Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-03-06

her lips.
graph stealer that he might turn her
over to the military authorities of his
own army to be hanged, and now he
was suddenly plunged into terror for
fear she had been killed. He went on,
but with q new object distinct in his
mind. 1t was not to injure Miss Baggs,
but to succor her.
He soon came to the heap of splinters
and iron which marked tho point of
collapse of Miss Baggs' buggy. Miss
Baggs was not visible. Had she taken
to tho wood beyond the fork Of the road?
For q moment thero was delightful
sense of relief, but it was soon followed
by tho animal instinct Of the savage
chasing al object of prey. Stimulated
by this, or q return Of q sense of duty,
or both, no was about to ride into the
wood, when, looking down on the long
grass by the roadside, he deserted the
unconscious body, the face apparently
white in death, of tho woman ho sought.
In q moment the corporal was off his
horse and OH his knees beside her. The
chase in which no had been so eager and
the cause were both forgotten on seeing
Miss Baggs lying apparently cold in
death at his feet
''Darlin, are ye hurt?"
There was agony in tho corporal's
voice. He put an arm under her head to
raise it. With the other he grasped her
hands.
''To the divil's own keepin with the
war anyway. What's it good for ex
cept to injure innocent women and chill
dren?'
In that nonresistance of unconscious
ness ho forgot that this woman had been
engaged in what tho world condemns
openly, if not secretly, as illegitimate
warfare. To him she was innocent, not
that he reasoned upon her acts, but be-
cause mysterious something-a breath
from spirit land-had made her more to
him than all the world beside. He laid
his head down upon her breast to listen
if the heart beat; he chafed her hands
and. arms; he took off his cap and fam
ned her. Still she lay limp in his arms
without sign of life.
"Darlin, darlin, como back to life
Como back, if it's only long enough to
tell mo ye forgive mo for me cowardly
chasin ye Oi'vo killed ye Oi know it.
Oh wish some one would run bayonet
through me own rotten heart"
A slight murmur, something like O
groan, escaped her.
Praise God, there's life! If it'd only
grow stronger! Ah, thank heaven,
there's waterr'
Laying her hoad down in the grass,
he went to the side Of the road where
there was runnel of clear water.
Scooping some of it in his two hands, he
threw it III her face.
She opened her eyes.
Corporal Ratigan never forgot the
look with which his prisoner regarded
him when she recognized who he was.
There were two expressions following
each other rapidly-tho first, reproach;
but when sho noticed tho pain with
which it was received it melted into
ono of tenderness.
"Ah, Rats, she exclaimed family,
chow could you do it?''
He put his great hands-brown from
exposure-beforo his eyes to shut out
the face which at every glance kindled
some new emotion to rack him. Now
that she had come to life another terror
camo to him to administer an added
torture. Ho knew that mounted men
were following; that they would soon
that his prisoner would bo taken trrce'
and condemned.
They're comm! They'll be hero in
u jiffyr' he cried wildly. "Tell me
that ye forgive me. Tell me that ye
don't hate inc as I hate meself."
"For doing your duty, Rats?"
DUTY! Is it a mans duty to run
down q woman like hare? Don't talk
to me of duty. If ye suffer for this,
Oi'll desert and 90 back to Oireland, and
| God be praised if he'll send storm to
sink tho ship and me i'll it. There's o
drop in mo canteen-a drop of whisky.
Will ye take it, darlin-I mean-l
don't know what I'm talkin about. Let
me put it to yer lips Take q swallow.
It'll revive ye. Mo-" She appeared to
DO passing back to Inconsistencies.
Take it for moi sake, sweetheart.
. Only take q good swallow, and yell DO
righted.' ~
She opened her eyes Evidently she
had heard. There was an expression on
| her faco Indicating that his words had
! produced that effect upon lnr which
might be expected Ill Il woman who
hears o strong man, unconsciously and
unintentionally, declaring his love.
"Why do you wish me to live, Rats?
Don't let mo live. If you do, I'll die
OH the gibbct.
ooh, tarlin," hc moancd, don't be
talkin that way. Oi'll dio mcsclf first.
! Oi'll raise q mutiny. Oill'-
He could not 80 on. His words
Knocked him. IIc well knew their futll-
ity. Take drop, sweetheart-only a
drop for moi sake. "
What change from tho day he had
jokingly asked her to tako all oath for
"moi Sake!'
"For your sake, Rats. Give it to
me"
He put the neck of a battered tin cam
teen to her lips, and sho drank little
of the liquid. 1t produced beneficial
change at once. A tingc of color came
to her checks, and shc brcathcd more
easily.
A gathering of horses hoofS, clank-
ing of sabcrS, mounted figures standing
out against the morning sky OH the crest
behind them, and three cavalrymcn are