The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-03-04

found the spot, looking like knot in
the wood, which concealed the spring.
Frank, visiting the house as boy,
had often leased Polly about her secret
chamber, and, like her brothers, had
begged vainly to be shown .L.e spring;
but it had passed from his mind until
now, when, opening the closet, she
pressed back the panel and showed hira
the cuddy as place of refuge. A mo-
ment more and the panel shot back into
place; the closet door was shut, and he
heard her quick footsteps flying down.
stairs.
Polly found two United States officers
in the hall downstairs talking to NAM
my, who was barefacedly declaring that
there was no one in the house but her
mistress, her young mistress and her.
self.
AS Polly entered the lieutenant in
command of the squad turned to her.
"Good afternoon, missy. We have rea-
son to believe that the notorious scout
and spy, Twyneman, is in this house.
We captured his horse down there in
inc ousues, uHu VIC huse ScoiSA tHe
house.
Polly paled, but she answered, steadi-
II: "Of course you can do so if you
choose, but you will find nobody hereI
May I ask you to make no unnecessary
noise; my mother is i'll, and 1 don't want
her frightened. Nanny, 60 stay with
her, please"
But NANNY stood her ground. mo,
chile, tole her dey was comm, an she
tole me TO stay wild you."
The searching party indoors looked
in every room, in wardrobes, closets,
under beds, everywhere that a cat
might hide, while outside their COM
rades kept guard over doors and VIM
dows. Polly's closet was opened wide,
among the others, but the presence of
the panel was not suspected, and she
kept her face as immovable as that of
the sphinx. Once she flared up. "This
is an outrage, sir!" she said, when she
found that her mothers room was to be
searched. sour orders are imperative"
answered the lieutenant, calmly. "Boys,
stay outside. Excuse me, madam, but
we are looking for Twyneman, and can
not leave any possible hiding place un-
searched"
every WE'LL" answered Mrs. Cunning
ham, rising to her feet in spite of the
binding pain. "When you are sure that
he is not on the lounge should like
to lie down again. BE quiet, Polly;
don't you know they are only doing
their duty?" and so the soldiers with
drew. baffled and disappointed.
HE has got of, somehow, boys; but I
believe he was in the house, all the
same. He's as slippery as an eel, that
fellow" said the lieutenant, as they
walked to their horses. But they rode
away, going in two or three different
directions. as though to pursue the
fugitive.
When they were out Of sight Polly re-
leased the imprisoned scout, and led
him to her mothers room, where Mrs.
Cunningham, in spite of her aching
nerves, insisted upon seeing him, and
hearing in person all he could tell of
her loved ones.
They we're still talking together, and
Polly was writing letter to her father.
when Mrs. Cunningham's ears, sharp
ened by pain, heard horses feet and
voices outside. 'Hark!" she said, and
almost on the instant the soldiers were
inside the house.
Therewas no time to get to the closet;
whether or no the searching party had
left one of their number behind, who
had noiselessly admitted them, they
never knew, but it was plain that the
soldiers were coming upstairs. Thyme
man took a package from his pocket
and was handing Il TO Polly. "Dis-
patches" he whispered.
"No, no." she breathed; "quick-my
room, back there-the rocf."
He understood her. II was the old
part of the house, and the roof of the
veranda came up under the caves of the
sloping roof. There was a wooden
trough at the edge which did duty as
gutter, and caves and gutter together
extended out for perhaps IL inches.
He had used it as hiding place many
a time in games of hide and seek. He
was slender and il was dusk now; any
way, the chance was worth trying. and.
in less time than it takes to tel, it, he
had darted across the hall, into folly's
room and out of the window, before the
enemy had reached the head OF the
staircase; luckily the front one.
Nanny was heard protesting as they
came up. Dat Frank Twyneman? Yes,
sab, don't like him nohow; never
did, an wish you could ketch him. so
does, but he ain here as / knows on,
deed he amt"
Polly met them as they came up. cam
die in hand, holding the light so that
her shadow fell darkly along the hall,