Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-02-02

Laura came down at that moment, and
Mark said to her anxiously.
81 am detained on suspicion. | shall
be taken back to Chattanooga" and he
pointed to the courier.
The color left Laura's cheeks. They
had got so near to safety, and now, after
SO many dangers, tho end was at hand.
She could scarcely sustain herself Us she
tottered into the room occupied as the
office.
This is the letter the courier bore
northward. 1t was addressed on the
envelope to Captain Cameron Fitz Hugh,
near Dunlap:
ANDERSON, Aug. %, 1862.
MY DEAR CAMERoH-A man purporting TO
be Thomas Green, with his wife, formerly
Mrs Fain, of Chattanooga, is here, desiring IL
pass to the Union lines. There is something
suspicious about the man. Tho couple are sep
arated from tho wife's mother, and the father
lies very i'll at Nashville ] dislike to detan
them, and do not regard it safe to pass them.
Can you help me out of the difficulty? Yours
very truly, WALLACE TAI1ArERRo.
Major Taliaferro soon joined Mark
and Laura in his Office, and Offering his
arm to Laura led the way to the supper
room. His treatment Of both was most
deferential, but it failed to deceive either
that they were prisoners.
There was strength of nerve IN Mark
that would not break while there was
hope. He chatted with the host or iailer,
whichever he might be called, with ease,
and at times with gayety. Not so Laura.
The situation was too frightful for her
to endure without some manifestation
of anxiety. She ate nothing. She did
not hear what was said to her. and her
eyes plainly showed the troubled spirit
within. Mark made no reference to her
condition till after supper. Then. when
all three went ont on C the voranJa, he
said to her.
Come, let us take a stroll. You have
been travelling all day, and this delay
troubles you, A walk in The air will re-
vive you"
Mark assumed with such apparent
carelcssness that he was free to walk
about where he liked that Taliaferro
had not the will to stop him. Besides
lie had no heart to interfere with tho
pleasure of q woman whom he was pre-
tending to treat as a guest. The couple
walked leisurcly down the road, Mark
looking at the sunset tints with well as
sumed Indifference, occasionally point
ing to some object by the way or in the
distance, calling Laura's attention to it
at the same time. He knew the majors
gaze was fixed upon him, and he was
doing all this for purpose.
The road led straight from the house
,l.. i
wood. AS soon az they We're concealed
behind the trees Mark stopped suddenly
and turned to Laura:
My God, this is terrible."
you are lost.' said Laura family.
She could scarcely speak the words.
Il? Yes, |. But you-what have I
led you into? Why was it not over on
that morning when it was intended:
Then you would not be implicated; now
your good name is
mo one will trouble me-" she gasped.
But you-they will drag you"--
You have protected me-a spy. Not
only that-that is nothing in comparison
with having passed as my wife. There
| is blight
Il can bear it,"
There is but one way out of this dis
grace. You must be married before we
return to that house. And to whom:'--
his voice changed from rapid, excited
tone to deepest gloom-"to one who must
| die-die on the scaffold. At any rate
you will be free. You will De widow
Laura stood, the very impersonation
Of despair.
All l can do to atone for this" Mark
went on rapidly, land it is nothing-is
to make you my wife, since l have passed
you as such. Laura, will You marry me-
She looked at him earnestly. Her
eyes were big with deep emotion. There
was look in them that he could not IN
| derStand.
mo"
"Then can do nothing for you"
Il will marry only the man who loves
me, and whom love"
"Oh, Laura" he said, eff your heart
We're only mine. then it would be diff
ferent | love you so well, | worship
you with such fervor that l would go
back to that dreadful Jail without a
word could place you where you were
before you met me. But you"--
Laura burst into d torrent of tears.
This man, who had so suddenly APP
peared in her life; who had won her
sympathy; who had compelled her ad-
miration; who had absorbed her whole
being into his daring. chivalrous, reck-
| less nature-this man loved her, and no
was doomed.
With a cry she threw her arms around
his neck,
Laura, sweetheart said Mark, ca
ressing her, 1--WE have but little time.
We know not whom we shall have to
face. Ny true character must soon be
known. viii you give yourself to one
who will doubtless tomorrow be claimed
by
Pale as ashes she put her hand over
his mouth that he might not speak the
word death"
"Will you? Speak"
"Yes, now, quick; what can we do?"
"Marry ourselves"
"How!'
To ,,rocDaJ bar boO1 Tbera yyac q