Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-10-05

lonely cell that frightened me.
"Ha, hal" the troopers laughed. "a
veteran of the war frightened by the
dark! Oh, Mother Revellp'
The delicate flush, so readily provoked
on Mrs Revell's cheek, saved her pallor
from being again noticed
HAS the major seen him?" she asked
! quietly of her son.
mo, only the adjutant; but the fell
lows cute. He won't talk. Nobody is
allowed to see him. Angels of mercy
are, of course, excepted" "
He patted his mothers cheek, and she
tried to laugh, then took her basket and
babe them all good night and quiet
guard. She walked steadily home,
tramping bravely through the drifts,
answering cheerily enough the greetings
of party Of officers she met as they
came out of the club; but, once home,
she locked and barred the door, put out
the light, and sat, her face hidden in
her hands, until morning by the stove.
Before the bugles sounded revellle
ground she was up and busy, poking
into odd corners for something she
frowningly sought. At last she found
it, little steel tool, and she slipped 1T
in the bosom of her dress. She fed the
stove and made coffee again and filled
her can. Then, while the dawn hung
timorcusly in doubt and the sky in the
east was very slowly trembling from
violet to gray, she pulled Oh her boots
and took her shawl and once more start
ed for the guardhouse. There the men
were weary, and those not out on post
were sleeping. The young sergeant was
wrapped in his blankets. sound and
snoring, and a drowsy corporal was In
charge. He frightened at sight Of Moth
er Revell's can.
Begun. but you'll spile the SER
geant with yer coddlin!" he said.
"Shall wake him.
Mother Revell shook her head and
poured out a mugful for the grateful
corporal.
"Is he asleep" she asked, nodding
toward the prisoners cell.
Mop Just now he was swearin at
the cold"
"It is horribly cold in there" she
said. Won't you give him cup?"
"Shucks, Mrs. Revell, ye're all heart.
Twas him killed the paymaster.
THAT'S not certain yet, said Moth
er Revell. suddenly shaking. But it
would BIZ cold for dog in there Let
me-"
"The corporal shrugged his shoulders
1t was hard to refuse Mother l'evell
anything. SO again she slipped along
the corridor The prisoner must have
heard her voice. for he was already at
the bars
bessie" he hoarsely whispered
You're the same as ever-a good old
girl. And you haven't forgotten the old
man A corner of your heart for him
STILL eh?''
She shrunk from his bloated face for
moment; the next she stepped deter
minedly to the grating.
LISTEN" she murmured hurriedly.
Don't touch my hand. I'm going to
help you, but not for your sake-for the
same reason helped you before, when,
in your drinking craze, you shot the
cowboy in Dodge. wanted to save my
boy the shame of hearing his father was
hanged. want to save him again.
Little Martin-the baby. Bessie,
is he here? Let me see him-Bess.
"Never, she cried fiercely. Hes
doing we'll; hess boy to be proud OF.
He studies and will pass for commits
sion in time. He knows nothing of your
life, of you, and never shall. I'd die
first Do you think I'd see the boy
creep about in shame for his father, q
dcserter twice murderer? Gould he
hold up his head among his comrades
when he's an officer and gentleman,
as he will be, as he deserves to be? See
you'll Never! You must go away-es-
cape, else there are some here will rec,
ognize you.
She was trembling now, and he gulp-
ed the Stc;Llning coffee sullSily. The men
snored; the corporal nodded over his
stove
"What name have you gone by? You
dare not call yourself Revell?'
Hardly" he grinncd.
"Take this, " she said, and gave him
the tool from her dress Its all could
fnd-a gimlet You bore hole after
hole in the planlling of the floor until a
piece is loose. It's slow, and you must
be cautious of the guard seeing you.
Get through by night after next if you
can, for they are eager to send you to
prison There's foot and a half be-
tween floor and ground. You can crawl
out. twas done once by man at Fort
Mckinney. Look out for No. l. He
passes round the guardhouse every quar-
ter of an hour. I"
He took the tool eagerly and she
turned away
"Bessie!'
She paused.
Il saw in a paper that Pollock was
made major He always had luck.
You and | remembered him as big
buck private when was a sergeant in
the war. Say, is hc-is he stuck OH you
still? lieut. him out for fair then, didn' t
|? half thought you'd get divorce
and marry him. "
She looked at him fiercely.
1.-THE majors good man, not fit for
you to name Get away from here as
quick as you can, and remember this
there's only one thing love in the
world and that's the boy"
She slipped quickly from him and
through the guardroom, past the drowsy
corporal and rcuaincd her home before