The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-10-01


this was her influence. All his auspi-
cions again returned She knew he was
going through the lines, and this very
appointment, through her influence,
might be a plot to serve her and the en-
cmy. Was this letter which she was
lntrusting to him the cover OF q missive
to her southern friends, which she ex.
peeted him to carry, rs return for her
own act of seif-sacritice? Was this
the appeal she had been making TO his
chivalry, his gratitude, his honor? The
perspiration stood in beads OH his fore
head. What defect lay hidden in his
nature that seemed to make him an
easy victim of these intriguing women?
He had not even hheeScuse of gallantry.
Less susceptible to the potencies OF the
sex than most men, he was still COM
PEELED to bear that reputation. He re-
niemhered his coldness to Miss Faulk-
ner in the first days Of their meeting,
and her effect upon his subalterns,
why had she selected him from among
them, when she could have modelled the
others like wax to herpurpose2 Why2
And yet with the question came a pos
sihle answer that he hardly dared to
think of; that in its very yagueness
seemed to fill him with stimulating
thrill and hopefulness. He quickened
| his pace. He would take the letter and
yet be master Of himself when the time
came to open it.
That time came three days later, In
his tent on Three Pine Crossing. As he
broke open the envelope he was re-
lieved to find that 1t contained no other
inclosure, and seemed intended only for
himself. It began abruptly:
"When you read this you will under
stand why did not speak to you when
we met last night; why even dreaded
that you might speak to me, knowing
what / ought to tell you even at such
place and Notwithstanding you
could hear from me alone. / did not
know you were In Washington, al
though | knew that you were relieved;
had no way of seeing you or sending
to you before, and ! only came to Mrs.
Boompointer's party in the hope Of
hearing news Of you.
"1ou Anow that my brother was cap
tured by your pickets, in company with
another officer. He thinks you sus-
pected the truth, that he and his friend
were hovering near your lines to effect
the escape OF the spy. But he says that
although they failed TO help her she
did escape, or was passed through the
lines by your connivance. He says that
YOU seemed to know her, that from
what Rose acknowledgements, told him,
you and she were evidently old friends.
/ would not speak Of this, nor intrude
upon your private affairs only that
/ think yon ought to know that ! had
no knowledge Of it when | was In your
house, but believed her to bo q stranger
to you. You gave me no intimation
that you knew her, and believed that
you were frank with me. But should
4 not speak Of this at all, for believe
that 1t would have made no difference
with me In repairing the wrong that
thought had done you, only that as
an forced by circumstances to tell you
the terrible ending of this story you
ought to know 1t all.
"My brother wrote to me TINT the
evening after you left the burying par
~ picked up the body of what they be-
4 lieved to be a mulatto woman lyine
on the slope. 1t was not Rose but ths
body of that very woman-the real and
only spy--whom you had passed
through the lines at daybrcak. My
brother thinks she was accidentally
killed in the first attack upon yo, BY
her own friends, and 30 fell doubls
martyr. But only my brother and hi
friend recognized her through he,
l,lackened face and disguise, aud on thu
plea that she was O servant of one o.
their friends, they got permission iron
: the division commander to take hel
away, and she was buried ly hlrffiendi
and among lier people in tht l,tlc CEN
etcry of Three Pines crossing not fal
from where you have gone. NJ brother
thought ought to tell you tAis; i
seems that he and his friroG had I
strange sympathy for you in" al the!
appear TO know or guess OF yDur iela
tions with that woman, and think i,
was touched by what he thought wa,
your kindness and chivalry 70 him ol
account of his sister. But do no
think he ever knew. or will know, ,hoy
great is the task that he has imposet
upon me,
u, "You know now, do you not, why
n did mot speak to you when we frs
met. 1t seemed 80 impossible to d.
1t In an atmosphere and q festivity tina
was 90 incongruous to the dreadful
message ! waa charged with. An,
when | had to meet you later --perhap
~ { may have wronged you-but it seemet
to me that you were 30 preoccupiet
and interested with other things tina
I might perhaps only be wearying yo,
,, with something you cared little for
= ! or perhaps already knew and had quick
'ly forgotten.
/ fI'o ha oou uftpnad