The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-08-14

without any one suspecting you were
going on my accountT'
well. now, why don't yo' give me
sometn hard?'
"Go and get me newspaper or nn
almanac
lie was out of the room and back In
moment with n Huntsville paper of
that mornings issue. scanned its
columns before looking ut the date aud
noticed this item:
The main body Of the Yankees are marching
from Nashville TO Columbia en- route. II is sup.
posed to pittsburg Landing, where they will
doubtless Join the Federal General Grant.
Looking at the heading, | saw that
the date was the LIST of April.
"Now. Buck" ! said, get out your
pony; then come to me for lnstruc-
tions."
Look n-hyar. Mr.. Brandy Brandy
stone
"Branderstane."
"Well. Mr.. Brandinstane, II yo' got
any 'structions reckon yo' better give
'em to me now. Mcbbe If | come back
hyar that doggone ole Llb'll come In an
yank me out"
you're right Reach me that sheet
that thin one; now pencil All right.
Don't say word till | have finished
| wrote n message In ns iniinitpsinInl
characters as was al,c ON IA third of
n sheet of paper:
Machine shops at Huntsville In good order. Fiji
teen 10 20 locomotives Nearly a hundred cars.
No force In the town. TO the east road runs
parallel with and near the pike for several miles
and is handy to cut To the west party to cut
the road must pass round the city ON the north.
Enemy gathering all possible forces at Pittshurg
Landing, but several thousand men at Chuta
nooga.
| put neither address nor signature to
1t, as none was necessary, aud they
would be conclusive evidence against
me II the message should fall into the
wrong hands.
Buck" l said, mount your pony
and ride to Huntsville. A few min.
utes before IL o'clock go into the Hunts
vile hotel; you know-the big brick
house on the square. Go up stairs and
out on the front gallery. AT II O'Clock
man with black eyes. long hair and
n pointed beard will walk out on the
gallery. Don't say anything to him.
Wait. and after awhile he'll say some.
thing to you"
"Will hc?" asked the boy. his eyes
full of wonder. "What'll he sayY
"Hell say. It's n fine day."
"What II It's ralnin?"
Eyes; rain or shine, II he's the man
you want. he'll say. It's fine day
Then you must say. Reckon you're
weather wise. stranger TO that he'll
reply by asking you what kind Of
weather It was the day of the massa-
Gre"
"What massacre? What's massa
cre?"
''Ncver mind that. Stick to the les.
son I'm teaching you. You must say
Black as night Then he'll say
whats the wordY and you can hand
him this note. Now. suppose I'm the
man with the pointed beard and you
60 through the dialogue with me-"
put him through his lesson till he
had learned 1t perfectly. Then sent
him away with the injunction that. in
case anything should go wrong with
him. rather than part with the paper he
was to swallow 1t. rolled 1t into
ball and put 1t into the lining OF his
hat. Giving his little hand squeeze.
! bade him go. and he marched ont as
proudly as II he had been appointed
military governor of Alabama. | had
no doubt he would execute his mission
to the best of his ability. but he was
very young. and feared he would
make some blunder.
"What fool am" exclaimed as
soon as he was gone. II should have
failed to communicate rather than in
trust SO important matter TO boy.
However. I'll leave here tomorrow
morning. and. II my message mis-
carries. by the time it's discovered I'll
be somewhere else"
Helen came in soon after Bucks de.
parture and began to set the room 10
rights She attended to her work 81.
leptly and did not even look at me.
] watched her as she moved about. ar.
ranging a curtain here. moving chair
there or plling books on the table more
neatly. She was true type of Il
southern woman-tall. willowy. head
set on her shoulders in way to make
al artist involuntarily reach for a
brush. Her hair and eyes were rs
black as night, while on her cheeks was
bright color There was something
on her mind. could see that plainly.
I fancled II gave her time 1t would
come out. At last she dropped her
work and stood locking out Of the Win
dow.
"What are yen thinking aboutT
asked. going at the subject with
hrnsnue directrcsr
''The man you came to Alabama to