Middletown transcript., 1898-02-26

Sitting there comfortably the three SUR
Ueved her actth amusement.
Of the road was intercepted by tree
trunks and little henhouse. However,
they could see many horsemen stream
ing along the road. The horsemen were
in blue.
"Oh, hide-hide-hide!" cried the
girl, with sob in her voice.
"Wait minute" whispered a gray
soldier excitedly. maybe they re going
along by. No. by thunder, they hain'tl
They are halting! Scot, boysP'
They made a noiseless dash into the
dark end of the barn. The girl, standing
by the door, heard them break forth an
instant later in clamorous whispers.
"Where'll we hide? Where'll we hide:
There hain't place to hide. :" The girl
turned and glanced wildly about the
barn. It seemed true. The stock of hay
had grown low under Santos endless
munching and from occasional levyings
by passing troopers in gray. The poles
of the NOW were barely covered, save
in one corner, where there was little
bunch.
The girl espied the great feed box.
She ran to it and lifted the lid.
"Herel Herep' she called. sect in
here!'
They had been tearing noiselessly
around the rear part of the barn. At
her low call they came and plunged at
the box. They did not all get in at the
same moment without good deal of a
tangle. The wounded men gasped and
muttered, but they at last were Topped
down on the layer of feed which cover
ed the bottom. Swiftly and softly the
girl lowered the lid and then turned
like a fash toward the door.
No one appeared there, so she went
closer to survey the situation. The
troopers had dismounted and stood in
silence by their horses. A gray bearded
man, whose red cheeks and nose showed
vividly above the whiskers, was stroll
ing about with two or three others.
They wore double breasted coats, and
faded yellow sashes were wound under
their black leather sword belts. The
gray bearded soldier was apparently
giving orders, pointing here and there.
Mary tiptoed to the feed box. "They've
all got off their horses" she said to it.
A finger projected from mothole near
the top and said to her very plainly,
"Come closer" She obeyed, and then
mufaed voice could be heard, "Scoot
for the house, lady, and if we don't see
you again, why, much obliged for what
you have done.
''Goodby," she said to the feed box.
She made two attempts to walk
dauntlessly from the barn, but each
time she faltered and failed just before
she reached the point where she could
have been seen by the blue coated troop
ers. At last, however, she made sort
of a rush forward and went out into the
bright sunshine.
The group of men, double breasted,
wheeled in her direction at the instant.
The gray bearded soldier came toward
her. She stopped. She seemed about to
run away, but the soldier doffed his lit
tie blue cap and looked amiable. "You
live here, I presumed" he said.
"Yes," she answered.
"Well, we are obliged to camp here
for the night, and as we've got two
wounded men with us I don't suppose
you'd mind if we put them in the barn.
CHIN the barn?"
He became aware that she was agitat-
ed. He smiled assuringly. "You need
not be frightened. We WORT hurt any
thing around here. You'll all be safe
enough"
The girl balanced on one foot and |
swung the other to and fro in the grass
She was looking down at it. "But-but |
/ don't think ma would like it if-if |
you took the barn."
The old officer laughed. "Wouldn't
sheP" said he. "That's so. Maybe she
wouldn't" He reflected for time and
then decided cheerfully: "Well, we
will have to ask her anyhow. Where is
she-in the housef'
"Yes," replied the girl, "she's in the
house. She-she'll be scared to death
when she sees you.'
"Will you go and ask her then?" said
the soldier, always wearing a benign
smile. "You go and ask her and then
come and tell me.
When the girl pushed open the door
and entered the kitchen, she found it
empty. "Mal" she called softly. There
was no answer. The kettle was hum
ming its low song. The knife and the
curl Of potato skin lay on the focT.
She went to her mothers room and
entered timidly. The lonely aspect
of the house shook her nerves. Upon
the bed there was confusion of cover
ings "MaW called the girl, quaking
in fear that her mother was not there
to @ply. But there was sudden tur-
mol q Hle quilts, and her mothers
head was thrust forth. "Mary," she
cried in what seemed to be a supreme
astonishment, 81 thought thought
"Oh, ma, +" blurted the girl, "there's
over 1000 Yankees in the yard, and
I've hidden three Of our men in the feed
boxP The elder woman, however, upon
the appearance of her daughter had be-
gun to thrash hysterically about on the
bed and walled.
ma" the girl exclaimed, "and now
they want to use the barn, and our men
in the feed box. What shall do9 Ma,
what shall do?'
Her mother did not seem to hear, SO
absorbed was she In her grieYous floun-
derings and tears. "Ma," appealed the
girl. INA. -
For moment Mary stood silently de-
batting, her lips apart, her eyes fixed.
Then she went to the kitchen window
and peeped. The old officer and the 9TH
ers were staring up the road. She went
o another window In order 10 get the