Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-12-15
CLARENCE
BY BRET HARTE.

- NaNa AS - III
which,h he remembered gave egress up
on the veranda o But it was still
closed, n as he approached the bed
he saw his wife still lying there In the
attitude In which he had left her. But
her eyes were hinged and slightly Aim
ed. as IL with recent tears.
1t was, perhaps, this circumstance
that softened his voice, still harsh
with command, as he said:
Il suppose you know those two
men?'
Yes"
And that / have put 1t out Of their
power to help your"
81 do"
There was something so strangely
submissive in her voice hat he again
looked suspiciously at her. But he was
shocked to see that she was quite pale
now, and that the fire Ia gone out OF
her dark eyes.
Then / may tell you my own-and
the only-plan to a " you. But first
we must find this mulatto woman who
has acted as you double"
she is here
"Here?'
Yes"
How do you know it?' he asked, in
quick suspicion.
She was not to leave this place un-
til she knew l was safe within our
lines. / have some friends who are
faithful to me- After a pause she
added: she has been here already"
He looked at her, startled. 'Impos-
sible-I--"
You locked the door. Yes, but she
has a second key. And even If she Ia
not there is another entrance from
that closet. You do not know this
house; you have been here two weeks;
| spent two years Of my life, as a girl,
In this room"
An indescribable sensation came over
him; he remembered how he had felt
when he first occupied it; this was fol-
lowed by a keen sense OF shame on re-
flecting that he had been, ever since,
but a helpless puppet in h power OF
his enemies, and that she could have
escaped IL she would, even now.
Perhaps" he said, grimly, you
have already arranged your plans"
She looked at him with a singular re-
proachfulness even In her submission.
II have only told her to be ready TO
change clothes with me and help me
color my face and hands at the time
appointed. | have left the rest to you"
Then this Is my plan. / have
changed only a detail. You and she
must both leave this house at the same
time, by different exits, and one OF
them must be private-and unknown to
my men. Do you know of such a one ?"
Yes" she said, beside the negro
quarter"
Good" he replied. That will be
your way out. She will leave here
publicly, through the quarters, armed
with a pass from me. She will be over
hauled n challenged by the first sem
try, near the guard house, below the
wall. h will be subjected to some de-
lay and scrutiny, which she will, how
ever, be able to BASS better han you
would. This will create the m
tary diversion hat we require. In the
meantime, you will have left the house
by the wing, and you will then keep In
the shadow of the hedge until you can
drop down along the run, where 1t
empties into the swamp. That" he
continued. fixing his keen eyes upon
her, is the weak point in the position
Of this place, that is neither overlooked
nor defended. But, perhaps" he add
ed again, grimly, you already know
it,"
1T is the marsh where the flowers
grow, near the path where you met
Miss Faulkner. ! had crossed the
marsh to give her a letter" she said
slowly.
A bitter smile came over Brant's
face, but passed as quickly.
Enough" he said, quietly, II will
meet you beside the run n cross the
marsh with you until you are within
hailing distance Of your ines. i will
be in plain clothes, Alice" he went on.
slowly, for it will not be the COM
mander Of this force who accompanies
you, but your husband, and, without
disgracing his uniform, he will at least
be your equal, for the instant he passes
his own lines, in disguise, he will be-
pOma life UniI "a gnU and hla IN
it's penalties"
Her eyes seemed suddenly to leap up
to his with that strange look of awak-
ening and enthusiasm which he had
noted before. And In its complete pre-
possession of all her instincts she rose
from the bed unheeding her barred
arms and shoulders and loosened hair,
and stood upright before him. For en-
instant, husband and wife stood beside
each other, as u~nreservedly as in the
nuptial parlor Of Robes.
when shall / go?"
He glanced through the window, al
ready growing lighter with the coming
dawn. The relief would pass In a few
minutes, and the time seemed propi-
tious. Eat once" he said. Il will send
Rose first"
His wife had already passed into the
exit and was tapping upon some in
ner door. He heard the sound Of
hinges turning and the rustling Of gar
ments. She ~reappeared, holding the
curtains of the closet together with
her hand and said: GO. When she
comes to your office for the pass, you
will know that / have gone"
He turned away. "Stop!" she said
family.
He turned back. Her expression had
again changed. Her face was deadly
pale; a strange tremor seemed to have
taken possession of her. She dropped
the curtain. Her beautiful arms moved
slightly forward; it seemed to him that
she would in the mex moment have ex-
tended both her hands. But ever then
she said hurriedly: Go! Col" and
slipped again behind the curtain.
He quickly descended the stairs as
the sound of trampling feet on the
road and the hurried word of COM
mand announced the return Of the
scouting party. The officer had little
report to make, beyond the fact that
q morning mist, creeping along the
valley, prevented any further observa-
ton, and bade fair to interrupt their
own communications with the camp.
Everything was quiet In the west, al
though the enemy's lines along the
ridge seemed to have receded.
Brant had listened impatiently, for a
new Idea had seized him. Hooker was
Of the party, and was the one man in
the party in whom he could partly con-
fde and obtain q disguise. He at once
made his way to the commissary wag-
ons, one of which he knew Hooker
used as a tent. Hastily telling him
that he wished to visit the pickets
without recognition, he induced him to
lend him his slouched hat and frock
coat, leaving with him his own dis
tinguishing tunic, hat and sword. He
resisted the belt and pistols which
Hooker would have forced upon him.
AS he left the WACO he was half
amusedly conscious that his old COM
panion was Enthusiastically examin-
ing the garments he had left behind