The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-12-21

hio w Dt ItIuy 10 10 Wltn nef TO one
quamagon the next day, and / would
not go until had seen him. There haC
been a misunderstanding. / got the SUIT
tons to drive me out while mother sup
posed me ut the Laurents', and Mr.. Jer
rold promised to meet me east of tn,
bridge and drive in town with us, am
l was to send him back in Graves
buggy.
He had been refused permission tC
leave the post, he said, and could not
cross the bridge, where the sentrie:
would be sure to recognize him, but as
it was our last chance of meeting h,
rislked the discovery of his absence, new.
er dreaming of such thing as his pri.
vate rooms being inspected. He had q
little skiff down in the willows that he
had used before, and by leaving the
party at midnight he could get home,
change his dress, run down the bank
and row down stream to the point, there
leave his skiff and climb up to the road.
He met us there at o'clock, and tho
Suttons would never betray either of us,
though they did not know we were eli
gagged. We sat in their parlor quarter
OF an hour after we got to town, and
then twas time to go, and there was
only little 10 minutes walk down to
the stable had seen him such very
short time, and had so much to tell
him. !" Chester could have burst into
rapturous applause had she been an ac-
tress. Her cheeks were aflame, her
eyes full of fire and spirit, her bosom
heaving, her little foot tapping tho
ground, as she stood there leaning OH
the colonel's fence and looking straight
up Ill the perturbed veterans face. She
was magnificent, he said TO himself,
and in her bravery, self sacrifice and in
dlgnatlon she was. 1T was then after
2, and could just as well go with him
somebody had to bring the buggy back
and Graves himself hitched in his
roam mare for me, and drove out
picked up Mr., Jerrold at the corner
and we came out here again through
the darkness together. Even when we
got TO the point did not let him go at
once. 1t was over IN hours drive. 1t
was fully half past before we parted.
He sprang down the path to reach the
riverside, and before he was fairly in
his boat and pulling up against the
stream l heard, far over here some
where, those two faint shots. That was
the shooting he spoke Of in his letter to
me, not to her, and what business Colo
mel Maynard had to read and exhibit
10 l;c OfnnD,,., T.,
him l cannot understand. Mr. ,Jerrold
says it was not what he wanted it to be
at all, rs he wrote hastily, so he wrote
another and sent that TO me by Merrick
that morning after his absence was dis
covered. 1t probably blew out of the
morning. See for yourself, captain. "
And she pointed to the two or three
bills and scraps that had evidently only
recently fiuttered III among the now
roses
"Then when he was aroused at re-
veille and you threatened him with
punishment and held oven his head tho
startling accusation that you knew of
our meeting and our secret he was nat
urally infinitely distressed and could
only write to warn me, and he managed
to get III and say goodby TO me at the
station. As for me, was back homo by
5 o'clock, let myself noisclessly no to
Suttons and old Graves, neither Of
whom would betray me. had no fear
of the long dark road. had ridden and
driven a. u child all over these bluffs
and prairie, before there was any town
worth mentioning and i'll days when
my father and 1 found only friends-not
enemies-here at Sibley"
"Miss Beaubien, let mo protest
against your accusation. 1t is not for
me to reprove your grave imprudence
or recklessness, nor have / the right to
disapprove your choice Of Mr.. Jerrold.
Let me say at once that you have none
but friends here, and if it ever should
be known to what lengths you went to
save him it will only make him more
envied and You more genui@ely admired.
I question your wisdom; bat, upon my
soul, l admire your bravery and spirit.
You have cleared him Of q terrible
charge"
A most disdainful and impatient
shrug of her shapely shoulders was Miss
Beaubien s only answer to that allusion.
The possibility of Mr.. Jerrold's being
of another ENHANCEMENT was
she would not tolerate.
II know nothing of other peoples af-
fairs. l simply speak of my own. Let
us end'this as quickly as possible, cap
tain. Now about Saturday night.
Mother had consented to our coming
back for the german-she enjoys seeing
me lead, it seems-and she decided to
pay short visit to relations at st.
Croix, staying there Saturday night and
over Sunday. This would give us q
chance TO meet again, as he could spend
the evening in st. Croix and return by
late train, and wrote and asked him.
He came. We had q long talk i'll the
summer house in the garden, for mother
never dreamed of his being there, and
he just missed the night train
and did not get back until inspection.
1t was impossible for him to have been
at Sablon, and he can furnish other
proof, but would do nothing until he
had seen me.
Miss Beaubien, you have cleared