Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-01-26
four forms, vague and indistinct, hurry
ing along the bank beyond the fire.


II don't know, sir. warned the COM
pahy to remain in camp. I'll see." And
Burns turned quickly and made run
for the opposite end of the company
grounds. Some of the men started up
and stood gazing expectantly after him,
and the chat and laughter suddenly
ceased. The shadowy forms had dis
appeared; so. by this time, had Burns.
Then there came the sound of his power
full voice, out by the road:
"Halt there, you men! Come back
here!"
Then followed rush and scramble
in the bushes, and the sound of foot
falls, rapid and light, dying away in the
darkness. Then some low laughter and
comment among the men. Then Burns
came back, and, without waiting to re.
port, sternly ordered: Fall in!"
Knocking the ashes out of their pipes
and buttoning their overcoats-a thing
they might have overlooked before the
lesson of the day-thc soldiers slowly
obeyed the unusual summons. Burns
got his lantern and quickly called the
roll. Four men failed to respond. Leav-
| ing the company still in line, the SER
| geant fastened to the tents for tho
absentees. Two of the number were
found placidly sleeping. Two were
away entirely-Privates Riggs and
| Murphy.
"If I'm not mistaken l saw three
shadows" said Lambert, as the sergeant
made his report. "What would the cap
tain do if he were here ?-scnd u patrol?"
'The captain never had night roll.
call, sir; but he wouldn't send patrol.
That's only Il good way of not ketchin'
men, unless they're too drunk to run.
| 1t wouldn't be of much consequence,
only for that man Riggs bein' one of
'em. He's a troublesome case. If the
! lieutenant approves of it, I'll sent Sergt
| Watts and a couple of good men without
arms. They can find whoever's out.
What l don't like about it is that some
body jumped the fence into the Walton
| place."
"The old homestead across the road 2"
Eyes, sir. There's been some trouble
between the captain and the Walton
| family. He ordered the men never to
enter the Enclosure on any pretext, the
old lady made such row 'boutit"
"Who lives there? Surely they ought
to welcome our sending responsible men
over to drive off our renegades."
SWELL, I don't know bout that, sir"
said the sergeant, with nervous laugh.
eff there's anybody on earth the cap
tain's afraid of. it's old Mrs. Walton.
She's a terror. Nothn' of the unpro-
tected female about her, sir, though she
and her daughters live alone there.
Both her sons were shot during the war;
one was killed, and the others in Havana
-or Mexico; said he'd never surrender,
| and won't come home. reckon they're
pretty hard up there, sometimes, but
| you should see how the old lady rides it
over the captain, sir. l wonder she
hasn't been over to pay you visit. Shall
I send after Riggs and Murphy, sir?
It's like sendin' good money after bad.
They haven't cent, either of 'em, and
if town was their object there's no use
in their goin'; nobody would trust EN-"
| Then came interruption-the sound Of
"a horn, on ordinary tin horn, too, float.
ing through the dark and mutterins
night.
That's her, lieutenant. That's the
old lady herself. She reads prayers
regularly at half-past nine every night,
and some OF the niggers are out yet.
They used to have conch shell that
sounded pretty, but Parmelee said they
had to sell it, They've had to sell pref
ty much everything, tryin' to keep
alive
Again the sound of the cheap and
| despsed tin. Lambert recalled it as a
necessary concomitant of the street
boy and straw rides about the Christ
mas holidays, and its summons, he
thought, was never to prayer; it called
| for many n lively malcdiction.
"sen1 Sergt. Watts, if you think it
advisable" said he, briefly. I'm going
| up on the road moment"
Again the blast of the horn, short,
staccato, Imperative, and then an inn
patient, qucrulous voice at the north
end of the porch--a voice calling: You,
Elinor! you wuthless black gadabout!
VIII ah you?"
And as Lambert scrambled up the
steep path and reached the road an.
other voice, low, tremulous, eager, close
at hand, whispered: ooh, ! thought
you'dnever come! Hyuh! quick! Leave
the money, shuah, and the pail,
t'maw'ow night"
And then, with rustic of feminine
garments, bending low, slender, girl
ish form sho. across the beam of lamp
light falling from an east window.
Another form. also feminine scurried
away from the hedgerow and some
thing came rolling out into the road
way, clinking against the stones. There
was sound of voluble reprimand and
tlustered explanation at the north end
of the building, a quick. llitten-lilse pat
ter of little feet up the rickety old steps
in front and in an instant the girlish
form seemed perched on the window
sill. There second or two it lowered
; motionless. until door slammed
around at the north side of the house
Then in popped the slender figure, out
went the light, and but for the sigh
and complaint of the night wind in the
rustling branches of the old trees about
! the vcranda all was silence at Walton
hall.