The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-12-15
tne upper ena or the post OF sentry ON

No. @
[ lie was delayed unexpectedly among
the stables, for one of the orderlies, in
the absence of his troop and officers, had
| gone visiting among his associates in
the adjoining building, and one or two
spare horses were loose and roaming
about the gangway. The next thing he
heard of his sentries there were excited
shouts for the corporal of the guard,
and, fastening out into the night to as.
certain the cause. he nearly collided
with little Meinecke, the tlumpeter.
Lieutenant" cried the boy breath
lessly, "Crow Knife's killed, sir. Stab
bed to deathl'
My God" moaned Will, as he has
dup the slope. "There's curse ON
Christnastide at old Fort Fraylie."
When 10, 30 minutes had passed
away and Helen Daunton failed to re-
turn, Mrs. Farrar had become anxious
aud il at ease. Leale, too, had been
listening eagerly for her step on the
porch without and, unable to control
his Logging to see and speak with her,
despite her palpable efforts to avoid
him, 10 had early taken his leave und
gono torth i'll search. Ellis, slipping
from tue parlor into the dining room,
had tlence managed to go to her own
little chamber for a moment or two to
herself Whatever doubt remained as TO
tho jusico Of her suspicious up to dinner
time that evening, 1t was banished now,
and her heart was hard against Ormsby
that no should have SO braved and de-
cetved her. Looking out from her win
dow she could see much Of the walk in
front Of Officers row, but not sign of
Helen Daunton. The clouds had thick
ened, tho moonlight had grown DINNER
all Of sudden. Once more the snow
was sitting down. She could not dream
where Helen had gone.
1t was desperate woman who stole
silently out Of the little army home
and Intercepted Lieutenant Farrar at
tho gah. In few words she made known
her orlpnd and asked for the note Mr..
Ormsby had placed in his hand, and
Will for the first time remembered 1t.
He had slowed 1t In the pocket Of the
overcoat he was wearing as no returned
with Ormsby from the colonel 8 and was
compelled to run back indoors again to
find it Absorbed though he was in his
own tbublc, Will could not but remark
how strange II seemed that his mothers
companion should be seeking and Orms-
by seIding those, mysterious notes at
night He made such explanation and
excuse as he could, however, then hur-
ried AWAY.
With nervous fingers Helen counted
over tho money in the envelope. Two
hundred dollarsl Ormsby was indeed
generous. Then, desperate, determined,
thoughtless of the military crime she
was about to urge upon her husband,
thinking only Of the dreadful menace
his presence was to the friends who had
hnrbored and sheltered her, she sped
away up the row and, turning through
the broad open space near the colonel's
quarters, came out upon the snow COW
cred brow Of the heights overhanging
the silent, icebound stream, and there,
barely 100 feet away, the dim outlines
Of the huge, hulking figure could be
seen. She knew 1t only too well--knew
10 at glance. Graioe was standing on
post at the moment, listening apparent
ly to some faint, distant sounds Of
maudlin revolry that rose from the un-
hnllowed walls Of Bunko Jim's, beyond
the Platte With one brief muttered
prayer to heaven for guidance and
strength, she sped across the snowy ex-
panse and was at his sido before he
could either halt or challenge. He never
had time to speak before impetuously
she began:
"Roylo Farrar, must speak to you
here and now. If your being here meant
only danger and harm to me- you might
do your worst, and would bear 1t. You
are under a false name. Your life has
go changed you that as yet no one has
recognized you, but it cannot last, and
then there will be bitter shame and per-
haps death that would lie at your door
your mothers; your poor, gentle
mother, Royle, who holds her life only
through the belief that you are no lon
ger alive to bring further disgrace to
your fathers namo. 4"
But now he had partially recovered
himself and angrily interrupted: "Is It
my fault I'm here2 Did suppose Of ell
Cursed places they'd send me to 1t would
be here, to be ordered about by my cub
Of brother, to see my noble captain
making love to N.Y.
"You dare not say It'll" che cried.
you've had gome experience Of what
dare, my lady, and one thing dare
and mean to do is to stick it out right
here and take my chances at Frayne.
There's no other post where I'd find 30
many friends at court if things GO
wrong"
"You shall not stay here if I have to
buy you to CO." she cried, but she
shrank even as she spoke, as though
dreading q blow, for with uplifted
hand he sprang TO her side, then rough
ly, savagoly, seized her slender wrist.
"Who are you to pose as guardian
angel Of the Farrars? Who arc you to
say shall to me? Do you realize, my
love, that your place in the army Is not
in officers quarters, but down yonder
In laundresses' alleya By the Lord, I've
o mind"---
But here adark shadow fell between
him and the slender 8rithing object Of
his brutal rage, an iron grasp was laid
In turn on the hand that 80 cruelty
crushed tho white wrist. A deep voice,
eloquent with wrath, controlled, yet
boiling, seemed to ring In his ears the
two words, i'Let goin and then, releas-
ing perforce his hold on the shrinking,
startled woman, Graice writhed In fu-
rious effort to free himself from the
olinch Of Maleom Leale, and writhed
In vain. IL