The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-04-22

slept upon their arms. Though the how.
ering enemy eluded his most venturous
scout, Colonel Grice stood ready at all
points for attack.
The strain of uncertainty wore upon
him. His step was slow to halting as he
walked alone from the Mcneil house,
where his staff fingered over their sup
per. The house stood in wide grounds,
with thick strawberries about it. Half
way to the gate he stopped short, put
hand hard to his breast and said husk-
lily: Eyes. 1t is Colonel Grice Say
quickly, please, what you want of him.
Anne Powell had called to him. Now
she stepped from covert of evergreens,
stood fronting him, untrembling, with
dropped eyelids and hanging hands.
Come with me, please" she said,
turning into narrow path that ran on
to small arbor, thickly screened, but
Int barely stand upright in its middle.
Thus face to face, Colonel Grice wait
ed in tense expectance whatever she had
to say. 1t was nothing light or trivial
Her face bore, plain to his love illumined
eyes, burden of life and death. Very
gently he took one nerveless hand be-
twixt both his own. 1t lay there, with
no tiutter of pulses, as Anne said
81 have come to you for Justice and
mercy. Justice to myself, mercy to my
father. Colonel Grice, you gave me
safe conduct"
Yes.
"You trusted to my honor. l have be-
trayed your trust. Six weeks ago. Jack,
my brother the name coming hard
was ordered with his regiment from
Virginia here. More. They sent him as
a scout He knew all the country. L
he came home-at dead of night-I"-
Colonel Grice put a hand over her
lips. His face was like death as he
whispered; For Gods sake, say no
more. | cannot bear it. p"
II could not bear not to speak," Anne
said huskily "At least not to let you
know my-treason, and to ask its pun
ishment "
do you know what that is?'
Death, | suppose. That is easy, for
ones country; but, oh, to feel yourself
forswornP
"Were you not afraid?'
"A Powell is never afraid That is
why. Oh, sir, have pity on my father
Send me to death in silence, in secret
Never let him know. He would fight
and die for me. "
$50 would |, Anne. Anne, you must
hot x.,lila al,,1
touch you, not even if this i'll thing you
have done were ten hundred times as
badW
Then he caught her hands in his,
saying, with half smile, Suppose in
stead your sentence were-imprison-
ment for life?'
Anne answered only with look. He
went on pathetically eager:
1T might not be long Imprisonment,
dear. You see, | meant for my life. |
have here-just under your hands-two
troublesome reminders of your friends
in gray which may make an end of me
any day. Gould you not endure me even
little while?"
Stormy tears broke up to Anne sweet
eyes Impulsively she laid her cheek
against his hands and said brokenly:
"Oh, Colonel Grice, if only could give
you my youth and strength Let you
live out my allotted span!'
Colonel Grioe put her gently away,
drew a long, hard breath, and said,
looking full in her eyes, LET me take
you to your father, Anne, and please
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that i can
wait. +"
Ten years later, in the times of piping
peace, nothing more delighted Mr..
Thomas Gregory than to tell to the pass
ing stranger the tale of Colonel Grice'
wooing. Strange to relate Mr.. Gregory's
southern sympathies grew much more
marked in an atmosphere devoid of viii
famous saltpeter So the tale was apt to
wind up thus: Eyes, sub, he wuz or
Yankee-colonel commandin the post
yere-an fell in love with her the very
mint he seen her. But our southern
wimmin are the clear grit, specially the
blooded ones like Cousin Anne Powell.
l tell ye, she didn't surrender tell
more'n year after Gen'l Lee did, an
then believe it wuz mostly from pyore
pity, fer between the love and the lead
in him it did look like he'd die. But she
did marry him, her brother Jack stand,
in up with 'em, an now-why, Lord
bless ye, between his wife an the olimit
he's as likely as any man ye know ter
live ter die of old age"
THE END