The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-03-09

The next morning Mark hearing q
tap at the door got out of bed and
opened it cautiously. AS was natural
under the circumstances. he saw danger
in everything that occurred. He half
expected to see through the slight open
ing he at first made the muzzle of re-
volver pointing directly at him. Hesaw
very different sight. 1t was large
tumbler, with a straw in it. on d silver
tray in the hands of a negro.
''Mrs. Fain's compliments. sah," and
he handed Mark a mint julep.
''Ah!' exclaimed Mark, with intense
satisfaction.
present my compliments to your
mistress, and tell her l perceive with
pleasure that this noble Virginia Gus
tom has found it's way into Tennessee,
as it has long ago into South Carolina. -
Eyes, sah!'
There are alternating circumstances
even in the life of spy" said Mark.
contemplating the beverage, uncertain
as that life is. Why will man not al
ways be philosopher? Here am in a
beautifully furnished room: have been
sleeping between the whitest linen. on
the softest of beds. arise and behold
this delicate attention on the part of my
hostess. who, if she should know who |
am, would bring dozen bayonets to
hedge me in. and should be waving in
the soft summer breeze at the end of a
hemp cord in twelve hours. But she
does not know who | am, and, consid-
cred philosophically, am Mr.. Rhett, of
South Carolina. and in clover. Here's to
Private Mark Malone. poor devil!'
However, Mark desired to keep his
head cool, considering the circumstances,
and contented himself with few swal-
lows of the julep. and after completing
his toilet joined the ladies at the break
fast table. He praised Mrs. Fains fried
chicken and light biscuit and corn
bread. and was about to give the coffee
a few words of encomium when, tast-
ing it beforehand, he discovered the pre-
vailing chicory. So he entered upon a
| TRADE against the blockade, and ended
by hoping that Abe Lincoln would al
last be hanged higher than Hannah, q
reference that gave him disagreeable
sensation about the neck and caused
| Laura's bosom to heave unanimously.
The comforts surrounding Mark, the
kindness of his hostess, and above al
the presence of a girl whose bosom
seemed to contain such volcanic forces
as would best harmonic with ont
whose chief object in life seemed to b.
to get himself hanged, conspired to make
him feel a safety that he should not hav'
felt under the circumstances. He hat
been campaigning for year. during
which period he had experienced NJ
greater comfort than Mcclellan sad
die, and the women of the countr.
through which he had passed had no
received him with any marked evidence
of pleasure. Is it to be wondered tina
he felt approximate content-if one Cal
feel content whose neck is in a halter
in the Fain manor house?
But Mark had something else on hi
mind which he knew was of more i'm
portance than his own safety, thougl
it's value, if he should possess it, woul
be dependent on that safety. He wante
some indication of where the ene1n
would strike. He was not SO fOOlhard
as to think Of going back to Chattanoog
himself. but he resolved to send a mes
senger If he could lind some one to &
to town that day, the latest news coul
he brought him in the evening. The
lie would assume disguise and be off i
: the night.
After breakfast he took his pipe an
went out to smoke in the yard. q
sauntered around to the barn and foun
Daniel at work upon the horses.
'Daniel," he said, sgood morning"
.sMornen, sab, said Daniel, eyihg hi
suspiciously.
ssNice lot of stock you have here, Da1
iel."
eyes, sab; fine stock"
"And see you take good care of then
That pony shines as If his coat had. bee
, Oiled"
ssDat Missile Laurie pony, sah."
"Ahl It's . fine animal. And 10 til
her phaeton7
.Yee. sab"