The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-01-19
"How is that?'' asked Captain Fitz

"How is that?'' asked Captain Fitz
Hugh.
"Where are the strangers, Laura?
81 think they are gone, mamma.
ga countryman and his little brother"
said Mrs. Fain to the captain. "Laura
thought him quite gentleman for one
SO poorly dressed"
"But l changed my mind, mamma, y
said Laura quickly.
'And what was the occasion Of SO
sudden q bouleversement?" asked the
captain.
"Why-why, when we were sitting
on the veranda after You went in. man.
MAJ
sSitting on the veranda with a coun-
tryman" exclaimed the lover.
"Well, yes: mamma said to invite
him up. But 1 was going to say
Laura's inventive powers had gained
time to act by the interruption-"l
found that he was only an ignorant
farmer after all, for l asked him how
far the moon was, and he said he reck-
oned it was hundred million miles
''That doesn't prove anything" Fitz
Hugh remarked. Il don't believe there's
an officer in my regiment knows that
But it becomes us to be very careful.
The commanding general has made i,
known unoffcially through his staff Off
GERS that he is especially DESTROYS of con
cealing his intentions. One spy pene
trating for even a day at Chattanooga
might Illustrate all his plans. If the
enemy knew that we are concentratin.
there, and how weak we are there AT
present, he would or at least he should
come down with a large force and drive
us SOUTH"
A troubled expression crossed Lauras
face.
''Indeed!' said Mrs. Fain. Il was
not aware of that. Suppose the young
man was spy"
Cameron" said Laura, Il wish YOU
wouldn't talk so to mamma. She will
be suspicious Of every poor beggar that
asks crust. The mans name was Slack
There are plenty Of Stacks among the
poor whites about here. | have q sick
family Of that name on my hands now
not mile up the road"
''Has the fellow gomez" asked Fitz
Hugh. 81 think would bettersee him"
"Gone! of course he's gone" said
Laura, with heaving bosom.
'Where did he say he was going?
ITO Chattanooga" said Mrs. Eain.
iii mount and follow him. can
easily overtake him on horseback"
Nonsense" said Laura, with 4 pout:.
''you have kept away from me for al
week. and now you are going as SOON as,
you've come"
"But, my darling. would you have
II would have you stay where youare
and"-
Mrs. Fain, seeing that some cooling was,
coming, wisely withdrew.
''And what, sweetheart"
Tell me what love to hear" she said.
softly.
1--WE told you that so often you should.
certainly be tired of it by this time"
Fitz Hugh looked inquiringly into her,
face as he smoothed back her hair. He,
was used to these requests to repeat. his.
assurances of affection, but there was
. nervous something about his iancee'
this morning that puzzled him.
His back was toward the window.
while she was facing it. Suddenly. she
elasped her arms tightly around him.
''Now go if you can!' she said. affect
ing q playful tone.
"Why, Laura, what does this mean?"
he asked, astonished.
'You don't love me-" she whined.
''Love you. pet! You know do"
''Then why do you act so?'
'.Act how?'
''You never come any more but YOU
want to go right away"
'sBut, sweetheart half dozen kisses
for exclamation points-''l only intend
being gone little while"
eff you once start out to follow some.
body you don't know anything about
you'll be gone all day, and then you'll be
ordered away, and maybe I'll never see
you any more"
Never was a lover more charmed at
such evidence of woman's affection, and
never had this lover less cause to be
charmed at the evidence of his hold
upon Laura Fain. Had Captain Fitz
Hugh seen what Laura Fain saw from
the moment she put her arms around
him and held his back to the window
Mark and Jakey going down the walk
to the gate-he would have exclaimed:
"Oh, woman, thy name is, perfdy!"
"Oh, woman" the departing soldier
would have responded, thy name is in
deed peridy, but how glorious thy per-
fidyw
CHAPTER vi.
IN THE ENEMY's LINES.
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