Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-06-08

90 tiod. ,I;s H.. sno lraved, "t0
llv.. the si.Iel lct,rc tt'y can reach
her.
1t WAS Int a IN na'nt = work to hight
ier l!nt,In. ami then, chce. twice,
thrice, in rapid succession. sAe flashed
il forth from under the !, !ds vi her dark
cloak.
90 G,l. make Ralph Sc the light
she cried.
Again and again. the warning rays
flashed lar ont into the might, but no
returning light from the cutters showed
that th,y had i,,n seen.
But tLcrr were ,thcr eyes neverthe-
l.-s that did see that light upon that
point Cp at the fort that signal was
observed. and Il great yell OF batiied rage
arcs from tie watchers as they saw the
gl.aln that thwarted their puprose.
! Those cavalrymen, too, dashlng now
1 VII upon the beach, beheld the Ian
torn RAYS and spurred their horses for
ward t. reach and arrest the fair maid
that waved H. Back some rods, crouch
! in. now in their alnhuscade was also
tody of men who heheld that flashing
,icht. Thtv can discern, moreover, the
dark form that So persIstcntly repeats
the signal which battles all their hopes,
I and score of men are instantly detail
cd 10 advance and arrest the bold in
/ truder.
/ The keen ears Of Hilda detected their
approaching tread, and she recognized
| her danger
20 God" she prays again, mako
Ralph see the light ere they can reach
me-
Then she swings the lantern frantic
ally above her head, and away down
the bay there CLEANS light in answer.
The signal is seen. Ralph and his men
are saved!
But what is that? The click of mus
kets is heard, and the voice Of the Of
iicer of the detailed corps rings out In
anger, take aim, fire!"
The lantern drops from the maiden's
nerveless hand. She draws her cloak
around her and silently bows her head
to her fate.
The next instant score of rifles blaze
forth their deadly contents, and she
falls dark and lifeless mass upon the
sand.
To the honor Of the Confederate sol
diers it should be said that they did moi
suspect at whom they aimed their dead
ly fire. They thought only Of the fot
that had thwarted their plans. Whel
they bent over fair Hilda's lifeles
form, and by the light Of her own Ian
tern saw whom it was they had slain
there was not an eye in all that com
pany that could withhold the tear; no
a man but would have cheerfully givel
his life to save her.
. The squad of cavalry had now ar
rived, and with brief and Iegretful ex
, plantations they gently raised her n
, and bore her sadly back to the home sb
had so recently left, to the widowed an
, now childless mother.
/ AS they laid her down upon her ow
couch at the stricken mothers bidding
, it was the youthful soldier who had al
:. lowed her to leave the mansion that too
, with reverent hand from her bosom
where they were still lying, one of tn
4 roses, which she had promised to Civ
him on her return. As he held it up t
T the light he saw on its snowy petals
Q few drops of her hfeblood. From tha
hour he sacredly preserved the rose a
l q memorial of the sad tragedy his in
= discretion had caused.
< Three days later Lieutenant Gasque
s under a flag of truce, was permitted t
stand beside the widowed mother as sh
t buried her dead. Just as the sun wa
t setting they followed the lifeless forr
3 of Hilda out to the family burying plac
+ and laid her to rest beneath the iv