The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-01-12

CS.
"What are you doing there?"
"You and / must lay our plans to-
gether. | gained the roof from my
window and came here to talk with
you"
BY this time she had mounted the
steps.
"Go away at once"
ave must consult"
ave can do nothing. Go away"
Margaret, some one is with you. l
heard Whispering"
She was silent few moments, then
said "Will you keep a secretP"
81 will"
at might conflict with your duty"
margaret, my having heard the
whispers will conflict with my duty as
much as if had your entire confidence.
Let me be the Judge of what | ought
to do. with full knowledge of all these
mysteries"
wait"
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. | did so, and
Margaret led me to the window,
through which shone the moon, and by
it's pale light / saw on either side of
the easement 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.
lie may keep our secret or inform on
us, as he chooses"
Georgia's eyes were turned on mine
with a deep pleading as she said: you
won't betray Harold, will your"
| 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 un-
used chimney opening into the room in
which he was hiding. Georgia through
a 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 n 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
resuming his uniform, was making his
way southwark when he was taken ill.,
Being near home, he sought refuge
with his mother and sisters, reaching
the plantation but n 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 q searching party coming
up the stairs, Harold escaped through
NIC lluBt CllllbId hONl u VI i'm Nlllli-
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 10 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
l caught her. Learning that the of
ficer who had made the drawing was
in the neighborhood in command of a
| confederate force, she eagerly accepted
my proposition of n 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. | interrupted Margaret's
narrative at his point to eXclaim:
Maj. Bernal Berante2"
"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
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
a great relief to me, though l was
obliged to confess to myself that the
danger threatening this unfortunate
family was not whit lessened by the
newly acquired knowledge. l had come
to consult with Margaret, but there was
something in the person of Georgia.
delicate oval face, liquid black eyes,