Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-08-30
she likes within the limits of the planta.

that time | was considered the best
poker-player in the brigade.
Il will wager l was beginning.
No, no. lieutenant; I'm not in the
habit OF gambling with my staff, and on
such subject Take her parole not to
escape or aid the confederate cause, and
hold you responsible for its keeping.
If she breaks it, will dismiss you from
my staff, try you by court-martial for
| neglect of duty, and enforce the sever
est penalty the court will inflict."
Done" | cried 81 accept the terms"
Invent straight to the house. and in
few minutes was with Miss Beach.
u have an important announcement
to make to you. The general has decid-
ed magnanimously to take your parole
do nothing that will aid the confederate
cause, OF to escape"
] pronounced the words with some
thing of flourish-for was delighted
as we'll as proud TO have accomplished
the feat of gaining the generals assent
to my plan-and waited for her reply.
She stood for awhile looking down at
l
ut is not the generals magnanimity
that grants this parole; it is yours"
That doesn't matter. Even though
may have suggested it, the general is
still the one to act. In order that you
may understand his generosity, must
remind you that the ordinary course to
pursue in the case of a spy caught us
you have been is to try him by drum
head court-martial and hang him at
sunrise the day after trial"
rs that the way it's done?" she
| asked, blanching.
at isl
What am to do?"
| l sat down at the table and wrote:
II, Margaret Beach, in consideration
of being relieved from confinement I'M
der guard, promise not to aid the con
federate cause or attempt to escape"
She seized the paper eagerly, read it,
and signed it with impatient haste.
Her action impressed me with the sus-
| picion that she only wished to get
chance to save herself by fight. But
| had gone too far in the matter to re-
| treat; indeed, were it not that shrank
from her disgrace, l would have hoped
she would go. took the paper to the
| general, who declined to read it.
AS 1 turned to leave him 1 remem-
bered that had had no opportunity to
speak OF having again seen the face at
| the window.
General, a little circumstance oc-
Cured to-day which suppose should
report"
What is itP'
II saw that face again"
"When?"
During the fight got turned
round
WAS it your horse that was turned,
or is it your head that is turned?'
'Igot turned round, y went on, color
ing, but REFRESHING my anger, land,
looking up at the house, saw the face"
Indeed"
In the single word he contrived to
throw a world of irony. you have not
told me-" he added, whether this face
belonged to an old man, a young man,
or boy"
ITO tell the truth, general, couldn't
tell you whether it was man or woman"
There was curl of the lip that would
have made me insubordinate had /
dared to be SO. Lieutenant" he said,
have you ever had any severe illness?"
| NO, general
ANY accident? Did you ever fall
from your horse and light on the top OF
| your head?"
"No GENERAL :"
SWELL, if hear any more of that face
| III send you north on an indefinite
leave to recover your health in gov
| eminent hospital You may CO."
| | turned and left him. For the first
time it occurred to me that perhaps,
| after all, the face at the window might
be the creation of my own fancy.
l selected good man and directed
him TO occupy the room had slept in on
the night of our arrival at the planta-
ton. He was to go there after all were
asleep and remain awake all night If
| anything unusual occurred he was to
call me. chose room on the second
floor, and, after the house was still,
| went upstairs and to bed.
My room was at the front of the
house. L could hear the burial parties
still at work, and see through window
the flare of the torches on the leaves of
the trees. The mystery of Margaret
Beach, the uncertainty of her fate, had
| by this time SO excited my brain that
could not sleep. No sooner would j
drop off than volley outside would
awaken me, and the knowledge that it
was fired over some poor fellows grave
was by no means conducive to the re-
turn of slumber. However, oblivion
came at last.
AT midnight l was brought back to
consciousness by the man had placed
below, standing over me with lighted
candle.
Lieutenant"
'Well?"
THE young girl has gone"
"Where?"
"Out of the door; out of the gate;
away from the plantation"
/ rubbed my eyes and glared at the
man standing beside my bed
"She slipped away with the tread of a
eat, SIR"
Did you stop her?"
No; l had no ORDERS"
"You were right
is that all, sir?"
Yes; you may go to bed"
My first feeling was one of Joy that
Margaret had fled, my second one of
regret that she should have broken her
parole.
There was no more sleep for me that
night l tossed and tumbled till morn
ing, and during the long hours but one
subject occupied my excited brain. 1t
was Margaret Beach
VI.
SUDDEN CHANGES.
/ rose from nv bed the next mornfn