Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-06-14
CHAPTER XVIII.

"They have comet
There was no misunderstanding the
emphasis placed upon that personal pro-
noun by Liza, husky voiced as she was,
from the breath taking speed she had
made between the loomroom and the
big house.
The little colony Of women were
grouped ut one end of the long back
gallery, intent upon new experiment.
Mrs. Martin was quite SURE u goOd sub
stitute for indigo could he evolved from
the wild cof.eeweed that Haunted Is
yellow blossoms in every fence corner.
Her experiment was, ~ far. nothing
more available than lot Of dabby look
ing messes ON boards placed in the sun.
shine To evaporate.
Without haste, but with q perturba-
ton that made visible the tremulous-
ness Of her delicate, blue veined hands,
old Mrs. Strong that was what they
called her after Annabel came) rose TO
her feet, letting the ball Of coarse plan
tatiun yarn fall unheeded from her lap.
At another time she would have depre-
Gated such heedlessness, but not now.
She was white TO the very lips with the
terror Of II great uncertainty.
She stood for "a second, clasping and
unclasping her thin hands in an agony
Of irresolution. The rest had gone away
and left her standing there all alone.
With the swift directness Of well
drilled military squad the group Of wo-
men had dissolved at sound Of those
three ominous words hurled ut them by
Liza while still afar of.
Since the fall of Vicksburg had made
the invasion Of Sans Souci "a mere ques-
ton Of time the role that each woman
was To enact when the enemy WAS actu-
ally in sight had been carefully assign
ed and conscientiously rehearsed.
Mrs. StTorg-not Annabel; no one
ever asked anything in the way Of ac.
tive cooperation from her-was given
position over the two loosened plaGks in
the floor Of the front gallery. beneath
which everything on the premises in
shape OF firearms was concealed. Old
Dolbear's joiner work was not alove
criticism, and there was certain tell
tale raggedness at the edges of the re-
placed planks which could be most ef
fectively concealed by Mrs. Strongs
long trained robes
Mrs. Martin was to stand guard over
the smokehcas when 1.-THE plaques Of
Egypt swarmed, which was her rath-
er prolix designation for the entire Fed
eral army.
Il think. honey" she had said. ad-
dressing Liz. as the accepted admins
traitor Of affoirs, II could sass em real
comfortable if they dared to lay hands
OH that little pile Of meat, all We got in
this wide weld l could jaw whole
reg g'ment Of EN-"
Tho professors daughter was to stay
" ith AnYi. cl ard l,r boy, to pilot
them safely through the vague terrors
Of the coming ordeal. Administrator
Martin" assigned this post with many
lpoloSetic cr,.ressions
II feel av iully shabby, dear, but no
one else can keep Annabel quiet. You
net upon h~r like an anRsthetic. She
was hyster. r.cal enough before poor
Adrien's death. 1t will take Seth and
Uncle Dolbear both to get what little
stock there is left run into the woods.
Mamma must try to save our pitiiul pile
of meat, and as for the madam, she will
be too full Of Adrien for another thought.
As for myself, will skirmish round
generally-a sort Of FREE lance, you
know"
Rover in croquet," said Mamie,
preferring comparisons that meant
something within range Of her own ex-
perience.
And now the time for executing all
these carefully prepared plans had ar
rived Liza, sitting ut The clumsy little
hand loom in the deserted overseer'f
house, weaving plantation spun yarn
into dress material for the fastidious
mistress Of Sans Souci, had seen cloud
II dust rise suddenly above the tall
weeds that outlined the grass growh
wagon road across the fields.
There was no explicable cause for
that golden haze but one. On all OF
Sans Souci's broad acres beasts enough
to raise it could not be found. Seth, she
knew, was blowing the potato patch,
which meant m much 10 them in those
days, with their one horse. She had
helped him tie the untrustworthy har.
ness together with bits Of cloth before
breakfast. Old Dolbear had gone to the
woods for stove wood, with their only
other beast Of burden, Knock Kneed
Jimmy, q mule with very long ex-
perience of this troubled sphere That
swiftly advancing column OF dust could
mean but che thing. In intense excite
ment she flung the shuttle from her,
and, mounting the loom bench, shaded
her eyes with one unsteady hand while
she peered across the weed choked flelda
The weeds grew lower and thinner
aboat the big quarter lot sAtA and whee