The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-06
CLARENCE.
BY BRET HARTE.


She was not to leave this place IN
til she knew was safe. within our
lines. have some friends who are
| faithful to me- After a pause she
| added: she has been here already
He looked at her startled. 'Irnpos
Sible-I---''
You locked the door. Yes but she
has a second key. And even if she had
not there is another entrance from that
/, closet. You do not know this house /;
you have been here two weeks. / spent
two years Of my life, as q. girl in this
sroom"
An dndescriOable sensation came over
him. He remembered how ne had felt
| when he first occupied it; this was fol-
lowed by keen sense Of shame on re-
| aecting that he had been ever since
| but a helpless Tuppet in the power Of
his enemies. and that she could have
escaped, if she would. even noH
Perhaps" she said gTimly, ''you
have already arranged your plans
| She looked at him with a singular
Representatives, even in her submis-
! mission. II have only told her to be
ready to change clothes with me and
help me color my face and hands. at
the time appointed. I have left the rest
| 20 you
Then this is my plan. I have chang
| ed only a. detail. You and she must
both leave this house at the same time
by different exits, and one OF them
must be private-and unknown to my
men. Do you know of such a one?"
Yes" she said, beside the negro
quarter"
Good he replied. '.That will be
publicly, through the quarters, armed
2 mo loa
hauled and challenged by the first SEN
| try near the guardhCuse, below the
wall. She will be subjected to some de-
lay and scrutiny, which she will, how
ever, be d'ble TO pass better than you
would. This viii create the momentary
diversion that we require. In the
meantime you will have left the house
by the wing, and you viii then keep in
the shadow of the hedge until you can
drop down along the run where it emp
ties in to the swamp. That" he con-
tinued, fixing his keen eyes supon her,
lis the weak point in the position Of
this place that IS neither overlooked
nor defended. But, perhaps" he added
again, gTtnly, you already know it"
1T is the marsh where the flowers
grow, near the path where you met
Miss Faulkner. I had crossed the
marsh to give her the letter" she said
slowly.
A bitter smile came over Brants
face, but passed as quickly.
Enough" he said quietly, Il will
meet you beside the run and cross the
marsh with you until you are within
hailing distance of your lines. I viii
be in plain clothes, Alice" he went en-
slowly. "for it will not be the command
of this force who accompanies You, but
your husband, and without disgracing
his uniform, he viii at least be your
equal. for the instant ne passes his
own line in disguise, he will become
like you, a spy, and amenable 10 its
penalties"
Her eyes seemed suddely to leap up
to his with that strange look ri ilWah-
enfng enthusiasm which he had not
ed before. And in its complete prepos-
session of all her instincts she arose
from the bed. unheeding her barred arms
and shoulders and loosened hair, and
stood upright before him. For an in
slant, husband and wife stood beside
each other as unreservedly as in the
nuptial chamber at Robes.
'W1hen shall [ go?''
He glanced through the window, al
ready growing lighter with the coming
dawn The relief would pass in few
minutes: the time seemed propitious.
SAT once" he said. 81 Will send Rose
to you"
But she had already passed into the
closet and was tapping upon some in
ner door. He heard the sound of hinges
turning and the rustling of garments.
She reappeared, holding the curtains Of
the closet together with her hand, and
said: Go! When she comes to your
office for the pass you will know that
I have gone
He turned away. stop" she said
family.
He turned back Her expression had
again changed. Her face was deadly