The Red Cloud chief., 1895-02-15
Brigadicr General.

over twice, slowly, without looking up.
He had not read a dozen words before
he knew that he held in his possession
one whose life was forfeited as his W
life had been forfeited to the Confeder.
atcs a year before. His keeping his eyes
Oh the paper was to gain time, to avoid
speaking when his u%tterance was chok.
ed with q strange emotion. His thoughts
were far away. He stood OH the bank of
the Tennessee river below Chattanooga.
1t was i'll the gray Of the morning. He
saw % skitf tied to the shore. He Jump.
ed down to seize it and found himself
among u group Of Confederate soldiers.
~Personating q member of General
Bragg's staff, he commanded them to
row him across the river. They started
TO obey. AS they left the shore suddenly
q boat swung around Moccasin point.
1t was full of armed men. He was tax
en- back to Chattanooga, tried and con.
demned to be hanged for "a spy.
All this passed before his minds eye
as he stood pretending to study the com.
munication before him, not this bare
statement Of it, but each detail. each
feeling of hope, fear, despair, as they
rapidly succeeded each other from the
moment of his capture till his escape
and safe return to the Union lines.
Looking up at last with an expression
Of commiseration which surprised the
prisoner, he said:
Madam. will you please accept my
heartfelt sympathies!"
Miss Bags, who had already recog.
nized Colonel Maynard, simply bowed
her head in acknowledgment without
speaking, but fixing her large dark eyes
upon his. When placed in a similar
position, Maynard had met his enemy's
glance with affected GOODNESS in % vain
hope of deception. Not so the woman
before him. The time for deception had
passed with her. She was q Charlotte
Corday, knowing that the guillotine |
awaited her, q martyr in whose eyes
CLEANED tho divine light Of q willing |
sacrifice to a cause she believed to be |
sacred.
The colonel spoke again:
Madam" he said, sit is my duty |
to report your case to my commanding
officer for transmission to the ~headquar.
tiers Of this army. There is a little house
across tho road. If you are able to 20
there, you will be more comfortable
while We are awaiting the reply"
"As you like, colonel"
perhaps it would DO better to use
the ambulance"
II can walk. I would prefer it,"
ssvVi11 x-ov, nnnox,t ,,vv u,..csS |
She took his offered arm, and the two
walked slowly toward q farmhouse q
few hundred yards distant. As the colo.
mel passed q sentry no directed him to
have the officer Of the guard summoned
and sent to him. On reaching the house
and mounting the few steps that led up
to the door, they were received by a
farmers wife and ushercd into o small
room. Bowling to tho prisoner,
Colonel Maynard stepped outside to in.
the guard. 1t was not essential
that he should hasten, but he did not
feel equal to an interview.
After seeing q sentinel posted on each
side of the house Maynard turned to 20
to his tent. He was drawn by some un.
accountable instinct to look once more
at the abode Of his prisoner. She was
out at him with q pair Of eyes
melancholy, unresisting, full of resigna.
ton.
What fiend had suddenly thrown this
beautiful woman, this queen Of mar.
tyrs, into his keeping, with death star.
ing her in tho face, and he perhaps to
the penalty? Why. if he must
suffer this turning of the tables by fate.
could not the victim have been a man.
some coarse creature who would die
like a brute? And why had it not come
upon him before love had introduced
him to that instructive delicacy, that
gentleness. those finer heart impulses of
woman?
20 Godv" he murmured, "suppose-
suunose she ware-Laura?"
To be c~ontinued.)
What is the population Of Pasadena?
here ia the Rand. McNally Guide-I
a look it up. That book is full of val.
information.