Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-01-04
CHAPTER XIV.
TRIMMING THE BLOC"

CHAPTER XIV.
TRIMMING THE BLoC."
Never, since Othello made his to lis
tening Desdemona, had reci,a.
"Of hair-b-eadta 'scapcs i the imminent dead
II breach,
OF being taken by the insoleat foe
20 moved a maiden, as when Evan
Fauntleroy told the details of his story
to Carolyn Clay. She sat Totionles:',
her eyes fixed upon the glowing Goals,
her ears catching every detail, which
bore such strange and double meaning
to her.
Faithful to the pledge given Fitz-
hugh, Evan never limited at the name OF
his rescuer, though he wondered much
that his cousin expressed no curiosity
upon that point. Her face was turned
partly from him, ard the excitement of
living over those stirring scenes pre-
vented close scrutiny of it; but even in
full light he could have read little in
those changes sweeping across it
doubt, wonder, pain, contempt, each in
turn dominated by admiration-as the
boy detailed the keen wit and dauntless
nerve of the traitor she had loved.
Had loved? AS she questioned her
own heart in the quiet of that mid
night, Carolyn Clay could scarce re-
strain the impulse to cry out aloud her
wrath, her contempt for herself! For
over every mixed and warning element
within her breast-spite of reason, of
self-respect, Of certainty-swept the
memory of that past, when she had not
withdrawn her hand from his-when
her plighted pledge to trust him unto
death went softly to his ear on the
rhythm of Lanner's "Romantiler."
There's theme for novelistr' Evan
cried, as he ended his story-'danger
and romance enough for three volumes
only lacking the love! We must have
the love, you know. Now, if I could
only imagine my rescuer to be my 'su-
perior officer Capt. Charlton -"
"Silence, Evan!" the girl cried, sud-
denly rising and striding to the door.
81 believe you would jest over a
gravel"
''Over his? Possibly, fair co.," he
laughed. But beg pardon, humbly,
for selfshness preventing question
about your own escape"
She turned full to him in the fire
light, warning elements within making
her face hard and stern, as she
answered, slowly, half absently:
"You have no need. You know all
that'-checlsing herself, as avivid blush
rose to her face, and adding, quickly
ssfrom Bessie Westchester.'
A puzzled, doubling expression came
to the boys frank face. Then silence;
which she broke:
'But look! The moon is nearly
down. We must get to the creek. 1t is
doubly important now that we get
across"
"And doubly dangerous for you,
Caro-. Had known in time that you
were here, 1 should have crossed
above"
Nonsense! we have shared dangers
together before: and this is not great.
The river is clear. Come"
And, collecting their light, but most
precious, baggage, the pair moved swift
ly through the night-now grown in
tensely cold-to the rush-lined banks Of
the creek, where old Pete waited with
the boat.
The negro stared at Evan only an in
slant, then said, calmly:
''Goin' cross long O. you, missy?"
1CSs 10y SouoAAAs = SSS' oSc SSSoRSo
from prison"
"You's fort'nit, bossy, sholy!" the
black said, gravely. docs dem dress
yo' all alaike, up dar in dey's prison?"
And, as Evans laugh at his own absurd
costume rang out lightly, the negro
added: Times up, missy. You and
decirc us bossy better git aboa'd."
He had filed the boat deep, amid
ships, with clean hay; and, motioning
them to sit in it on either side, Pete
pulled his oil cloths well about them,
rolling the ends loosely, ready to his
hand.
Ice lined the banks Of the creek, stiff
fleming the rushes into baycnets; and
the heavy oars cracked in the rowlocks
at first. But the midstream was clear,
and the slow-moving boat soon turned
into broad, black inlet that showed
them, straight ahead, the broad Poto-
mac, waveless and barely touched by
last rays of the sinking moon. Warily
and slow Pete Rugged the darker shore.
noshag his light, fiat-bottomed skiff
against the bank, biding his time. Then
all listened intently; but the negro,
dropping his great hand from his ear,
spoke first: