The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-12

ABOUT NarnnIie. You know, do you mot,
how ! came to- find hort Nor Well,
haven't told 1t "a rule. Her father had
served on the same division STAFF with
Major Barry during the war, and q
strong friendship grew up between
them. When Captain Baird was killed,
his brother. in law came all the way to
Virginia after his body, and Major Bar
ry was allowed to go with it as far as
Washington, and there lie met this gen.
tleman, Nathalie's uncle by marriage.
He impressed Major Barry as being a
sturdy, warm hearted fellow who would
do all he could for the widow and
orphan, especially for this little girl
who was named, as Nathalie has only
recently told me, for his own wife. I
wondered how size came by that name,
but 10 seems that this was Mrs Baird s
younger end favorite sister, Already,
however, this gentleman had four chill
dren Of his own and could not we'll pro-
vide for more. A dssultory correspond.
enoe was kept up for awhile, and then
it dropped off, but in 1875 this Mr..
Williams wrote that his niece was prao-
tically destitute, that his own business
was completely ruined, and he begged
us to do something for her, saying that
she was good, pure minded, lovely girl
and intimating that he would have been
only too thankful had heaven blessed
him with such children.
ttGp tho marion xunnt thora xrho,. oo,k
on leave, and she has been with us for
year now, and she is lovely and was
content and happy until just few days
ago. ! watched her narrowly at the
time Of Mr.. Maynard's mishap, half ex-
pecting her to be greatly shocked and
distressed. Shocked she was and meas
urably distressed, but not to the extent
! had expected. This change in her has
not come through him. She has sudden.
ly met some serious mental strain, and
1t is the more trying because she cannot
tell or will not tell what it is. She begs
me not to ask any more, but sometimes"
and here Mrs Barry looked appeal.
ingly up into the gentle face Of her
friend - sometimes l feel sure she
would confide in you, and you could
help her, Will you?'
Indeed will if she will lot me-"
was the warm hearted reply. Nov I
must get back to Major Stannard or
he'll be seeking for me and saying
dreadful things in Apache. Tomorrow
morning I'll come to you again"
An hour later Nathalie Baird, kneel-
ing by the bedside Of her friend and
protector. gazed long and earnestly into
the placid face, bent her ear to listen
to the gentle, measured breathing as
though to assure herself that the sleep
was sound; then slowly, cautiously,
noiselessly rose to her feet extinguished
the lamp and set the night light on the
floor, slipped into the dinly lighted
front room and thence to the hall.
There, taking hooded cloak from a
peg, she as noiselessly opened the front
door, peered up and down the row,
noted the fitting lights at the barracks
and the sound Of busy preparation,
hastily withdrew moment as an off.
GERS orderly, blanket and robe laden,
came laboring down the line, then, once
more glancing out, stepped softly forth
upon the piazza and, budding within |
the warm folds Of her cloak, tiptoed
around the corner Of the house and
through the dark passage leading to the
spacious yard that lay to the north.
The servants had long since retired to
heir little rooms in the annex at the
ear, but the girl trembled as she passed
heir windows, yet pressed resolutely
IN, and presently, clearing the wooden
was swallowed up in the
,lackness Of the cloud covered night.