Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-02-17

-E9 -
She rns star iilr} On nc ladder ,riM the
tray m her hand.
Mark stood for moment looking
about him. There We're dormer windows.
which let in the moonlight so that he
could distinctly see everything in the
room. Some trunks We're piled in one
corner and III another some furniture,
Among the latter he noticed "A lounge
with tnreadharr upholstery. and taking
II IN his arms. carried il. trtading softly,
10 one Of the windows at the front of
the house. The room was very hot. and
he raised the sash, moving it with great
care. so As not t. make any sound. Then
he sat down on the lounge. and looking
out of the window began to mediate
on his situation.
While thus engaged he heard light
tap at the trap door. Opening it he
saw bundle extended by tho tar hand
Of his preserver. He took it, and letting
down the trap-Miss Fain did not utter
word-he unrolled il. There were
complete suits of under and outer gar
ments, the property of Miss Fain's
brother.
The getting off f his damp garments
and donning snow white linen was 8
grateful sensation to Mark. Having put
on what he needed for the night he laid
himself down on the lounge. From his
window he could see the Tennessee roll
ing in the moonlight half a mile away
He thought how much more comfortable
he was in his dry clothes than he had
been floating in the water. Then hi
heard the bark of hounds. They were
on the waters edge, and he knew by thu
sounds that they were endeavoring t.
pick up the scent of his tracks.
Ozark on" he said. "When l leav,
this I'll take with ME something to di,
with. I'll not be taken alive, and if
meet you some of you shall roll over"
Then there came an inexpressiblt
gratitude. He felt thankful to Souri,
thankful to Jakey, thankful to Laura
Fain, thankful to his God. There wa.
something especially engaging in Mis-:
Fain's efforts on his behalf, inasmucl
as she regarded him an enemy to hel
country. He thought of Souri, in prison
waiting for old Triggs to discover hel
deception. What would they do to her
And Jakey? Would they injure mere
boy? He vowed that if he should escapt
and outlive the war he would find ou
Ijust what had happened, and if either
had been harshly treated he would have
his revenge.
! Musing he fell asleep, but he soor
[awoke. 1t was past midnight-the day
Iof his execution. He shuddered.
He tried to go to sleep again, but tn,
dreadful fate which would have beer
his had not Souri, saved him, and on thu
livery last evening before his intended
IexecutiOn, got into his head, and HI
Isould not drive it out. And now, were
mot men and hounds hunting him fol
miles around, to drag him back to Chat
tanooga to that dreadful jailyard, thu
scafold. the rope, the black cap?
And Laura Fain, suppose she should
weaken; suppose she should, after all
consider it her duty to give him up
suppose q demand should be made K
search the house; SUPPOSE Thousand
suppositions chased each other through
his excited brain.
He lay tossing till just before dawn
when he again fell into troubled slum
Der.
He was awakened by a squadron Of
cavalry passing along the road. Thu
sun had not yet risen, but it was light
He could look right down on them
though they could not see him. They
trotted along slowly, all looking worr
and sleepy. They were evidently thu
men who had passed the night before
and were going back from an unsuccess
full hunt. Mark noticed the differen
positions many of them took in order t.
rest in their saddles. The sight tool
him back to his own troop, and he longet
to be in the stirrups again with them.
There is no time like a wakeful nigh
to magnify distress, and nothing like al
unclouded rising sun to drive it away
Mark looked out on the stretch Of coun
try to be seen from his window-th,
Tennessee and the mountains beyond
their tops tinged with yellow Highland
was as unreasonably hopeful as he hai
been respondent. His pleasurable sen
sations suddenly received new check
An officer of the cavalry that had passed
followed by two men, came riding back
Maybe they were coming to the house
They stopped at the gate. One Of thu
men rode forward, dismounted and
opened it. The officer entered and rode
up to the front door.
Marks heart seemed to stop beating.
He could not see what was going OF
below so close under his window, but
presently heard the officer talking t.
some one on the veranda.
"a Federal spy escaped last night
from Chattanooga, madam. He was il
the disguise of a negro girl" There wa.
something more which was unintelli
gible.
Then Mark heard the word mo
spoken in voice which he thought was
Mrs. Fain's.
HE was tracked to the river, which
he must have crossed. He probably
landed mile or two below Chattanooga
and we believe he is hiding somewhere
within few miles of this place."
"YOu are welcome to- Mark could
not hear to what the officer was welcome,
but he surmised it was to search the
house.
What time did You go to bed::"
The reply was inaudible.
"YOu saw nothing till them"
"No, SIR"
land everything was shut up at ten
o'clock"
Eyes, sir"
"You are good Confederates, reckon. "
Eyes, sir; my som Mark could not
hear the rest, except the word army"
well, with You permission, madam,
we'll search The rest was lost. In
deed Mark was too terror stricken to
listen with due care. He supposed the
house would be ransacked.
In moment his terror was turned
to delicious sense of relief. The officer,
after calling to the men at the gate, rode
around to the negro quarters.
But there was danger in the search
which would follow in the cabins. Dan
lei would remember the negro girl he
had let in the night before, and would
surmise that she was the person the men
were looking for. Would Daniel betray
him? He thought not. Daniel gave no
hint, for presently Mark saw the trio
ride away to join the troop.
Laura Fain had spent night no more
comfortable than Mark. The RESPONSE
bility Of human life weighed upon her