The Portland daily press., 1895-06-08

drew TO her Colonel Grice's long and
admiring regard. AS she came in sight.
he said, without turning his head:
is that the Confederaoy made man
fest in the fiesh?''
AS the words left his lips, O sudden
rufiie OF wind blew the ingulfng bonnet
back upon Anne's shoulders. She stood
| just without the entrance, a glory Of
spring sunshine sitting down upon her
through the leafing naples that the dead
burgher had thoughtfully set along his
house 'front.'
Her eyes, lifted suddenly, beamed
full through the open window upon the
man il blue sitting back of it. They
fell inSantly-not too quickly, though,
for lightning glance to speak out some
measure of all that lay behind it.
1t came to Colonel Grioe with almost
the scath of thunderbolt. He got up,
walked little space about the room,
staid his steps long, irresolute min
ute, then flung wide the connecting
door and stood stock still just inside.
Outside there was fine human com.
edy, with the hint of necessary pathos
writ plain in few wet eyelids and
| quivering lips A big woman in star.
ing plaid stuff gown, an impossible bon
net and huge Scotch shawl stood front
ing the provost, holding to her breast d
yearling baby as stout and we'll nour.
ished as herself.
Beside the pair the provost looked RI
diculously thin and small. Pointing a
big red forefnger at him, the woman
said stridently:
HYoung man, be sho' ye tend ter
this job right. Tain't hurtin us none
ter take yer oaths-me an my ole man.
| We never owned no black 'uns He's
busy crossin terbacker land hisself ter
day, SO come ter swa'ar fer us both.
Fetch erlong them oaths. Make 'em as
irunclad as ye please. We kin swaller
'em. Jes' you tell me how
sit is very easy, madam. Sign your
name here. Your husband had better
come himself, :" the provost said, laying
printed form before her. The woman
eyed him suspioiously.
'sId ruther kiss the book. That's
whut my ole man done when he taken
oath fo' the gran jury, an, I'll let ye
know, whatever do goes in my fam
bly,. He amt got no time ter fool er
way outen the crap she said, setting
her infant upon the edge Of the coun-
ter, where it set up terrific squall
The provost laughed aloud.
''Swear il you like. You have to sign
anyway, - he said, holding out the BIZ
BILE and hurrying through the formula of
| allegiance. Before he was half through
the woman broke in impatiently:
ooh, that's enoughl Hold tho chile,
will ye, some O. ye over thar, while l
sign yer book, git my pass an run. I
come from van side of the river II fetch
ed cyartload er truck-butter n aigs,
dried apples Strawberries, er piece er
cloth an err bag O. sang. That I've got
ter get rid on fore I kin start home. !"
The provost was certainly brave
man, else he could never have dared to
take in his arms the yociferous lump Of
wrath and flannel that the new loval
citizen held cut to him. Take it he did,
though conscious to his boot heels of the
audible smiles in front, the colonel's
amused glance behind
Next came a pale, small woman, With
q face like fine porcelain aud thickly
Bilyered hair. Her eyes had the dimness
that tells of habitual tears. The hand
that put aside her black veil shook like
leaf. She wrote her name in silence
and walked staggering away-a mother
who had sworn not to give succor, aid,
comfort Or counsel to her four sons.
| A man trod upon her heels, an apple
checked old fellow, with shrewdly ha-
morous black eyes. Five tall girls clus-
tered at his back. He stopped just in
front of the provost, gave deep bob of
the head and said in a high pitched
voice: "Mr. GUY ment Officer, here's
me an my gals, all on 'em at least l
could mako out ter fetch. We rid dou-
| BILE, all ON rs, but ther amt Jest only
three on our critters that'll bar tho
saddle. I jes' had ter leave the ole
woman an the other three gals at home.''
'fBetter keep 'em there, uncle. This
lot ought to be loyalty enough for one
small family, the provost said, laugh.
ing and shutting lot of papers into
the hard old hand
Major Powell heard him with min
gled relief and amazement Bending
forward, he said anxiously:
Excuse me, sir, but my family, too,
has been divided. Am I to infer that
that I need not bring the rest of it to
headquarters?''
"Most certainly you need not, so long
as you yourself have come and brought
part of your household. The rest will
be taken on trust" the provost said
courteously, pushing forward the form
book as he spoke and handing Major
Powell pen.
He wrote his name slowly, with stiff,
old fashioned precision. To Anne,
watching, the pen seemed to crawl
through an infinitely long space. She
wanted to cry QUITO say that she
could not, would not, must not, do this
thing But great dunn bness fell upon
her. The pen somehow crept into her