Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-05-06

"
Trying with stisened fingers to write some let
ceased. The shadowy forms had dis
appeared; so, by this time, had Burns.
Then there came the sound of his power
ful voice, out by the road:
Halt there, you men! Come back
here!"
Then followed n rush and scramble
in the bushes, and the sound of foot
falls. rapid and light, dying away in the
darkness. Then some low laughter aI.d
comment among the men. Then Burns
came back, and, without waiting TO re-
port, sternly ordered: Fall inl"
Knocking the ashes out of their pipes
and buttoning their overcoats-a thing
they might have overlooked before the
lesson of the day-the soldiers slowly
obeyed the unusual summons. Burns
got his lantern and quickly called the
roll. Four men failed TO respond. Leay-
ing the company still in line, the ser
geant hastened to the tents for the
absentees. Two of the number were
found placidly sleeping. Two were
away carbohydrates 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 ehere?-send a patrol?"
THE captain never had n night roll
call, sir: but he wouldn't send patrol.
That's only good way of not ketchin'
men, unless they're too drunk 10 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 don't like about it is that some
body jumped the fence into the Walton
place"
THE old homestead across the road?"
'Yes, sir. There's been some trouble
between the captain and the Walton
family. He ordered the men never to
enter the inclosure on any pretext, the
old lady made such a row 'boutit."
"Who lives there? Surely they ought
to welcome our sending responsible men
over to drive off our renegades."
"Well, don't know bout that, sir"
said the sergeant, with n nervous laugh.
eff there's anybody on earth the cap
tain's afraid of, it's old Mrs. Walton.
She's terror Nothin' of the unpro-
tected female about her, sir, though she
and her daughters live alone there.
po+b bar conc x,-ara hot rt1rir o. Z |, q war
one was killed, and the others in Havana
or Mexico: said he'd never surrender,
and won't come home. Ireckon they're
pretty hard up there, sometimes, but
you should see how the old lady rides il
over the captain, sir. | wonder she
hasn't been over to pay you visit. Shall
l send after Riggs and Murphy, sir?
It's like sendin' good money arter Dau.
They haven't a cent. either of 'em, and
if town was their object there's no use
in their goin'; nobody would trust EN-"
Then came einterruption-the sound OF
horn, on ordinary tin horn, TOO, r1oat-
ing through the dark and muttering
night.
That's her, lieutenant. That's the
old lady herself. She reads prayers
reg'larly at half-past nine every night,
and some of the niggers are out yet.
They used to have q 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
despised 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 lively malediction.
Send Sergt Watts, if you think it
advisable" said he, briefly. I'm going
up on the road a moment"
Again the blast of the horn, short,
staccato, imperative, and then an i'm
patient, querulous voice at the north
end of the porch-a voice calling: you,
Elinorl 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: "Oh, l thought
you u never COHic. IiS bh' Nu4NtA* i~e~''N
the money, shuah, and the pail,
t'maw'ow night"
And then, with a rustic of feminine
garments, bending low, a slender, girl
ish form shot 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
fustered explanation at the north end
of the building, quick, kitten-like pat
ter of little feet up the ricllety old steps
in front and in an instant the giriish
form seemed perched on the window
sill. There a second or two it hovered,
motionless, until a 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 veranda all was silence at Walton
hall.
ITo BE CONTINUED