Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-04-21
BY
gEAnHETTE HoW7AbEVOEh1
COPYRIGHT, 1887 sY THE AurnoR.

| Perhaps yOu did. Inc governor 1s
rather emotional, and he was a Union
man all the way through" said Strong
coldly.
"You make me feel like had took a
drink of ice water when wasn't thirs-
ty, Strong. Well, Union man or no,
the gov'ner is gettin ready to 90 out
himself"
"Go out where?'
"To the front, or wherever there 8
fghtin to do. He says he can't sit in
the chimbly corner sucking his thum g
while other men are taking their
chances for the bullets. Oh, tell you
there amt no discount on ole man
Strong"
Strong WINGED and involuntarily
moved farther away from the chimney
corner Presently he broke out passion
ately:
ut isa-- shame The whole thing
is an internal mistake. Making butch
ers out of men who wouldn't harm a
, hair on q dogs back if left to their own
up exclusively of such sneaks as Adrien
Strong, the country could survive its
loss
"Adrien Strong don't pass for sneak
in Virginia, where the fightin is hot
test
Perhaps not"
Strong looked so ugly as he marled
/ out those two words that Seth forbore
communicating the laudatory rumors
that were ahoat in the neighborhood
about Adrien Strong.
Silence fell between the two men.
Seth's mission had failed. He would
wait and take his supper of black coffee
and fried bacon with Strong, then
climb the cliff and go home.
The darkness deepened within and
without Old Viney came into the room
with a globeless kerosene lamp in her
hand, placed it in the middle of the
table, flung pine knot in the fire and
hobbled slowly out again.
The insistent rain, made invisible by
the interior illumination of lamp and
freight, battered dismally upon the
hard beaten surface of the dooryard.
The clock on the rough pine shelf over
the fireplace gave n premonitory cluck
and struck seven.
Viney made a second grand entree,
laden down with plates and cups and
saucers, which she arranged upon the
table with considerable clatter and no
taste whatever. Sue was hobbling slow
ly toward the door once more when
something caused her to lift her turban-
ed head and to stand still in an alert
attitude of surprised attention.
II yhers w'eels, she said, turning
automatically toward the two men on
the hearth.
Wheels"
They laughed incredulously. No one
ever sought Neck or Nothing on wheels
under the brightest sunlit skies. Who
should be cropping thither in this storm
drenched darkness?
"You kin snicker s'long as You amt
got no manners, but yhers 'em all de
same. Dey done stop
She hobbled to the front door and
hung 1t open with assertive violence,
sending yellow band of light athwart
the wet beaten walk between the cabin
and the still.
"She is right. Hail Columbia! Who
can it be2" said Seth, rising quickly in
his astonishment.
Strong lifted himself more deliberate
ly. Not even the unprecedented posi-
bility of visitors to Neck or Nothing on
this inclement evening could stir him
beyond the point of looking behind the
door for his umbrella and lifting his
lantern from the floor with tentative
swing to decide if there was any oil in
it. Then he joined Seth and Viney in
the open doorway.
What they saw was close buttoned,
mud bespattered carryall, between the
shafts of which stood steaming, weary
beast of burden with detected down
dropped head and dripping harness.
What they heard was the sound Of
voices parleying behind the wet cur
tains-women's voices, young voices
which stimulated the curiosity of the
two men without enlightening them.
II suppose we've got to see it
through" said Strong and he plunged
resolutely out into the rain, closely fol-
lowed by Seth. A few strides brought
them to the stile, against whose outer
steps the carriage was drawn closely for
the convenience of the travellers.
A cNl ks fretful protest against bro
ken slumber, a woman's querulous re-
sponse, a cheerful gurgle Of encourage
ment, lifted curtain and boundless
surprise.
"Welln'
"'pon honorr" s#sss:s'
"Strong Martini
"Mamie Colyer!'
OF course the woman was the first to
grow coherent.
"If it were not SO excessively damp
on this stile, should feel impelled to
sit right down on this platform until I
got the better of my feelings. Annabel,
Ann, my dear, where do you suppose
we have fetched up finally?'
A white, tired face, pretty but pee!
wish, had been thrust from between the
parted curtains. To it Miss Colyer had
addressed herself.
"At Mr.. Martins haven't we? You
told that awful imbecile to take us to
Mr.. Martin s."
"En done it," said the lawful i'm.
beetle" in stolid resentment. "Them
thar is bofe of 'em Misterses Martin.
"There is no denying that" said
Strong, with such a bright ring to his
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