The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1898-07-21
A DutifuI Daughter.

!. cause of my liege the king was LOST
too. After the battle I had beer
I. chased hither and thither by flying
{. sauadrOns of cavalry, but, always
!. managing to elude their grasp,
found myself when night came dowr
at little distance from the scene oil
the conflict.
Presently 1 espied, with no small
satisfaction, a bright ray of light
issuing from the trees in front of
me. As approached 1 saw that it
proceeded from the window of a
-thatched cottage, which to a
man detected and weary in body and
mind was a pleasing and most COM
Portable sight.
had occasion to rap twice before
the door was opened by wizened
old woman with kindly face. In a
rembling voice she asked my name
and business.
"My name, good dame" 1 answer
ed, sis of little consequence. 1 am
captain in His Majesty's 9th Regi
ment of Horse, aud l crave food and
rest"
NAY, I pray you, sir, to go away"
replied the old crone, whose fear
had become the mora manifest as |
spoke The rebels are encamped
not league away. 1 dare not let ye
in. l have all the heart, kind sir,
but I dare not"
NAY, let him enter,good mother, ,
said sweet voice behind her. ''If
he is for the King he is friend"
The old woman, as entered, was
bending over large iron pot which
was seething on the fire, and from
which proceeded the savory smell
/ had before noticed. Beside her, on
low wooden stool, was seated a |
maiden of such extraordinary beauty
that looking at her I remembered |
no longer my hunger, but only the
disorder of my attire.
She was dressed in a peasants |
costume, but the eoftness of her
skin the Wilderness of her hands, |
the grace of her bearing, all told me
it was no peasant gazed upon.
So l took out pocket-comb and |
small hand mirror which I carried |
with me, and going toward the
candle endeavored to remedy to
some extent the defects in my ap-
pearance.
Il perceive sir" she said, "that
you belong to the court"
ut is true, madam, that I have
the honor and privilege to attend
upon His Majesty. May I, in turn,
be pardoned for saying that dis
Germ you are not such as it would
seem you desire to appear"
Nay, sirrah, 1 am peasant, as
you perceive"
This I did not believe, nor could
I be wholly sure that she wished to
be believed.
The old woman placed the savory
mess upon the table, accompanying
tbs action with many apologies for
the LONELINESS Of the fare, which in
truth, were unneeded, for I set to
with a will and never had found a
kings banquet more to my taste.
Taking the rushlight which the
old woman proffered, / started
YEARLY to mount the ladder.
l was awakened after what seemed
but few minutes by the sound of
mems voices in the room below; and
filled with apprehension I crept
quietly to the trapdoor and partly
raised the lid. A burly, red faced
sergeant and two troopers, all dress
ed in the rebel uniform, had entered
the house and were engaged in lively
with the old woman
who had shown me kindness.
81 tell ye," she was saying,
there's none that We seek in here"
This gives you the lie, old wo-
man." said the sergeant; and with
sheer he dug his sword into a cloak
which /, with q sad lack of fore.
had left to lie upsn bench,
md held up on the point This is