Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-07-13
,hoke him, for he seemed unable

choke him, for he seemed unable
to go on.
well, if must | suppose 1
must, but if ever I wished a teath-
er bed was filled with pine need
les, wish that thar one was and
with that she opened a door dis
closing a comfortable bedroom.
They silently entered the room,
and she, with bang of tho door,
fed to the kitchen. There, I've
gone aud done it, she said in high
wrath. 'l'Ye harGored two British
soldiers under my roof, and if any
body OIght to be taken before
Gen. Washington and convicted
as a spy | feel like that one. joel
Ashley she said suddenly, turn
ing to the boy who was the sole
occupant of the room, and who
was gazing at her iu bewllderment,
'Pve got an errand for you.'
'Yes'm,' he said meekly enough.
Joel was always meek when the
madam was IN such a wrath.
You know WHERE the COrtinen-
tails are stationed about ten mules
from here, ehl' Joel nodded. 'Well,
you just stir yourself and go over
there and tell their commander
there are two redcoatsin this house
anG if they want them to come for
them right away; right away,
mind you. now harry And joel
did hurry.
Madam sat rocking herself VIC.
Iently to and fro. There you've
gone AMI done another mean thing
she said to herself angrily. Doin'
a mean thing Is iist like tellin' a
lie, you do one and you'll surely
do another; l guess Pll juStpeep in
the room and see if they've set 1t
ahre yet She tIptOcd across the
hall and looked through a crack in
the door, then her conscience SIN Ote
her worse than ever; careless,y Is.
ing on the bed, his fair, handsome
face looking SO worn and thin even
asleep, he reminded her also Of ber
soldier boy. The older man was
YEARLY writing at a table, resting
every once in the while, bat soon
resuming bis task.
T'm mean old woaan,' she So
liIOquized. B BIt-theY're British
ers.' That settled the question,
aud she returned to her work.
Morning entered into afternoon,
and afternoon slowly melted into
early evening the shadows were
gently creeping over the lanl, the
birds were twittering a good night
and still tue soldiers slept. SJltly,
eau .tiously, a band of fifteen men
were vending their way towards
the Whit cOmbe farm house, near
er aud nearer they got, until you
could see that they wore the Con.
tinental uniform. They reached
the house and were met by its mis-
tress; she pointed 10 the room
where the soldiers were, then sat
herself rigidly dowl 10 her rocking
chair TO have an argument with
her conscience.
S1ddenly-wbat is that she
hearsf A hearty laugh re.echOed
through out the house. She hur-
ried to the door where the soldiers
were. And what did she see? Her
two redcoats shaking hands hearti.
ly with the ContiDentals. aud
what does she heaIl
Captain one of the men says,
eve had given you and the Colonel
mp for lost, and the camp was In
sore distress abont YOU
Aud he, the admirer Of the
cream jug, answered in a full,
rich voice: 'The colonel and
were surrounded by the British on
every side; We just escaped capture,
stole these uniforms from two dead
Tories, and travelled, weak and
weary, through bogs ami swamps
to JOIN you, bat overcome by fati.
que, stopped here for a few hours
rest. Thinking the people were
loyalists, we kept ap the disguise.
But how did you come hereP
I'VE came to cantnrc two British
soldiers, but instead have found
our Colonel and our Captain.
Three cheers, men, three cheersp
AID they did cheer strong and
hearty.
And Mistress Dorothy? She crept
back to the kitchen, rocked herself
back and forth, and SAID; ID JrOthy
WhitcOmbe, what a fool yJu've
been.'
It's Properties.
She (uestIing up to hlm)-I know
| We are Door, papa, but Charlie SAYS