The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-04-07

tools made short work OF the bars across
my window and of the irons which fet-
tered my limbs.
i squeezed through the window and
dropped to the ground.
had not gone far when r guard called
out sharply, " Haiti who goes there?"
"a friend" ! answered.
"Give the countersign!"
Cartridge"
"Pass oni"
On reaching the corner I whistled soft.
~, and In answer a negro came up and
said interrogatively, "Massa Tomf"
YES" replied.
He threw a long cloak over my shout
ders and started up the street at a sharp
gait. ] followed him perhaps half a mile,
when he stopped before a plain brick
house, unlocked the door and babe me
enter. I had scarcely glanced around the
dimly-lighted hall, before the mysterious
Mabel" accompanied by a young lady
taller and darker than herself, hurriedly
entered from an adjoining room. They
had evidently been waiting for me.
i only heard my benefactress say: ooh,
Tom, thank Heaven!" before her com
panion, with a wholly glad and half hys-
terical cry, threw her arms about my neck
and showered tears and kisses upon me III
most embarrassing profusion.
/ was utterly dumbfounded. Finally,
collecting m~ythoughts, / turned from the
excited and half-crying woman / held il
my arms to the one l partly knew, AND
said:
"My dear Miss Murfee, you have
saved my life, and / am bound, as ar
honorable man, to tell you that you have
made a strange mistake in thinking you
know mel"
"Mistakei" gasped the young lady who
had so ~passionately caressed me. "Mis-
takel What do you mean? Are you not
Ton Atherton?"
"Not quite" l answered; "but il you
thought I was he, the mistake Is not g
ysry bad one I am his twin brother
The surprise and confusion which had
overwhelmed me were transferred to the
young ladies, and for a moment we SIM
ply stared at each other. Then Mabel
laughed and said:
"And 50 you were that wonderful
brother, of whom Tom used to tell u.s."
EYES," fortunately" I answered.
"And you stood there and let me kiss
yOa WAeh0a ooyhh6 "OAA AbhSo "a
found out afterwards she was Agnes) said
reproachfully,
"You didn't give me time to object,
even IL I had wished to-" was my perfectly
truthful reply.
"I don't know but that Is So" she as
sented. "But, Mabel, what shall we do
with him?"
81 am entirely in your hands, and will
do whatever you WISH" I said. "If my
being here will endanger you in any way
I will try and get through the lines to-
night"
"You will be much safer here" Mabel
said. ave owe it to you to do whatever
we can for you"
cove It to mel" I said, " for whatf"
"For your brothers sake. He saved
my sisters life and protected our property
from destruction and us from insult. He
Is the best n truest man that ever lived,
and we cannot dc too much for hi.
brother"
I was compelled to keep a dark retreat
only q part OF the time, and several hour
elch day were spent with Judge Mufrec
or his daughters.
Mabel Murfee had saved my life, and
the gratitude i felt was perhaps enhances
by the fact that she was a rarely beautiful
woman.
After weary weeks OF siege the city was
captured and the soldiers of Grant anc
Sherman entered in triumph and l wa
free.
When the time came for me to 60, hav-
ing said good-by to Judge Murfce, ]
went to the parlor to see Mabel and Agnes,
feeling o hard, how very hard 1t wa
to say farewell; and when l saw Mabel
dressed in pure white, with white flower
in her beautiful hair, her cheeks flushed
with excitement and her deep blue eyes
u~nwontedly bright, the duty was not
made any easier.
"Agnes Is writing n letter TO Tom for
you to deliver" she said as / entered the
room. "Shew will be down in a few mo-
mepts."
al am quite willing to watt" i replied,
"and indeed / am sorry that / must go at
all. / do not expect to ever again fine
such friends as I have found here"
"You must thank your brother fol
them" Mabel answered.
miss Murfee, Mabel, you wish to rob
your act OF saving my life of any personal
Significance; o do not want to be mis-
led by the gift of my poor life to ask foi
that which can make IL valuable. / refuso
to b. warned. i love you, Mabel Low,
you madly, hopelessly-love you as Inever
thought to love any one, and while I dare
not hope that you will return my love ]
could not leave you without speaking.
Forgive me IL i have panied you, but il
was impossible for me to GO away with
out telling my love, and you will at least
be fortunate in the fact that an oppor-
tunity will not soon occur for you to be
troubled again by one whose love was
stronger than his fear OF offending"
Tears trickled through the long dark
lashes, then half-smiling through her
tears she lifted her brave, clear eyes to
mine and said:
"And what II ! insist on your remain
ing TO repeat YOU offense2r-H. i. Marsh