Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-09-07

by the fact that Nancy prudently
served the dinner on pewter plates,
placed on the bare kitchen table; for it
was not until they had devoured every
thing which she had prepared besides
appropriating the contents of the cup
board) that their hunger showed any
signs of abatement.
When. finally, the dinner was over,
the men lawlessly assembled the stair
case, and Nancy, under the jealous
guardianship of her heartless keeper,
could hear them rummaging through
the chests and clothes-press1s, while
she made pretence of clearing the
table and washing the dishes. But
when they came down with their arms
full of bed-linen and pile of her dead
mothers lowered damask tablecloths,
her self-possession wholly forsook her
and she screamed for help at the top of
her voice. Instantly, at the command
of her prosecutor, one OF the men
dropped his booty and fastened to the
barn, whence he soon returned with
stout rope. Securely fastening one end
of it to huge iron hook which pro-
jected from the ceiling, the cruel Hes
sian proceeded to bind her hands be-
hind her. He then, with a sardonic
grin, drew her grandmother's checked
apron from wooden peg close by and
tightly fastened it over her mouth.
While he was thus engaged, the men
were busily employed in cramming
their lsnapsacks with the precious linen
and other valuables which they had
brought from the chamber. The party
then withdrew to the cellar, from
which they emerged with apples and
other things that they fancied. Then,
hastily gathering up their spoils, and,
not emitting to fling haunting fare
well to poor Nancy, they took their de-
parture.
The heart of the wretched girl sank
effort to extricate herself, her eyes
CHANGED to fall upon the forgotten
book, which one Of the soldiers had con-
temptuously thrown upon the floor.
There it lay, directly in front of her;
to her excited vision, the most conspic-
uous object in the room! Her father
would be sure to notice it, and then
would know all The fact that she was
half-stified, and that the cords were
cutting deep ridges into her wrists,
seemed to her as nothing in comparison
to his stern reproaches. Oh, for a sim
gle minute of freedom in which to hide
away that silent witness of her duplic-
ity and disobedience! Again and again
she strained every nerve to disengage
herself, but in vain. How 'Iazy-foot-
ed" seemed the hours WHICH interviewed
before sundown! And yet to her they
must terminate in disaster and dis
grace.
When about three-quarters of mile
from home, on his return from church
that afternoon, Capt Poundmaster,
finding that his lame leg was becoming
stiff with the cold, decided to walk the
remainder of the way. He accordingly
dismounted. and the mare, quic6ening
her pace, as horses are wont to do when
lady out of sight She had turned \
bend in the road, when two British
soldiers stepped out of the woods, and,
Selling the bride, commanded her to
dismount. Attempting no resistance,
and apparently about to comply with
their request, Mrs. Poundmaster mild
~ begged the young masters" to al
ways call the boor beast by her name:
''Speckled jimmy" At that moment
the soldiers unexpectedly let go the
bride, whereupon the old lady spurred
up the horse, and Ralloped of, to the
utter amazement of the red-coats. Not
many minutes afterwards Nancy's heart
gave a sudden bound when the back
door was forcibly thrown open, and
her grandmother, with flushed face,
and painting for breath, appeared, lead
ing Speckled jimmy straight into the
kitchen, barely remarking, as she urged
the horse into, the parlor: poor little
CELL! you are in trouble, to be sure, but
you are alive; and them rascals sha'n't
have Speckled jimmy. There, they are
| a-comin' this minute" she added, ex-
citedly; and, slamming the door, she
hurried the animal into the spare bed
room. The old lady had scarcely
ceased speaking, when one of the men
peered curiously in at the kitchen win
dow, while the other cautiously thrust
| ing a visit to the barn. and failing to
prudently hurried away. When, a few
minutes later, Capt. Poundmaster saw
| two men in uniform hurrying across
| the fields, he Immediately took the
alarm, and fastened home as rapidly as
his lame leg would permit.
| Poor Nancy. To the utmost she was
doomed to expiate her fault in having
entered upon "ways crooked and indi.
rect" Mrs. Poundmaster had not yet
ventured from her hiding place; and
the captain, upon reaching the kitchen,
with an expression of tenderness on
his rugged face wholly unused to him,
FASTENED to Nancy's relief. But in
crossing the floor he stumbled over the
Inflated volume!
| There was value attached to books
in those days that would scarcely ad.
NIT of their lying carelessly about on
| the floor without attracting attention;
and, in spite of his daughters sad
plight, he involuntarily stopped and
picked up the volume An expression
of surprise overspread his countenance
as he glanced at the title page, and the
truth flashed across his mind; but hs
gently released her without word.
| After Nancy had gone to bed thai
night, he told his mother that he KEEP
thinking all the time of the Scripture
passage: ''Be sure your sin will find
you out" But" he added, ''she
looked so kind o. pitiful, couldn't
muster the courage to remind her of it ;
..Glad you couldn't!' responded the
old lady, as she adjusted her knitting
sheath, for she always resumed hel
week day labors after shutdown or
Saba day" 1.-THE little CELL has
1 - T.