The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-10-02
,rcn y" said Jack impatIently.

fresh addition to my distress. Even
with n perfect understanding between
me and the others my burden was hard
enough TO bear Jacks taunt well nigh
turned the scale. Bending to the cliff.
buried my face In my hands. A soft
hand was laid on mine. Helen was en-
dea vorlng to uncover my face. | turn.
ed and met her gaze-strong. tender
sympathetic
Your life Is not yours to surrender
You must walt til II Ia forced from
you"
81 would be unworthy of your sub
lime devotion should accept any fur
thcr sacrifice. especially since II can be
of no avail"
"By giving up now you would turn
all our efforts to nothing. We shall
have made n failure that will remain
an eternal burden"
at will be light compared with my
self condemnation when | see you die
with me-"
BY this time Jack had seized my 9th
er hand with both of hers.
"Yo' can't go. Yo' mustn't think of
II. What would we do without yo'T
cease trying to make coward OF
me-" cried, "or ! shall 90 madg
sprang toward the rampant.
"Stopw cried Helen imperntively. II
own your life to dispose Of ns | will
and Jack. Had 1t not been for me you
would have bled to death when you
received your wound. Had II not been
for Jack you would have already been
murdered by the guerrillns."
"Yes, and am not so base as to pull
my benefactors down with me. Stand
aside"
"IIarkw
Jack spoke the word In her quick
way. poislng her head on one side to
listen. She had heard low whistle
In another moment II was repeated,
seeming to come from below, where we
had built our bonfire. A figure was ad-
yancing through the gloom, holding
aloft white handkerchief. Jumped
from the rampant and ran down to
meet this flag" which soon saw was
borne by Captain Rlngold.
"What do you wantT"
Don't let your women come into our
camp again. Jaycox is back and lie
and Halliday have got the upper hand.
I'm powerless."
"Will your men let the women go II
| give myself up"
"No; stay with them to the last"
"One word more"
hau tnt
away. and II am missed and it's
known where | have been I'll be dead
man."
He was gone before the last word
was spoken. returned to the fortress.
"What Is It" cried Jack eXpectantly.
"Hc has lost the power to protect
you. lie advises me to stay with you
to the last"
"Will your
"Yes," replied. with a sigh.
"Thank God" exclaimed Helen.
Another night of horror; n rising sun,
flooding the face of the rocks and our
wan fnces with n ruddy glow. A more
wretched lot of beings could not be
found among castawnys at sea. We
had not slept during the night. for
: whatever of rest had come to any of us
had been rather stupor than sleep. Our
cheeks We're sunken; our eyes, deep In
+ their sockets. were turned toward the
red orb of day. which to our fevered
/ imaglnations seemed to be advancing
to strike the final blow.
] A great change had come over us
/ during the night Jack alternated be-
tween bursts of passion and n devil
may care spirit. sprinkled with humor-
Gus sallies between tears and smiles
which served to tighten momentarily
the gloom for the others, but only rem
dered me more wretched; Buck craved
food more than all the rest and after q
few vain efforts to appear unconcerned
took on CHASTITY look that cut me tc
the heart; Ginger spent great deal OF
his time In prayer; Helen seemed calm
yet noticed n strange look In her eye
Up to this terrible morning she had
been the mainstay Of the party. I'm
der the strain that smoldering fire.
which burned within her fared oml
nously. Turning to me. she asked
harshly:
"Are you Confederate or are you a
Yankce?"
what matters II nowT
81 came to save you, understanding
you to be n Confederate"
"Would you abandon me now II 20,
knew me to be Union manT
She turned away. and saw that sh,
was weeping. put my arm about he
and drew her head down on my breast
There she wept long and silently
Whether she was unconscious OF wha
she did or whether her sufferlngs mad
her careless did not know. but as
felt her heart beating against mine
was conscious Of the birth Of a new
love-
AS the sun rose higher II beat dow
upon us with all the enervatlng heat o
an unreasonable day. The water drip
ping back of us alone sustained an,
refreshed us. One by one we would &
to the cleft and standing under th