The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-12-17


blow tonight. We can't laugh him out
Of it,
Will turned away and watched tho
rapidly rctrcating form, growing dim
MGR every second. 81 suppose he breads
trouble for his people, and this row
makes him nervous" said he. "I'm 60
ing the rounds now, sergeant, and will
leave you hero in CHARGE
1T is just 1890 now, Sir. Shall we
call otf?''
Aye, aye, let it co." was tho answer
AS tho young fellow stallxed away in the
direction Of tho stables 1t was his pur-
pose to tako tho sentry posts in inverse
order, so as to visit first those Oh tho
eastern flank
Without break tho watch cry went
from man to man, No. shouting a
gruif, stentorian, Calls we'll" that
again directed tho attention Of the off,
Ger of tho guard to his probable condi-
tion. Tho last sentry had called off and
No. had given, loud and prolonged,
the flnal assurance that all along tho
chain was peace and security before Will
reached the bottom Of the slope and be-
gun his examination of the stables and
corlnls. Tho last thing he saw as he
cast backward glance northward along
tho snowy slopo that terminated tho
| plateau Oh its eastern side was tho soli-
tary figure of Grow Knife, standing
mute, motionlcss and attentive, lust at
tho upper end of tho post Of sentry on
No. 6.
lie was delayed unexpectedly among
the stables, for one Of the ordcrlics, in
tho absence Of his troop and officers, had
gono visiting among his associates in
| tho adjoining building, and ono or two
spare horses wero loose and roaming
about the gangwuy. The next thing he
heard OF his scntrics there were excited
shouts for the corporal Of tho guard,
and, Fastening out into tho night to AS.
certain tho cause. he nearly collidcd
with little Mcineckc, the trumpctcr.
"Licutcnant, cried tho boy breath
lessly, "Crow Knifc's killed, sir Stab
bed to dcath"
My God!" moancd Will, as ho has
tened up the slope. "Thcrcs a curse OH
Christmastido at old Fort Fraync.'
When 10, 90 minutes had passed
away and Helen Damton failed to re-
turn, Mrs. Farrar had become anxious
and i'll at ease. Lcalc, too had been
listening eagerly for her step on tho
porch without, and, unable to control
his longing to SEQ and speak with her,
despite her palpablc efforts to avoid
him, he had early taken his leave and
gono forth i'll search. Ellis, slipping
from the parlor into tho dining room,
had thence managed to go to her OWL
N hnD 1n1 a l..
herself. Whatever doubt remained as &c
| the Justice of hcr suspicious up to dinner
! time that evening, it was banishCd now.
and her heart was hard against Ormsby
that he should havo so bravcd and do
ccived her. Looking out from her Win
dow sho could SEQ much Of tho walk in
front of Officers row, but not sign of
Helen Daunton. The clouds had thick
ened, the moonlight had grown DINNER
all Of n sudden. Once more the SHOW
was sitting down. She could not droam
where Helen had gone.
1t was q desperate woman who stole
silently out Of tho little army home
and intercepted Lieutenant Farrar at
tho gate. In few words sho made known
her GRAND and asked for tho noto Mr.
Ormsby had placed in his hand, and
VIII for the first timo remembered It.
He had slowed it in tho pocket Of the
overcOat he was wearing as ho returned
with Ormsby from tho colonel's and was
compelled to run back indoors again to
find it. Absorbed though he was in his
own trouble, Will could not but remark
how strange it seemed that his mothers
companion should be seeking and Orms-
by sending those mysterious notes at
night. He made such explanation and
excuse as ho could, however, then hur-
ried away.
With nervous fingers Helen counted
over the money in the envelope. Two
hundred dollars! Omsby was indeed
generous. Then, desperate, determined,
thoughtlcss 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
harborcd and sheltered her, Sho sped
away up the row and, turning through
tho broad open space near the coloncl's
quarters, camo out upon tho snow cov-
cred brow Of the heights ovorhanging
tho silent, iccbound stream, and there,
barely 100 feet away the dim outlines
OF tho huge, hulking figure could bo
secn She know it only too wcll--kncw
1T ut glance. Graicc was standing on
post at the moment, listening apparent
ly to some faint, distant sounds Of
maudlin rcvclry that rose from tho un-
hallowcd walls of Bunko Jim's, beyond
tho Platte. With one brief muttcrcd
prayer to heaven for guidance and
strength, she sped across the snowy OK
panso and was at his side before he
could either halt OF challenge. Hc never
had timo to speak before impotuously
sho began:
'Hoylo Farrar, must speak to you
here and now. If your being here meant
only danger and harm to me- you mi ght
90 your worst, and l would bcarit. You
arc under falso name. Your life h: 9
SO changed you that as yet no ono has
recognized you, but it cannot last, and
then thero will bC bitter shame and pc:
haps death that would lilo at your door
your mothers; your poor, gontlo
mother, Royle, who holds her hfc only
through the belief that you arc no lon
ger alive to bring further disgrace to
Al