Middletown transcript., 1898-02-26
CHAPTER II.

AS Mary sprang backward and scream
ed one of the calm men in gray, still
grinning, announced, II knowed you'd
hol1er." Sitting there comfortably the
three surveyed her with amusement.
Mary caught her breath, throwing
her hand up to her throat. "Oh," she
said, "you-you frightened me.'
"We're sorry, lady, but couldn't help
it no way" oheerfully responded an
other. 81 knowed you'd holler when ]
seen you coming yere, but raikined
we couldn't help it no way. We hain't
a-troubling this yere barn, don't guess.
We been doing some mighty tall sleep
ing yere. We done woke when them
Yanks loped past.
"Where did you come from? Did
did you escape from the-the Yankees?''
The girl still stammered and trembled.
The three soldiers laughed. "No'm'm.
No'm'm. They never catch US. View
in muss down the road yere about two
mile. And Bill yere they gin it to him
in the arm, kehpluck. And they past
ed me thah too Curious. And Sim
yere, he didn't get nothing, but they
chased Us all quite a little piece, and
we done lose track of our boys"
"Was twas it those who passed
here just nowP Did they chase your"
The men in gray laughed again.
"What-them? No, indeedee. There
was mighty big swarm Of Yanks and
a mighty big swarm of our boys too.
What-that little passel? No'm'm."
She became calm enough to scan them
more attentiyely. They were much be-
grimed and very dusty. Their gray
clothes were tattered. Splashed mud
had dried upon them in reddish spots.
It appeared, too, that the men had not
shaved in many days OF their hats
there was singular diversity-one SOL
dier wore the little blue cap of the
northern infantry, with corps emblem
and regimenta1 number still upon it;
one wore great brown slouch hat with
wide hole in the crown, and the 9TH
er wore no hat at all. The left sleeve Of
one man and the right sleeve Of anoth-
er had been slit, and the arms were
neatly bandaged with clean cloth.
''These hain't no more than two little
cuts" explained one. "We stopped up
yere to Mis- Heavitt's-ahe said her
name was-and she bind them for us.
Bill yere, he had the thirst come on
him, and the fever too We''-
Mary interrupted him without inten-
tion. care You hungry" she asked.
The soldiers looked at each other,
struck by some sudden and singular
shame. They hung their heads.
"No'm'm," replied one at last.
Santo in his stall was TRANQUILITY
chewing and chewing. Sometimes he
looked benevolently over at them. He
was an old horse, and there was some
thing about his eyes and his forelock
which created the impression that he
wore spectacles. Mary went and patted
his nose. well, If you are hungry I
can get you something, she told the
men, cor you might come to the house.
I'VE wouldn't dast go to the house, f"
said one. "That passel Of Yanks was
only scouting crowd most hke-just
an advance. More coming likely"
'sWell, I can bring you something" /"
cried the girl eagerly. "Won't You let
me bring you something?"
SWELL, said q soldier with embar-
rassment, 1--WE hain't had much. If you
could bring up little snack like-just
a snack, we'd
Without waiting for him to cease the
girl turned toward the door, but before
she had reached IL zhe stopped abruptlY.
Listen, she whispered. Her form
was bent forward, her head turned and
lowered. her hand extended towssd the