The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-21


comes the old curmudgeon with a candle
held high above his head.
"What the DEVILS here's" he calls out
Sergt. Basket looks over the old mans
shoulder, and there, half way up the stairs,
stood Nine. Noy, in her night-rail-a high
colored, ripe girl, languishing for love, her
red lips parted and neck all lily~white
''Be cussed II l turn back !" said the SER
geant to himself, and added out aloud:
Forty souldiers, Ia the kings namem
Forty devisl" said old Noy.
They're devils to eat," answered the SER
geant, in the most friendly manner; "ap',
begad, ye must feed an bed 'em this night
or else Pill search your cellars. Ye are a
loyal man-eh, fnrmerl An your stables
are big, Pm told"
Sarah" calls out the old man, following
the sergesnt's bold glance, Ego back an
dress yourself dacently this instant! These
here honest djers-forVy damned honast
gormanizIn' ouldjers-become, in his
majestys name, forty strong, to protect
honest folks rights in the intervals OF eatin'
'em out O. house an home. Sergeant, ye bs
very welcome i the kings name. Cheese
and cider ye shall have, an pray the MKT
ure may turn your forty stomachs."
In a dozen minutes he had fetched out his
stable boys and farm hands, and. lantern in
hand, was helping the sergeant to picket
the horses and store the men about on clean
straw in the out houses. They were turns
ing back to the house. and the old man was
turning over IN his mind that the sergeant
hadn't vet said a word about where no was
to Sleep when by the door they found Nine.
Noy waiting in her wedding gown, and
with her hair freshly braided.
Now, the farmer was mortally afraid of
the sergeant, knowing he had thirty ankers
and more of conrraband liquor in his
cellars and minding the sergeants threat.
None the less his jealousy got the upper
hand.
Woman" he cries out, "to thy bed"
II was waiting" said she, ito say the
'Sergeant's," says the dragon, correcting
her.
"Was laid + the spare room"
Madam" replies Sergt. Basket, looking
into her eyes and bowling, "a soldier with
my responsibility sleeps but little In the
first place must see that my men sup"
The maids be now cuttin' the bread an
cheese an drawin' the cider.n
Then, madam, leave me but possession
of the parlor, and let me have chair to
sleep in."
By this they were in the passage together
and her gaze devouring his regimentals.
The old man stood a pace Off looking
sourly. The sergeant fed his eyes upon her,
and Satan got hold OF him.
Now If only" said he, lone of you could
play cards."
"But must go to bed" she answered
stay another night"
For she saw the CLINT Ia tho farmers eve;
and so Sergt Basket slept bolt upright that
night in an arm chair by the parlor fender.
Next day the dragooners searched the town
again. and were eilleted all about among
the cottages. But the sergeant returned to
Constantine. and before going to bed-this
cribbage with Mime. Noy, the farmer
smoking sulkily in his arm CHAIR.
Two for his heelsl" said the rosy woman
suddenly, half way through the ga ne; ser
geant, you're chsatin' yourself an forgettin'
to mark. Gle me the board; PIl mark for
BOTH,
She put out her hand upon the board, and
Sergt. Basket closed upon it. It's true he
had forgot to mark; and feeling the hot
pulse in her wrist, and beholding the hunger
in her eyes, It's to be supposed he'd forgot
his own soul.
He rode away next day with his troop !;
but my Uncle Philip not being caught yet,
and the government set on making an ex-
ample of him, we hadn't seen the last of
these dragons. Twas q time of fear down
in the town. At the dead of night. or at
4
and for two months the crew of the Unity
couldn't call their souls their own, but lived
from day TO day III secret closets and
wandered the county by night, hiding in
hedges and straw houses. All that time the
revenue men watched the hauen, night and
day, like dogs before rat hole.
But one November morning twas whis-
pered abroad that Uncle Philip had made
his way 10 Falmouth. and slipped across to
me saA nd eHr i
goons were seen no more, nor the handsome,
dev1l-may-care face OF Sergt. Basket. Up
al Constantine, where he had always CON
trived to billeL himself, It's to be thought
pretty Nine. Noy pinned to see him again,
kicking his spurs in the porch and smiling
out Of his gay brown eyes, for her face fell
away from its plump condition, and the
hunger in her eyes grew and grew. But
more remarkable fact was that her old hus-
band-who wouldn't have yearned after the
dragon, ye'd have thought-began to
dwindls and fall away, too. BY the new
year he was dying man, and carried his
doom on his face. And on New Years day
he straddled his mare for the last time and
rode over TO Looe, TO DR.. Gales.
"Goody -losh" cried the doctor, taken
aback by his appearance. Whats come
to ye, NoyP
"DeathI" says Noy. doctor, l baint
come for advice, for before this day week
I'll be O clay-cold corpse. l come to ak a
favor. When they summon ye, before
lookin' at my body-that'll be past help
go you to the little left-top corner drawer
o. my wlfe's bureau, an there yen find a
packet. You're my executor" says he,
land l believes ye to del Wi that packet as
ye thinks fit"
With that the farmer rode away home-
along, and the very day Week he went dead.
The doctor, when called over, minded
what the old chap had said, and sending
Nine. Noy on some pretense to the kitchen,
went over aud unlocked the little drawer
with a duplicate key that the farmer had
unhitched from his watch chain and given
him. There was no parcel OF letters, as he
looked to find. But only small packet
crumpled away In the corner. He pulled it
out and gave a look, and a sniff, and
another look; then shut the drawer, locked
it, strobe straight downstairs TO his horse
and galloped away.
In three hours time pretty Nine. Noy
was in the constableS' hands upon the charge
of numbering her husband by poison. They
tried her, next spring assize, at Bodmiu, be-
fore the lord chief justice. There wasn't evil
dence enough to put Sergt. Basket In the
dock alongside of her-though twas freely
guessed be knew more than any one Saving
the prisoner herself about the arsenic that
was found in the little drawer and inside
the old mans body. He was subponaed
from Plymouth, and cross-examined by IA
great hulklng kings counsel for three
quarters of an hour. But they got nothing