Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-12-02

bination of milk and eggs. There
Is her signal now as the faint tin.
kle OF bell sounded from the house.
'Of course you will breakfast with
us p
He hesitated, and then laughed
frankly.
i am very sorry he said, 'but
shall have to decline. The fact is.
l have just elnded squad of cav
airy down the valley, and | expect
they are coming this way. They
seemed to be very earnest about my
capture.
He turned his head and listened
intently. The faint sound of hoof-
beats could be heard in the dist
ance.
You hear 2 he said significant
They are not far off. There will
be plenty of time for me to hide,
but not enough to accept your kind
invitation
He turned to go. but she stepped
forward impulsively.
You are stranger here. They
will be almost sure to find you
Il must take nv chancrs. as dad
before There was no trace Of
anxiety or haste in his voice. and
he even reached down and selected
a spray of heliotrope from a bed at
his feet. Have you any place to
suggest p
She tapped her foot impatient
ly.
Il hardly know she hesitated.
The house would not tie safe: and
| am afraid none of the hands could
be trusted. Most of them sympa-
thiZe with the other side
There was q troubled look in her
eyes, and she gazed at him in such
a puzzled. helpless manner that he
began to laugh. At the same mo-
ment they heard an indistiuct hum
of voices mingled with the approach
ing hoof- beats.
The Wistaria = she cried sud
denly. Can You climb ? They
will never think of looking for you
there
He glanced in the direction indi-
Gated. An immense wIstaria had
climbed over the lattice work of
summer house, and then. finding
10 further support for its adventur-
Gus arms, had coiled and twisted
them into dense, overhanging lay
ers on the low roof. The entire
vine was now gorgeous mass of
puTpte OiossOmS.
Hurry. Hurry = she breathed.
He nodded assuringly, and was
soon ascending the vine hand over
hand. Swinging himself lightly
on the roof. he parted the purple
mass and was presently concealed
in its thick folds.
And he was not IA moment too
soon. The hoof- beats grew clear
and distinct. and then a struggling
party of horsemen dashed through
the screen of laurel and dogwood.
Mildred was bending over the hell
trope, apparently unconscious of
their approach.
When she looked up she started
Violently. The leader was ap-
preaching her, hat in hand H.
was not in blue uniform. as she bad
expected. but in her own beloved
gray. Aud he was smiling at her
with the pleased recognition of an
old friend.
Il hope you will pardon my in
trusion, Miss Mildred he said, de-
preciatingly, but it is a necessary
f"rmality the war forces on me.
We are looking for a Yankee Off
Ger who slipped away from us this
morning. He came in this direct
ion. and | think intends to make
his way over the mountains to the
Federal camp, near Charlottesville.
Or course, he is not in the house p
/ No, he is not in the house, she
answered, in a voice which she
scarcely recognized herself, SO
strained and unnatural was il.
She felt an almost unconquer-
able impulse to turn towards the
wistaria to tell them that the man
was there. in their very midst. She
had longed to do something for her
country-to make some sacrafice,
like her father and brothers we're
doing! Now Lere was her oppor-
tunity-and she was powerless.
The man had come to her assist