The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-05-22

ANYTHING to me, but, her work done,
took her stool again and sat down at the
corner of the hearthstone, leaning her
head against the wall Of the chimney
and gazing into the dying fire.
The last log was smoldering on the
hearth and threw but feeble light. I
blew out the candle, thinking we might
need it in case our enemies made any
hostile movement, and the darkness
gathered at once in half the room, only
dim light showing as a fringe to the
fire.
It think you'd better go to Sleep" I
said to the girl. Tt is always well to
save ones strength, and now is chance
for rest -
'And you?''
81 don't need any sleep. I'll stay at
the window and watch. %
"But you need rest as well as 10
"Why do you bother yourself about
villainous rebel who is going to be
hanged anyway by his justly angry
king?''
Il wish you would stop talking that
way
Her tone was rather plaintive. On
a,ubtedly she was tired and worn by
an1ieties, and I obeyed her request I
made her wrap her cloak around her,
and, though she declared stoutly that
she would not go to sleep, merely wish
ing to. lean her head against the wall
and rest, her eyelids dropped and fell.
and in two minutes she was asleep.
The fire sank lower, eating its way
along the log until only few inches Of
wood were left The girl slept soundly.
The curve of the chimney irao the wall
formed kind Of nook, and her head
and shoulders rested easily there like a
picture framed against the rough logs,
which were upholstered and not even
smoothly hewn. I trusted that she
would sleep the night through, and as
the fire sank lower and lower and the
darkness crept up to the hearthstone,
almost hiding her figure, the stiffness
of midnight came, and could hear her
regular breathing in the dead silence.
went back to the window. The fire
of the British faced it, and could see
that three of the men had lain down
and gone to sleep. The other two were
sitting up, weapons at hand, and l infer
red that they had been detailed as senti-
nels, though their lazy attitudes showed
well enough that it was a job they did
not like. For all could tell at the dis
tance, these men. too. might be asleep
sitting.
I watched them for half hour or
more and grew very tired Of the bust
ness. The brightness Of the moonlight
had eliminated, and the earth lost its
silver tint, shading into dark, dull
gray. The figures OF our besiegers grew
shadowy and shapeless It was time
for sleep, and felt it in all my bones.
A trooper doesn't ask much. If | could
have taken my blanket and put myself
down on a reasonably smooth piece Of
turf under the shade Of a tree, with the
certainty that no enemy would waken
me. it would have been sufficient for
me. l would have slept the sleep of the
just or the tired unjust, which is often
as good.
I drew the old pine box up to the
window and sat on it, resolved to listen,
now that was tired of looking. l Won
dered what had become of Old Put, the
man slayer, and tried to discover why |
had been such fool as to distrust him
even for a moment.
Thus musing, discovered that tie
fire had gone out; that could see moth
ing-in fact, that the room was pitchy
dark. opened my eyes remembering
that all things must be dark to a man
with his eyes shut, and saw again the
Pickering fire and the figure of the girl
half reclining in the chimney corner
This would never do. was the whole
army-horse, foot, artillery and baggage
wagons, commander in chief, colonel,
captains and lrivates-and we could
never so to sleep all at once. under
took to walk briskly around the room in
order to stir my sluggish blood into
watchfulness, but that would wake the
girl, and did not want to do such
cruel thing. l stopped in front of her
and looked at her face attentively.
Asleep she did not look at all the spit
FIRE she was awake. Mingled with her
beauty now was a certain wanness, a
something that was pathetic, look
that appealed to a man for protection
and strength. After all, she was but a
girl, and why should care for the bit
ter things she said when probably half
the time she said them she was sorry:
went back to the window and looked
out once more The besieging army was
taking it's comfort The part which had
stretched itself on the ground remained
stretched, and the part which watched
sagged more than ever toward the hori-
zontal. 1t was a lazy army, that was
evident, and resolved that l would set
it an example Of superiority.
Having made these brave resolutions,
I sat down on the stool and leaned my
head once more against the wall, not be-