cedar avenue. AS she passed through
the great gates she noticed Nelse skulk-
ing behind one Of the trees, and sharply
ordered him back to the house.
For moment suspicion Of the boy
shot through her brain. He had been
unusually surly Of late and rebellious
of authority, but this she had attributed
to the general disaffection which now
hung like dark cloud over the relations
of slave and master. She dismissed the
fear from her mind as she hurried on
ward. When she reached the wood the
sun was almost setting, and the dense
shade of the trees made a twilight under
their thick boughs She had advanced
but few steps-the hut was still far
out of sight, and its occupant, if he had
| already come, far out of hearing-when
she was startled by rustling in the
bushes behind her. 1t was some wild
animal, she told herself--a squirrel, a
snake, possibly, gliding through the I'M
dergrowth. If-her heart stood still at
the thought-it were anything else, it
were equally perilous to advance or re-
cede. She turned swiftly to face the
danger. Directly before her, creeping
| along in the bushes, her quick eyes dis
covered the crouching form of Nelse.
| "Nelse," she called, Aher voice shaking
with scorn and anger. The old habit Of
| obedience was too strong upon him for
open resistance, and he slouched for
ward, cringing under her blazing eyes,
but his rebellion was not quenohed.
Don't yer hit me, Miss Glen" he
whined. 'Pse mos free now, knows ]
is, and you dasn't hit me. Deed you
| dasn't."
You should answer for this, if a whole
regiment of Yankees backed you," she
said. Now CO."
And Noise needed no second bidding.
He sprang away like a deer, and his
mocking laugh came back to the girls
startled ears. But she had not mo-
ment to lose. She understood too well
what his next move would be. He had
gone back to the house to inform upon
her. There was a short cut which she
had not taken, on account Of its public
ir5, and OF this he and they who re-
turned with him would avail them
selves. OF this new complication she
dared not tell her brother. She knew
his rash impetuous temper, and that
rather than allow her to encounter any
danger alone he would simply wait
and give himself up to his enemies.
There was but one course open to her
She must hurry on at her utmost speed.
give him the papers, and without arous-
ing his suspicious, urge him to instant
departure. All this she determined
r,r,,r, che Lae&ax.r<7 x-~;kl~