The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-08-06

showed him that she had not even mo-
ticed him in the concentration OF her
purpose. She swept by him into the
hall; he heard the swish of her skirt
and rapid feet on the stairs; she was
gone. What had happened-or was this
another of her moods?
But he was called to himself by the
apparition of o corporal standing be-
fore him with the mulatto woman-the
first capture under his order. She was
tall, well formed, but Enthusiastically
showing the negro type, even in her
small features. Her black eyes were
excited. but unintclIigent, her manner
tlogged. but with the obstinacy of half
consciousstupidity. Brant feltnot only
disappointed, but had a singular lni-
pression that she was not the same
woman that he had first seen. Yet there
was the tall, graceful figure, the dark
profile and the turbaned head that he
had once followed down the passage by
his room.
Her story was stupidity simple. She
had known missy" from chile! She
had Just trapsed over to see her that
afternoon; they were walking together
when the sojers stopped her. She had
never been stopped before, even by
spatter rollers.''# Her ole massa (Man-
ly) had glib leaf to go see Miss Josey,
and hadn't said muffin about no "or-
ders."
More annoyed than he cared to con-
fess, Brant briefly dismissed her with a
warning. As he cantered down the
slope the view of the distant pickets re-
called the window in the wing and he
turned in his saddle TO look it. There
it was-the largest and most dominant
window in that part Of the building
and within it, distinct and vivid OBJ
ject, almost filling the opening, was
the vase of flowers which he had few
hours ago removed, restored to its
original position. Hesmiled. The bur-
ried entrance and CONSERVATION of Miss
Faulkner was now fully explained. He
had interrupted some impassioned mes
sage, perhaps even countermandei
some affectionate rendezvous beyond
the lines. And it settled the fact that
it was she who had done the signaling.
But would not this also make her cog
infant of the taking Of the dispatch
box? He reflected, however, that the
room was apparently occupied by the
mnlatto woman; he remembered the
calico dresses and turban on the bed;
and it was possible that Miss Faulkner
had only visited it for the purpose Of
signaling TO her lover. But the circum
stance did not tend to make his mint
easier. 1t was, however, presently di
yerted by an unlooked-for incident
AS he rode through the camp a grouI
Of officers congregated before larg'
mess tent appeared to be highly amused
by the conversation -half monologu'
and half harangue of a singular-look
ing individual who stood in the center
He wore 'slouchn hat, to the band o
which he had impaired military al
by the addition Of gold cord, but tn
brim was caught up at the side in
peculiarly theatrical and highly artifi
cial fashion. A heavy cavalry saber de
pended from broad buckled belt un
der his black frock coat, with the add
tion Of two revolvers, minus thei
holsters, stuck on either side Of th
buckle, after the style of stage smue
glers. A pair Of long enameled leathe
riding boots, with the tops tnrue
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