Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-06-03


feather that curled over her black
braids sweeping her shoulder, rode
| by the side OF the colonel from Yer
mont along a narrow road which
led by the river to tie hill camp.
They had been walking their horses,
and the colonel had his white gloved
hand on the black horses name.
He seemed to be pleading, and
from the look in Roses face she
was tantalizing him. Perhsps, af,
ter.the humiliation that had come
to her once, she liked to hear that
she was loved in her own person.
The earth was soft and the horses
hoofs made no sound. A ledge of
rock, hung with leahess vines, jutted
out into the road. AS the riders
passed this, they came face to face
with man in a ragged blue overcoat.
Rose looked full in his face, as he
lifted it in surprise, and her cheek
grew white. She cut her horse
with her whip, and the man jumped
aside or she would have ridden over
him. The colonel raced half mile
before he caught her.
What was it 4! A bolt p he ask
ed.
Only one of those rebel officers |
thought you had driven out of the
county, she said in u tone of an
noyance.
The colonel from Vermont wasted
no words, but when he reached the
camp he gave some orders, and one
of them referred to slim bearded
man in a ragged blue army over
coat.
That night Rosie slipped out of
the kitchen door with her basket of
food under her cloak, and waited
in the arbo-. The leaves we're off
the vines, and the moonlight was
clearer than on that other night;
but all around the arbor, box and
laurel and fir made it dense and
dark. She did not see TWO men
steal close to the summer house as
Wrenn came through the door.
While he ate his supper she softly
whispered to him, happy in his
presence there, despite her over
shadowing anxiety.
The two men had drawn closer.
One had crawled to the fence and
signaled, and half a dozen had fol-
lowed him back.
You have all you want ? Rosie
was saying.
Everything Wrenn answered.
AS il his words had been a sig
nal, light flashed upon him, and
they looked up to see the barrels of
revolvers in their very faces. The
summer house had only one door
way, and all the men had gathered
there. Quick as lightning, Rosie
was between those cruel, round steel
eyes and Wrenn.
Go " she gasped out. aud he
sprang through the low window in
the back.
Orders had said dead or alive
There had been no word until Ro-
sie's cry, bnt as Wrenn sprang, two
shots rang out, and the girl, put
ting her hand to her breast. fell as
Wrenn threw himself to the ground.
he might have gone, had he not
seen her fail. He knew every foot
of the ground, and he had an in
stant's start, but that sight stopped
him, and his seconds grace was
over. Before he could move, could
draw his own revolver, he was caught
and bound.
is she dead p be asked.
Its no business of yours, the
soldier said roughly. It's your
, own funeral you want to be think
ing ef;;' and he passed his hand
over his own throat suggestively.
In Gods name, man, let me see
il she is dead, and take her to her
mothef y
The sergeant had lifted her.
'She is not dead. We will carry
her in he said kindly, and Wrenn
was led toward the camp while they
carried Rosie into the house, still
unconscious, her curls wet with the
blood that ran from q wound in her
shoulder.
Matters went rapidly 9Th a spy
in those days. A court martial was
called at ten o'clock the next day,
and half an hour later, Harry
Wrenn, captain in the Tenth Geor-
gia. was sentenced to be hanged by
| the neck untiI he wzs daad