The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-02-18

not long before she had the satisfaction
of seeing the weary eyelids close over
the sunken eyes. But she did not
cease her low singing until the regular
breathing told her that her grandfather
slept
Then she rose noiselessly from her
seat on the bedside, and, going to the
window, looked out into the dark
night
1t was growing chillier without, and
the rain had ceased.
~ must CO." she said, resolutely, to
herself. IF I can but see Gen. Wash
ington am sure he will not let my
father die a traitors death. lie is too
good to let such wrong be done, and
he must believe me that my father
would never be guilty of playing false
to his own country.
''Grandfather will be likely to sleep
while l am gone" she went on, her
brown eyes filling with tears as she
looked on the aged sleeper. at
would kill him if father were con-
demned to die, and then l should die,
too"
Wrapping little faded cloak around
her shoulders, Hope let herself out of
the chamber, quietly secured the door,
then descended the dark stairway.
AS she stole cautiously along the
hall, her heart in tumult of emo
tions, she saw, through the half-open
door leading into the kitchen. that the
troopers were either asleep or heavily
doz ng
This was as she wished it, for they
would not know of her absence from
the farmhouse. AS quietly as posi-
BILE she opened and shut the outer door,
letting herself out into the night and
cold.
Then, never pausing to see if her
flight had been discovered by the guard,
she ran like frightened fawn under
the trees down the hillside.
The air was growing keener every
moment, and the raindrops, which now
and then fell from the somber old
trees on Hopes face or hands, were
like ice, and made her SILVER and draw
her cloak more closely around her
shoulders
The night was very dark, for great,
dense clouds of blackness were scud-
ding across the sky. The merest frag
mert of new moon, we'll down the
western sky, with few faint stars,
struggled vainly to be seen and to re-
lieve the darkness.
The night was wild and full of ter
rors to poor little Hope; but, summon
ing all her courage, she sped along the
lonely path which led across the fields
towards Morristown.
She had gone almost mile fro m her
home when she came to stream
swollen into a black torrent by the late
rains.
She ran along the marshy bank until
she found the place where two long
planks were made to serve as bridge
for the country folks, who wished to
shorten the distance to town.
Hope started across the planks span
ming the stream.
Every moment the turbid, ice-cold
waters, rushing riverward threatened
to sweep away the supports under the
planks,
But the little girl, filled with her
great purpose, went dauntlessly for
ward.
She had reached the middle of the
stream in safety, when waterfowl
arose from almost beneath her, and
flew away over her very head, with
Wild frightened cries.
SO unexpected and sudden was it's
appearance that Hope started back,
nervously. The planks were becoming
icy where the rain was freezing on
them, and before she could save her
self, her feet slipped and she realized
that she was falling.
But she caught the edges of the
plank and held on firmly, while trying
to draw herself up from the dark, gurg-
ling current into which her feet were
plunged.
The fragment of moon freed itself
from the sable clouds and dimly light
ed the scene, revealing the whi1efaced
terror-stricken child clinging to the icy
planks.
One moment she chung in awful peril
then a tall figure stepped out on the
planks, and she was lifted by pair of