The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1900-11-24

him. One or two officers had already
stepped out of their rooms, and were
standing upon the Neranda, another
had halted In the path. Then one
with his cap and sword in his hand and
ran lightly toward the guard house. A
slight cracking noise seemed to come
from beyond the garden wall.
What's up?" said Hooker, with star
ing eyes.
picket firing"
The cracking suddenly became a
long rattle. Brant de-entered the
room, and picked up his hat.
You'll excuse me for a few mo-
ments?!
A hollow sound shook the house.
What's that??" gasped Hooker.
Cannon"
CHAPTER y.
In another instant bugles We're ring
Ing through the camp. with the hurry
ing mass of mounted officers and the
tramping of forming men. The house
itself was almost deserted. Although
that single cannon shot had been Gre
ated to prove that it was not mere
sktrminshing of pickets; Brant still did
not believ In any serious attack of the
enemy. Els position, as in the previous
engagement. had no strategic impor-
lance to them. They We're Ito doubt
only making a feint against his posi-
ton to conceal some advance upon the
center of the army a mile or two away:
Satisfied that he was In easy supports
ing distance of the division command
er, he extended his ines along the ridge
ready TO fall back in that direction
while retarding the advance and mask
Ing the movements of his chief. He
gave a few orders necessary to the
probable abandonment of the house.
n then returned to It. Shot and shell
were already dropping in the field be-
low. A thin ridge of blue haze sheathea
the lire of skirmish fire. A small conf
cal white cloud, like a bursting cotton
pod. revealed an opened battery in the
willow-fringed meadow. Yet the pas
toral peacefulness of the house was un.
changed. The afternoon sun lay softly
on its deep verandas; the pot pourri in
cense of fallen rose leaves haunted IL
stu.
He entered his room through the
French window in the reranda, when
the door leading from the passage was
suddenly flung open, and Miss Faux
ner swept quickly inside. closed the
door behind her and leaned back heav-
lily against ~it-panting and GREATNESS.
Clarence was startled, and for a mo-
ment shamed. He suddenly realized
that in the excitement he had entirely
forgotten her and the dangers to which
she might be exposed. She had prob
ably heard the firing, her womanly
fears had been awakened: she had come
to him for protection. But as he turned
toward her with u reassuring smile, he
was shocked to see that her agitation
and pailor We're far beyond II phyis-
icai fear. She motioned him Desperate
~ to shut the window by which he had
entered, and said With White lips:
mlSt sneak with yp,, alopa..s -
Certainly. But there is no ilnmedi-
ate danger TO you Y here-and / a
soon put you beyond the reach of II
possible harn.''
Harm me! God. If it were only
that"
He stared at her ~uneasily.
Listen she said, gasping. listen
to me! Then hate. despise me-kill me
If you will. For o are betrayed and
ruined-cut off and surrounded! 1t has
been helped on by me, but l swear to
you the blow did not come from my
hand! l would have saved you. God
knows how it hapepned-it was fate."
In an instant Brant saw it's truth in
stinctively and clearly. But with the
revelation came thai wonderful calm
ness and perfect self-possession which
never yet had failed him in any emer-
gcncy. With the sound of the increas-
ing cannonade and its shifting position
made clearer to his ears, the View of
his whole threatened position spread
out like a map before his eyes. the
swift calculation of the time of his
men could hold the ridge. in his mind
even the hurried estimate OF the prec-
ious moments he could give to the
wrecked woman before him-all his he
was keenly alive to as he gravely. even
gently, led her to a chair, and said in q
critical and level voice:
s.r1hjS {cW ~, - r. E-,z
plainly. l must know everything. How
and in what way have you betrayed
me?'
She looked at him imploringly-re-
assured. yet awed by his gentleness.
You won't believe me! You cannot
believe me! But l do not even know; I
have taken and exchanged letters
whose contents / lever saw-between
the confederates and a spy who comes
to this house-but who Is far AWAY
by this time. I did it because 1 thought
you hated and despised me, because I
thought 1T was my duty to help nv
cause. because you said it was war,
between us, but I have spted on o I
swear it,"
Then how do you know of this at
tack?" he said, camly.
She frightened, half timidly halls
hopefully. There is a window in the
wing of this house that ovcrlooks the
slope near the confederate lines. There
was a signal placed in it-not by me
but / knew it meant that as long as it
was there h plot, whatever It was.
was not ripe, n that no attack would
be made on Q a. long as 1t was Wis
ible. That much I knew. that much
the spy had to tell me, FOR we both had
to guard that room in turns. / wanted
to keep this dreaful thing off until
until" her voice trembiad-"until,"
she added hurriedly. seeing his calm
eyes were reading her very soul, "un-
til / went away, n for that purpose
Withheld some of the letters that
We're given ME. But this morning,
while 1 was away from the house, /
looked back and saw that the signal
was no longer there. Some one had
changed 1t. / ran back. but l was too
late, God help me, as you see!"
The truth flashed upon Brant. 1t
was his own a n that had precipi-
tated the attack! But a larger truth
came to him now. like a dazzling In
spiration. Ii he had thus p%recipitated
the attack before it was ripe, there was
q. chance that 1t was imperfect, and
there was still hope. But there la no
trace3of this visible in his face, az Ne
fixed his eyes calmly on hers, although
his pulses were hating in expectancy
as he said:
Then the spy suspected you and
changed 1t"
20, not" she said, gently. for the