The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-05-20

mothers agonized face ever before her
and the determination to save her little
Hal strong within her. A jagged stone
cut her bare foot, but could not stay
her even for an instant Now she saw
the roofs of her fathers house illumi-
mated by the spreading fire, and now
again the shells went whistling over her
head. Rabbits and squirrels scurried
nadly past her, escaping from the adj
yancing troops She heard the sound of
many footsteps and the sharp banging
of the Federal rifles. On the rising
ground before the house black figures
hurried to and fro-the van Of Buffers
army. But she did not stop. What was
the enemy to her when Hal was miss
ing-wounded by chance bullet per-
haps and dying in the fields?
With roar the house caught fire,
and shower of sparks scared into the
air and fell among the trees. A bullet
pinged not foot away from Nell, but
she heard it not.
"Hall Brother Hall was the song
her heart sang, and she needed no other
sound.
A branch, shorn from its parent tree,
crashed down upon the heroic child
and bore her to earth. She crawled
from beneath it, her shoulder bruised
and torn, and with sharp pains in her
ankle that told of serious strain. She
could run no longer, but limping was
still possible; SO onward she limped.
At last the lawn was reached, and
Nell felt heavy hand descend upon
her aching shoulder.
"Hold hard therel' cried voice.
"What in heaven S name are you doing
here?''
The child looked up into rough,
bearded face, begrimed with powder,
yet not unkindly.
1.-The baby" she whispered hoarsely;
'I've come back for Baby Hal. .
The bearded man let the sword which
he carried fall back into its sheath.
ooh, you We come back for the baby?
Come back through the shells and bull
let's, eh? My girl, you re regular Joan
of Arcn'
"No, sir; I'm Confederate. And,
please, won't you help me to find baby?"
The big soldier caught Nell up in
his arms.
"Why, your poor little foot's cut,
he cried, land your shoulder S bleeding
too. This is awful. :"
"Don't mind my shoulder, Mr.. Yam
kee Let me find baby
The Federal officer put his spare hand
to his mouth, by way of speaking
trumpet, and shouted in stentorian
tones, "Has-any- man-found-a-
baby?''
From the right came an answering
hail, and soldier came running out of
the darkness.
eve found colored girl and baby
over there, sir, he said. "The girl had
been knocked down by some burning
timbers from the barn.
Two minutes later Baby Hal was COO
ing, just as if nothing had happened,
upon Nell's lacerated shoulder. Poor
Phoebe, badly though not dangerously
hurt, told how in flying blindly from
the Federals she had been struck and
disabled by falling beam.
ana as the story spread among the
Federal soldiers they gathered around
Nell. cheering her SO loudly that Aunt
DrusiIla, sitting disconsolately upon her
stump in the woods, heard the uproar
and wondered what it meant.
Not long had the honest old negress
to wonder, for presently there marched
through the woods guard of honor
surrounding the Federal officer, who
carried both Nell and the baby in his
strong arms.
sob, chile, chile, . cried Aunt Dru-
silla as she gave Nell her very heartiest
hug, ''yo' done give me pow 'ful
scare. But it's all right now, Dress de
Lawd, an dem dar Yankees AIM SO bad
after all. "-R. Franklin Dunn in Chi
cage Inter Ocean,