The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-11-30
"Go away at once.
We must consult.

Eve can do nothing. Go away.
Margaret, some one is with Won. I
heard whispering. :
She was silent q few moments, then
said: Twill you keep q secret7''
IT will"
1T might conflict with your duty.
Margaret, my having heard the
whispers will conflict with my duty as
much as if I had your entire confidence.
Let. me be the Judge OF what ought,
to do, with full knowledge Of all these
mysteries" {.
| "Wait" Ill ...s a G5#
She descended the steps, and for sew
eral minutes heard whispers, but not
a word of what was said; then she came
back and told me to raise the trap noise
lessly and come down. I did so, and
Margaret led me to the window,
through which shone the moon, and by
it's pale light I saw on either side of
the easement a boy and girl. Neither
could have been over II, and their
features were cast in the same
mould. l. looked wonderingly from
one to the other, for in each perceived
that apparition which had haunted me
the face at the window. The girl was
she had seen in confederate uniform.
This is my brother Harold" Mar
garet whispered, land this is my sister
Georgia. They are twins. Harold, this
is Lieut.. Hall. We are in his hands.
He may keep our secret or inform on
us, as he chooses"
Georgia's eyes were turned on mine
with deep pleading as she said: "You
won't betray Harold, will you?"
I could only stand stupidity tongue
tied in presence of her bewitching face.
Margaret did not leave me long to feast
my eyes on her sisters beauty, taking
me aside to whisper briefly such ex-
plantations as were necessary. She told
me that Harold and Georgia had both
come to her through the trap, having
gained the roof, Harold from an IN
used chimney opening into the room in
which he was hiding, Georgia through
broken skylight. Then she gave me
the main points of her story from the
first.
Harold Beach had been induced by
confederate officer much older than
himself to go with him in disguise into
the union lines at Knoxville for the
purpose of making a drawing of the
defenses. Having completed the work,
the officer shifted the plan from him
self to Harold, both succeeded separ-
ately in leaving Knoxville, and Harold,
roc,,rnincr l,;e was r. \;
way southwark when he was taken i'll.
Being near home, he sought refuge
with his mother and sisters, reaching
the plantation but a few minutes before
us the day we first met Margaret. The
first knowledge she had of his presence
was seeing his face at the window.
Hearing a searching party coming
up the stairs, Harold escaped through
the trap, climbed down a brick chin
ney, and, lodging between rooms be-
low, easily avoided searchers who had
not his intimate knowledge of :. the
house. That night Margaret per-
suaded Harold to permit her to burn the
plan, which, if discovered on him,
would prove him spy. She had gone. to
the kitchen to put it in the stove when
[ caught her. Learning that the Of
fcer who had made the drawing was
in the neighborhood in command of
confederate force, she eagerly accepted
my proposition of parole and at once
went to inform him of her brothers.
and her own peril, an act which did
not directly involve the breaking of her
promise. I interrupted Margaret's
narrative at his point to exclaim:
Maj. Bernal Berante?"
Yes
Bernate made magnificent promises
which he never performed. Georgia
conceived the idea of putting on Har-
ODDS uniform and confessing that she
was the real culprit. She had donned
the uniform and taken down her hair
to cut it off when saw her at the win
dow. Margaret, entering the room at
the moment, stopped the sacrifice.
Meanwhile the general kept such
strict guard about the house that Har-
old, though his sister watched every
opportunity, was unable to make an
escape. Margaret steadfastly main
tanned her secret, and stood between
him and death. Then followed her
trial, our expedition to the cave, and
the subsequent events.
The unraveling of this mystery was
great relief to me, though I was
obliged to confess to myself that the
danger Threatening this unfortunate
family was not whit lessened by the
newly acquired knowledge. I had come
to consult with Margaret, but there was
something in the person of Georgia-a
delicate oval face, liquid black eyes,
and above all a confiding, hopeful smile
with which she greeted me-that drove
planning out of my head Margaret
soon perceived that if the object for
which I had come was to be accom-
plished she must withdraw my atten-
ton from her sister.
What do you propose?" she asked.
+ What do you suggest" replied.
with Harold penned up in this house
we can do nothing. Were he safely
away, l might make clean breast of
the matter TO the general, as have to