Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-12-15

y
ter sleep all night.'
You can come up here and sit down,
and I'll see
What a musical voice. thought
Mark.
The travellers went up onto the We
randa and sat on some wooden benches
ranged along the rail.
Have you come far?" asked the girl,
who regarded them with evident curl
osity.
From our leetle farm on the Sc
quatchie.
Your brother does look tired. Are
you hungry, little boy?'
is it a-gitten dark
why. yes" she said, surprised.
"What has that to do with it?'
I'm hungry jest as sartin, and Jakey's
little eyes glistened at the thought OF a
hot supper.
The Young lady laughed and went into
the house.
Mamma. there's young countryman
and his little brother out on the gallery.
They want some supper and bed for
the night
An elderly lady, with two white puff
curls on either side of her face, looked
up from book she was reading. Her
appearance was dignified and refined.
"The young man looks quite like a
gentleman, if he is a countryman,
added the daughter.
1--WE must be very cautious, Laura;
you know now we are situated; your
father and brother away and no man in
the house. we can't let strangers sleep
here But they may have something
to eat. and perhaps it might do TO let
them sleep in the barn if they look
right
Where shall they have their supper
Have it put on the hall table down
stairs"
The daughter paused "A moment and
thought.
do you know. mamma, can't ex-
actly feel satisfied to put the elder
brother in place given up to the serv-
ants.
"What nonsense. Laural We are TAX
ing great risk to let them into the
house at all. Heaven grant that the
horses are not all taken before morning.
The man may be in league with band
Of guerrillas. for all we know"
The daughter withdrew, for the mo-
ment quite impressed with her mothers
prudence AS she stepped out on the
veranda Mark rose respectfully and
stood looking into her black eyes with
his blue ones. Her mothers caution fed
away before that honest countenance.
lyon can have some supper, she said,
''if You care to eat in the lower hall, and
you can sleep-you-you can sleep
Mark was bowling his thanks.
"Would Won mind sleeping I'M She
paused again.
"The barn? Certainly not
,You know these are troublous times,
she said alphabetically, "and we are
alone mean we haven't many men in
the house, she quickly added, conscious
of having made known the households
weakness to "A stranger
Mark smiled. The young lady was
looking at hmm as he did so, and she
thought he had very charming smile.
I'VE will sleep anywhere you choose
to put MS Leastaways we amt pur-
ticular.'
The first sentence was spoken in his
natural way; the second in dialect.
Marks manner of speaking to her was
singularly mixed.
II suppose your men are fighting our
battles, he remarked to relieve an awk-
ward pause.
Papa is away
Have you no brothers,"
Yes. one; he is fighting for the Con-
federacy."
"And your father-is he at the WARP
mo; papa does not care much about
the war
Perhaps he's a Union man"
well. yes. Papa is Union"
Mark concluded to hazard a surmise.
WAS he driven outy' he asked
Not exactly, she said. with frown.
Hes gone north. though"
She did not like to tell the whole story
to stranger. who was gradually getting
a good deal of information. Her father
had come to Chattanooga from the north
years before. where he had married
southern woman. After the opening of
the war. on account of his pronounced
Union sentiments, he had been warned
several times to leave. and his family
were much relieved when he was well
away from the danger that threatened
him.
.You are divided, said Mark, las we
are. Now. my Ieetle brother hyars
Union boy. I'm Confederate.
There was pause, and the girl, re-
marking that she would see about their
supper. turned and went into the house.
There was delay in getting the meal
ready. Perhaps the negro cook demurred