The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-08-27

y ~ ule iliRuest. Ion tuf0 from me-
am offering you no bribe, Clarence, only
, your deserts. Come with mel Leave
those ours behind and live the hero that
you are!"
He turned his blazing eyes upon her.
IT you were mani" he began, pas
aionately, then stopped.
"No! I am a woman and must fight
in woman's way" she interrupted,
bitterly. II entreat, | implore, l
wheedle, ! iiatter, fawn, liel creep
where you stand upright, and pass
through doors to which you would not
how. You wear the blazon of honor
on your shoulder. ! hide mine In a
slaves gown. And yet ] have worked
and striven and suffered! Listen, Clar.
ence-" her voice again sank TO its
appealing minor. IT know what Won
men call 'hOnor'-which makes YOU
cling to merely spoken word and an
empty oath. Well, let that pass! | am
weary; have done my share Of this
work, you have done yours. Let us
both fly; let us leave the fight to those
who shall come after Us and let us 90
together TO some distant land where
the sounds Of these guns or the blood
Of our brothers no longer cry out to us
for vengeance! There are those living
there--I have met them, Clarence"
she went on, hurriedly. "who think it
wrong to lift up fratrlcidal hands in the
struggle, yet who cannot live under the
northern yoke. They are" her voice
hesitated, good men and women-they
arc resnected-they are"
"Recreants and slaves, before whom
you, spy, as you are, stand queen,"
broke in Brant, passionately. He
topped and turned back toward the
window. After pause he came back
rein toward the bed, paused again, and
then said in q lower voice: -Four years
ago, Alice, in the patio of our house at
Robles, ! might have listened to this
proposal, and, / tremble 10 think, /
might have accepted 1t. Iloved you; I
was as weak, as selfish, as unreflecting,
my lifeaspurposeless, but for you, as the
creatures you speak Of. But give me
now at least the credit Of devotion to
my cause equal to your own, which /
have never denied you. For the night
that you left me / awole to a sense Of
my own worthlessness and degradation
perhaps ! have even to thank You for
this awakening-and / realize the bit
ter truth. But that night found my
true vocation, my purpose, my man
hood"
A bitter laugh came from the pillow
on which she had languidly thrown her.
self. u believe l left you with Mrs.
tiooker-spare me the details"
The blood rushed to Brant's face, and
lien receded as suddenly.
You left me with Capt. Pinkney, who
4ad tempted you, and whom / killed."
ie said, turiously.
They were both staring at each other.
juddenly he said: "Hush!" and sprang
wards the door, an the sound Of hur-
led footsteps echoed along the pas
,lge. But he was too late; it was
brown open to the officer Of the guard
Hho appeared standing on the thresh-
told.
Two confederate officers arrested
lowering around our pickets. They de-
nand to gee yoa."
Before Brant could interpose two -
men, In riding cloalta Of confederate :
sray, stepped into the room with a \
aunty and self-confident air.
mot demand, general" said the fore
most, tall, distinguished-Iooking man,
ifting his hand with graceful dcpre-
ating air. "In fact, too sorry to bother
'ou with an affair of no Importance ex-
ept TO ourselves. A bit OF after-dinncr
'raVado brought us in contact with
our pickets, and OF course we had to
axe the consequences. Served US right,
nd we were lucky not to have got bull
at through u.s. Cad I'mafraid inv men
'onld have been less discreet lam Col.
lagrange, of the Fifth Tennessee; my
onng friend here is Capt. Faulkner, of
he Firat Kentucky. Some excuse for
like him--none for me! r."
He stopped, for his eyes suddenly fell
pom the bed and it's occupant. both he
nd his companion started. But to the
atural unaffected dismay Of gentle
ieir who had unwittingly intruded up
a lady's bedchamber, Brant's quick
70 saw a more disastrous concern
iperadded. Col. Lagrange was quick ru
recover himself, as they both re-
owed their caps. ell
"A thousand pardons," he said, hur-
edly, stepping backwards to the door.
But ! hardly need say to fellow off
Y, general, that we had no idea of
aking 80 gross an intrusion! We St
'ard some cock-and-bull story of your
ing occupied with an escaped or escap-
8 nigger--or we should never have
reed ourselves upon you.'
Brant glanced quickly at his wife.
sr face had apparently become rigid -
Athe entrance of the two men; her
ea were coldly fixed upon the ceiling.
bowed formally, and with wave OF
hand toward the door, said:
Y wll hear your story below, gentls-
m"
He followed them from the room
". =. f.s & ~.