Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-12-03

leave you here in charge"
1T is just 1880 now, cir. Shall We
call oHp''
AYE. aye. let4t go, was the answer
~ the young fellow stalked away In the
direction Of the stablea Il was his pur-
pose to take the sentry posts In inverse
order. 10 ~ to visit frat those on the
eastern flank.
Without break tho watch CRY went
from man to man, No 8 shouting
gruf. stentorian, "All's we'll" that
again directed the attention Of the off,
Ger Of the guard to his probable oondi-
ton. The last sentry had called OF and
No l had given. loud and prolonged,
the final assurance that all along the
chain wa peace and security before Will
reached the bottom Of the slope and BE-
gan his examination Of the stables and
ooezala The last thing he saw a. he
cast . backward glance northward along
the snowy slope that terminated the
plateau On IT, eastern side was the soli-
tasy figure Of Crow Knife, standing
mute, motiooaess and attentive, Just at
the upper end Il the post Of sentry On
No 8.
He 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 a..
certain the cause. he nearly collided
with little Meineoke, the trumpeter.
Lieutenant" cried the boy breath.
lessly, "Crow Knife's killed. SIR. Stab
bed to deathi'
my Godr' moaned Will, as he has
tened up the slope. THERE'S curse on
Christmastide at old Fort Frayne."
When 10, 30 minutes had passed
away and Helen Daunton failed to re.
turn, Mrs. Farrar had become anxious
and i'll at ease Leale, too, had been
listening eagerly for her step on the
porch without and, unable to control
bis longing to see and speak with her,
despite her palpable efforts to avoid
him, he had early taken his leave and
gone forth in search. Ellis, slipping
from the parlor into the dining room,
had thence managed to go to her own
little chamber for a moment or two to
herself. Whatever doubt remained a. to
the justice of her suspicious up to dinner
time that evening. 1t was banished now.
and her heart was hard against Ormsby
that he should have % braved and de-
ceived her. Looking out from her win
dow she could sec much Of the walk In
front Of Officers row. but not sign Of
Helen Daunton. The clouds had thick.
ened, the moonlight had grown DINNER
all Of a sudden. Once moro the snow
was sitting down. She could not dream
where Helen had gone.
It was a desperate woman who stole
silently ont of the little army home
and intercepted Lieutenant Farrar at
the gate In few words she made known
her errand and asked for the note Mr..
Ormsby had placed in his hand. and
Will for the first time remembered It.
He had slowed it in the pocket Of the
overcoat he was wearing as he returned
with Ormsby from the colonel 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 1t seemed that bis mothers
companion should be seeking and Orms-
by sending 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 the money in the envelope. Two
hundred dollarsi 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
harbored and sheltered her, she sped
away up the row and, turning through
the broad open space near the oolonel's
quarters, came ont upon the snow GOV.
cred brow Of the heights overhanging
the silent, ioebound stream. and there,
barely 100 feet away, the dim outlines
Of tho huge. hulking figure could be
seen. She knew it only too well-knew
IL at q glance. Graioe was standing on
post at the moment, listening apparent.
" to some faint, distant sounds Of
maudlin revelry that rose from tho I'M
hallowed walls Of Bunko Jim's, beyond
the Platte. With one brief muttered
prayer to heaven for guidance and
strength, she sped aoross the snowy ex.
panse and was at his side before he
could either halt OF challenge He never
had time to speak before impetuously
she began:
''Royle Farrar, must speak to you
here and now. II your being here meant
only danger and harm to me. you might
do your worst, and would bear it. You
arc under q false name. Your life has
30 changed you that az yet no one haa
recognised you, but II 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 name"
But now he had partially recovered
himself and angrily interrupted: rs it
my fault I'm here1 Did I suppose Of all
Cursed places they'd send me to It would
be here, to be ordered about BY my cub
Of . brother, to rec my noble captain
making love to N.Y.
"You dare not say it," she cried.
you've had some experience OF what
dare. my lady. and one thing I dare
and mean to do is to stick 1t out right
here and take my chances at Frayne.
There's no other post where I'd find 90