Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-16
N@TAdHGo
ST0RY Of
\HTE BEhbVM DAYS,
= ~
G6A1H6TfE HeMAbW0EfH
CHAPTER XVIII.
Continuation

Avail.
"They have oomet
There was no misunderstanding the
emphasis placed upon that personal pro-
noun by Liza, husky voiced as she was,
from the breath taking speed abe had
made between the loomroom and the
big house.
The little colony Of women were
grouped at one end Of the long back
gallery, intent upon a new experiment.
Mrs. Martin was quite sure a good SUBJ
stitute for indigo could be evolved from
the wild ooffeeweed that Haunted ita
yellow blossoms in every fence corner.
Her experiment was, 80 far, nothing
more available than lot Of dabby look
ing messes on boards placed in the sun.
shine to evaporate.
Without haste, but with q perturba-
ton that made visible the tremulous-
ness Of her delicate, blue veined hands,
old Mrs. Strong (that was what they
called her after Annabel camel rose to
her feet, letting the ball Of coarse plan.
tation yarn fall unheeded from her lap.
At another time she would have depre-
Gated such heedlesmess, but not now.
She was white to the very lips with the
terror Of a great uncertainty.
She stood for a second, clasping and
unclasping her thin hands in an agony
Of irresolution. The rest had gone away
and left her standing there all alone.
With the swift d~irectness Of q well
drilled military squad the group Of wo-
men had dissolved at sound Of those
three ominous words hurled at them by
Liza while still afar of.
Since the fall Of Vicksburg had made
the invasion Of Sans Souoi a mere ques-
tion Of time the role that each woman
was to enact when the enemy was actu-
ally in sight had been carefully assign
ed and conscientiously rehearsed.
Mrs. Strong-not Annabel; no ono
ever asked anything in the way Of &C.
tive cooperation from her-was given
position over the two loosened planks in
the floor Of the front gallery, beneath
which everything on the premises in
shape Of firearms was concealed. Old
Dolbear's joiner work was not above
criticism, and there was q certain tell.
tale r~aggedness at the edges Of the re.
placed planks which could be most Of.
fectively concealed by Mrs. Strong's
long trained robes
Mrs. Martin was to stand guard over
the smokehouse when ''the plaques of
Egypt swarmed, which was her rath-
er prolix designation for the entire Fed.
eral army.
II think, honey" she had said, id.
dressing Liza as the accepted admins
TRAITOR Of affairs. II could sass 'em real
comfortable II they dared to lay hands
on that little pile Of meat, all we got in
this wide world. I could jaw q whole
regiment Of 'em."
The professors daughter was to stay
with Annabel and her boy, to pilot
them safely through the vague terrors
Of the coming ordeal. Administrators
Martin" assigned this post with many
apologize expressions.
II feel awfully shabby, DEAR. but no
a else can keep Annabel quiet. You
act upon her like an an@sthetic. She
was hysterioal enough before poor
Adrien's death. 1t will take Seth and
Uncle Dolbear both to get what little
stock there is left run into the woods.
Mamma must try to save ~ pitiful pile
Of meat, and as for the madam, abe will
be too full of Adrien for another thought.
As for myself, / will skirmish round
generally sort Of free lance. you
know"
Rover In croquet," said Mamie,
preferring comparisons that meant
something within range Of her own OK.
perienca.
And now the time for executing all
these carefully prepared plans had ar.
rived. Liza, sitting at the clumsy little
hand loom in the deserted o~verseer's
house, weaving plantation spun yarn
Into dress material for the fastidiouA
mistress Of Sans 6ouoi. had seen . cloud
Of dust rise suddenly above the tall
weeds that outlined the grass grown
wagon road across the fields.
There was no applicable cause for
that golden haze but one. On all Of
Sans 6ouci's broad acres beasts enough
70 raise IL could not be found. Seth, she
knew, was blowing the potato patch.
which meant 90 much to them In those
days, with their one horse, She had
helped him tie the untrustworthy haz-
ness together with bits Of cloth before
breakfast Old Dolbear had gone to tho
woods for stove wood, with their only
sther beast Of burden, Knock Kneed
Jimmy, . mule with . very long OK.
perience Of this troubled sphere. THAI
0wiftly advancing column Of dust could
mean but one thing. In Intense ezcitS.
ment she flung the shuttle from her,
and, mounting the loom bench, shaded
her eyes with unsteady hand while
ahe peered across the weed choked fields.
The weeds grew lower and thinner
about the big quarter lot gate, and when
II, that cloud Of dust, paused for them
to loosen the rusty chains that bound
gate and post together II would be time
for her to draw in her picket line"
She must zee first, however, what that
dust was produced by.
Aconfused vision Of hofses'heads and
visored caps The horses did not belong
to Sans 6ouci, and the caps were mot
gray. That was enough. Thank heaven,
--~~ 49, 49, -91~~ - AAk-~~- 49,