Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-09
COPYRIGHT, 1897 sy THE AUTHOR.

cOoA w WAc1o yOAI ulOtucI Cdu CART lOL
you. Do you know where you are, old
ohap2"
At this new surprise Mamie had
sprung to her feet and stood by Liza,
whose hands were rigidly locked about
the iron spikes She was trembling VIC.
lently, and her smothered exclamation
Of Mortified surprise was barely audible.
"My Godl Tt cannot bel Adrien
Strong come to that? It is too horriblei"
"But the other one, Lizaf"
The darkness mercifully hid Liza's
cheeks from view. They were aglow
with the ~quickening Of her pulses. On.
ly her starlike eyes told Of her intense
excitement as she tugged at the rusty
fastenings u the gate.
II know his voice. It is Mr.. Cham
bliss. No harm will come to u.s. Ma
mie."
They were inside the Enclosure now,
and with swift directness Liza was
threading the tangled, familiar maze
Mamie followed her with laborious un-
certainty. now pushing aside an intru-
i've branch, now stumbling helplessly
over an unsupported root, never once
losing consciousness of a tall form stand
ing in soldierly erectness, ~silhouetted
against the leaping flames Of the camp
fire.
At sound Of Liza's swift advance he
turned his face from the tattered min
strel and made a step toward her in the
gloom.
Liza, my dear little girl"
And then Mamie caught Liza's re-
Spouse to this greetings soft, glad
cry.
"Ah, it is you"
And by the light Of the campfire she
saw two pairs Of hands go out to each
other eagerly, clasp each other firmly,
and so stand, content, there amid the
dark signing pine trees and the molder-
ing headstones, under the distant stars.
She caught her breath with surprise,
then stopped d~iscreetly.
"They don't need me. / think they
would rather l should efface myself.
Phewl Liza might have told me if there
were any snakes OF things here, hope
they won't spend the evening at it"
But it was not of themselves nor Of
their hopes and fears that Randall Cham
bliss and the overseer's daughter were
talking in those first full moments. It
was Of Adrien, who had taken note Of
Liza's coming by rising suddenly to his
feet and dofing his visorless cap with a
grace pitifully in contrast with his va
cant stare and his mendicant's garb.
Bringing his dusty trodden shoes heel
to heel, he remained standing rigidly
erect, with a military disposition Of
his long, bronzed hands.
Liza buried her face in her hands.
II cannot look at him. I cannot en-.
dure it. Oh, 1t is horrible"
1T is pretty rough. BOUCHER on you
because so unexpected. I suppose Tn
hardened to 1t. Poor old chap, I've seen
him coming to it gradually. They've
given him his discharge and granted me
a furlough to bring the wreck home. It
was too much for him, the long march.
es and the beastly feed and the tentless
nights. 1t would have been better if he
could have found q friendly bullet and
been picked of entirely. The surgeons
said il there was any hope for him it
was to be found in giving him his old
surroundings I don't believe there is
any myself"
All this in that slow, deliberate fash
ion Of his, which gave Liza opportunity
to scan his face furtively by the flicker
ing flames. Across his forehead a shin
ing red welt ran from temple to brow.
"And your
He caught her upward glance and
laughed. The same sweet, lazy laugh, d
trifle ironical, that he had bestowed
upon the tame happenings Of the old
peaceful plantation days.
"a mere scratch, I assure you. Heal
ed long ago. My credentials for the next
generation. I call it my beauty spot. I"
Then back to Adrien.
II had hoped you would come. l
could rely upon you for not getting hys-
terical over this bad business. l wanted
to tell. you all about him. and-I want
ed to see you. l wanted to ask you for
some word Of comfort to take back to
camp with me, Liza. 1t is dismal work,
my dear, fighting on the losing side
never a word or glimpse of the
dear ones we've left behind us. The
bluecoats have the best Of us there. They /
are not out of from their all. If they
have q wounded comrade to take home
or a done up chap like poor old Strong
there, they don't have to stink through
the fields and the byways like runaway
But / did not come back here to
over a bad job. For it is a bad
job. an internally bad n To end
when-God only knows"
"To end how, rather2"
I'm defeat. Surei Bitter Inevitablel"
Adrien. finding himself unnoticed,
bad resumed his former position and
bis singing. The sound Of q girls sobs
mingled with the plaintive melody.
gently drew her hands into his
once more.
Dear little girl, don't. This Is moro
nerve trying than the whistling Of bull
let's, I've rtsked q good deal, Liza, for
The sake Of these few moments. I could
not SO to you at the house yonder, for
we were plodding along the river
yesterday, hidden by the willows,
three transports loaded with troops
passed uR Doubtless Sessumsport is al.
'eady occupied, and the bluecoats will
swarming tomorrow over Sans Souci.
L would have gone hard with both
households Il II had been known you
Nd aheltered : rebel tonight, 10 ! sent
.be with that mysterious note, q
|aSuely worded a. possible, 10 fetch
'ou could not tell how many traitors