Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1896-08-05

ment there was flash of n bayonet in
the hedge, n voice called halt" and n
soldier stepped into the road
Gen. Brant advanced, met the salute
| of the picket with few formal words.
and then turned toward his fair com
! panion, as another soldier and a ser
| geant joined the group.
| Miss Faulkner is new to the camp.
took the wrong turning. and was un-
Willingly leaving the lines when !
! joined her He fixed his eyes keenIy
on her now colorless face, but she did
not return his look. You will show
her the shortest way to quarters" he
continued to the sergeant, land should
: she at any time lose her way YOU will
! again conduct her home-but without
| OBTAINING or reporting her"
He lifted his cap, remounted his
horse and rode away as the young girl,
with proud, Indifferent step, moved
down the road with the sergeant. 4
mounted officer passed him and sa-
! luted-it was one of his own staff.
| From some strange instinct he knew
that he had witnessed the scene. and
! from some equally strange intuition he
was annoyed by it. But he continued
/ his way, visiting one or two outposts
and returned by long detour to his
| quarters. AS he stepped upon the
| veranda he saw Miss Faulkner at the
/ bottom of the garden talking with some
one across the hedge. BY the aid of
/ his glass he could recognize the shane
| ~ figure OF the mulatto woman which
he had seen before. But by it's aid he
! also discovered that she was CARVING
a flower exactly like the one which Miss
| Faulkner still held in her hand. Had
she been with Miss Faulkner in the
! lane-and If so. why had she disap-
| pcarcd when he came up? Impelled
| by something stronger than mere GU
riosity, he walked quickly down the
| garden, but she evidently had noticed
him, for she quickly disappeared Not
/ caring TO meet Miss Faulkner again. ne
rctraced his steps, resolving that he
! would on the first opportunity per
/ sonally examine and interrogate this
| new visitor For if she were TO take
| Miss Faulkner's place even in subor-
dinate capacity-this precaution was
! clearly within his rights.
! He reentercd his room and seated
/ himself at his desk before the dis
| patches, orders and reports awaiting
| him. lie found himself. however. work
/ ing half mechanically. and recurring to
his late interview with Miss Faulkner
| IN the lane. II she had any inclination
| to act the spy, or TO use her poeitiou
| here as means OF communicating with
I the cnemy's lines. hc Thought he had
/ thoroughly frightened her. Ncvcrtnc-
I less. now. for the first time. be- was in-
I clincd TO accept his chiefs opinion Of
her. She was not only too clumsy and
| inexperienced. but she totally lacked
/ the sclf-rcstraint Of q spy. Her merry
/ Gus agitation in the lane was due 10
/ something more disturbing than his
I mere possible intrusion upon her conf
/ dcnce with the mulatto.
On the contrary, IL seemed 10 be per
sonal 20 himself. lie recalled the sim
\ gular significance Of her question:
/ Then IL iswar?" lie recalled hcrstranPc
/ allusion TO his wife; was IL merely the
I outcome Of his own foolish confession
yon their first interview. or was 10
/ concealed ironical taunt? Having sat
I isfcd himself that she was not likely 10
+ impcril his public duty in any way. he
was angry with himself for spcculat-
/ ing further But, although he still felt
toward her the same antagonism she
| bad at first provoked. nc was conscious
that she was beginning 20 exercise a
\ strange fascination on him.
Diminishing her at last with an effort.
he finished his work and then rose and
/ unlocking a closet took out q small dis
I patch box to which he intended 70 in
/ trust few more important orders and
memoranda. As he opened IL with a