The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-09-15


Mistress Betty Winthrop, followed
by colored lad, walked slowly up
through the shrubbery. She had been
out ON the river in search of stray
breeze. Mistress Betty was the one
thing on the Winthrop place whose
appearance the elevated temperature
did not affect unpleasantly. Indeed,
il anything, it served to heighten her
charms, deepening the rose on her
softly rounded cheeks, intensifying
the blue of her eyes and caused the
tendrils of goldbrown hair to curl in
closer rings.
She was pretty picture as she sat
in the shade, her white hands clasped
about her knees, and SO thought the
shabbily dressed young man who rode
up the long avenue leading from the
high road. He dismounted at the foot
of the piazza steps and, throwing the
bride to boy, stood and looked ir-
resolutely at her for moment, then
passed quickly up to the front door
and disappeared into the house.
Betty glanced carelessly at him and
resumed her reverie, of which so I'M
inviting looking person could form
no possible part.
Suddenly the voice of Don Carlos,
her fathers valet, broke up her
dream.
"Missy, de cunnel done want yo'. :"
"Who was it that went into the
house awhile ago, Carlos?" she asked,
rising slowly.
81 dunno, missy. But / hear him
say somethin' or mother bout big
battle dat was fo't yest'dy up at de
Monmouth cot house"
"What! Where?"
Miss Betty's cheeks were white
enough now.
The colonel awaited his daughter
on the piazza. He was tall, spare
man and walked with limp.
'Father, is it true what Carlos tells
me? Are you sure there has been a
battle at Monmouth courthouse-and
and that many of our men and
officers are-killed? Oh. father"
"Come here, Betty. Fie, child;
don't be foolish. A soldiers sweet
heart and frightened, because, per-
chance, he has had to do little fight
ing. Lucky dog to have q strong
right hand with which to strike a
blow for his country" and the colonel
looked ruefully at his own right wrist,
from which the hand had been sew
cred.
ooh, father, those horrible battles
-" But Mt glance from her father
she stopped, compressed her lips and
Strengthened her shoulders. "Do You
believe, SIR" she continued in calm
voice, yet with look of intense anx.
iety in her beautiful eyes, "that many
of our men have been killed-do YOU
think"
The colonel patted her cheek reas.
suringly. Don't fret, my love. We
have lost some brave men, / fear
though for the brave man in whose
welfare you are particularly inter,
ested 1 fancy he is safe enough. But
q gentleman arrived here 20 minutes
ago who saw the whole encounter.
You shall hear from his own lips what
he has already told me-"
The colonel led the way into the
house. Father and daughter paused
at the drawing room door. The mar
whom Betty had seen from the lawn
stood in one of the deep windows. His
back was toward them. He still wor.
his hat, and from beneath its brim q
shock of black hair struggled down
upon his shoulders. One arm was
raised and rested against the window
frame, and Betty noticed with sur
prise that the loose sleeve of his coarse
gray jacket, which had fallen back al
the wrist, revealed bit of what looked
like military coat sleeve underneath
Sir" began the colonel, 81 have
told my daughter"
At the sound of his voice, the maj
at the window turned hastily.
''My father" said Betty, and paused,
looking curiously at the slouch hat
which he did not remove, though hi,
hand sought it involuntarily. Some
thing in the strangers eyes was famil
lar, and she proceeded in a puzzled
tone "My father tells me that yor
bear tidings of the great battle fought
at Monmouth courthouse. am mos
anxious to hear them; but methinks
could listen with more comfort, sir, /
you would remove your hat"
'Madam,I WILL" he responded and
fiinging it of, along with mass o
black hair, revealed the face of Franl
Balfour, a lieutenant in Washington
army and the affianced lover OF Mis-
tress Betty Winthrop.
Frank"
''Betty p
Colonel Winthrop chuckled: "Yo,
see, my love, there is still a remnan
OF our army left"
"Thank Godp' murmured Betty
whose face was hidden against Bal
four's breast.
amen" echoed her loyer and tn.
colonel in breath.
Then the colonel said: IT wa
right IN thinking that you woald pre-