Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-08-04

to my plan-and waited for her reply.
She stood for awhile looking down at
the floor in deep meditation.
ut is not the generals magnanimity
that grants this parole; it is yours"
THAT doesn't matter. Even though
l 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 spy caught as
you have been is to try him by drum
head court-martial and hang him at
sunrise the day after trial"
us that the way it's done?" she
asked, blanching.
"It Is"
what am to do?"
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 1t,
and signed 1t with impatient haste.
Her action impressed me with the sus-
picion that she only wished to get
chance to save herself by flight. But I
had gone too far in the matter to re-
treat; indeed, were 1t not that shrank
from her disgrace, would have hoped
she would go. took the paper to the
general, who declined to readi 1t.
AS turned to leave him remem-
bered that had had no opportunity to
speak of having again seen the face at
the window.
General, little circumstance oc-
CURED to-day which suppose should
report" ;. :,
II saw that face again."
"When?
During the fight got turned
round"
"Was 1t your horse that was turned,
or is 1t your head that is turned?"
II got turned round" I went on, color
ing. but depressing my anger, land,
looking up at the house, saw the face"
"Indeed!"
In the single word he contrived to
throw world of irony. "You have not
told me-" he added, whether this face
belonged to an old man, a young man,
or boy"
TO 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? 2"
"No, general"
"Any accident? Did you ever fall
from your horse and light on the top OF
your head?"
mo, general
"Well, if hear any more of that face
I'll send you north on an indefinite
leave to recover tur health in gov
eminent hospital. You may CO."
turned and left him. For the first
time 1t occurred to me that perhaps,
after all, the face at the window might
be the creation of my own fancy.
selected good man and directed
him to occupy the room I 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. I 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. 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
drop off than a 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 was brought back to
consciousness by the man had placed
below, standing over me with lighted
candle.
"Lieutenant!"
"Well?"
1.-THE young girl has gone"
where 2"
"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
cat, sir"
did you stop her?"
No; had no orders"
"You were right"
us 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. tossed and tumbled till morn
ing, and during the long hours but one
subject occupied my excited brain. Ii
was Margaret Beach.
To be continued