The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-05-28
Laurens Advertiser
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A Maid of Old
Dominion Days.,

up the grey walls, and around the
jewel-like panes of the mullioned win
dows, winding about the stately col
that guarded the portals of
Gordon Hall. The peace of the coun-
try Sabbath had laid its hand upon the
quiet daily come and go; a quiet that
brought every far off moving thing
very near, in the rustic of a mighty
silence.
Mistress Esther Gordon came slowly
down the broad winding stairs. The
light from. the great oriel window
above her head, shafting down into the
gloom below, played a quivering halo
of golden notes about the fair young
head. In the dark setting of the old
hall the dainty figure shown out as
some royal dame stepped down from a
Romney picture, the blue brocade cut
away from the firm white throat, where
the pearls rose and fell amid the foam
of lace, and the small feet clad in the
hlgh-heeled satin shoes.
-Four" booms the clock that
towers above her head, and if in
answer, the thud of gallop. hoofs
came up the venue Lans. had
been true to his tryst, allhoug. just
across the river lay the army of Corn
wallis and the hall of the pickets could
be heard in the clear evening air.
There was scarce an instant's pause,
ere the riders spurred heel rang on the
stone step and Lansing strobe down
the length of the long hall. A goodly
man, this young Continental, albeit the
buff and blue were a trifle tattered and
faded, the eyes were bright, and the
stalwart form carried a lithes that
betrayed even more than IT,, lged
cheek, the good red blood of Pc, hatan.
The Romney picture awoke, and Mis-
tress Esther the sweet face all aglow,
held out her two white hands.
You foolish boy,' but there is no
Gliding n the lovely eyes-and then his
grave face brought the question to her
lips. Before she could voice it the
faint sound of a distant bugle rang
across the river. Lansing sprang TO
his feet. "There they arel Hide me
Esther, for the love ofthe sweet saints,
hide mel 1t Is the Kings troopersl"
Over Esther Gordon's face a white
ness went. Between lover and King
lay the choice of a moment, but before
that tribunal where IA wOnian's verdict
ls f0re-ordained. A moment later,
and Mistress Esther's own little page
was speeding the great red roam to a
hiding place in the swamp, and Mis-
tress Esther, herself, was fitting a key
tothe high carved clock that lowered on
the stair. To and fro swung the great
round disc of the pendulum, and the
hands were pointing to ten minutes
mot fNbr yyhnr IN ,,, a, ltA
of accoutrements in the emu warned
them of the danger close at hand.
Mistress Esther closed the case and
hid the key among the laces about her
white throat. One little foot was
poised on the last step of the stair, as
the Captain entered the door, his
glitter of gold lace on the Kings scar
let lighting up the gloom where the
sun.rays failed'to penetrate. He bow
ed low, as Mistress Esther advanced to
meet. him, and. the ungloved hand,
ha~lf-doubtingly held out to her, was
white as a woman's for Capt. John Will
loughhy, o fMy Lord CORVALLIS favor
tie regiment, was versed far better
in the lore of courts thar in the tactics
of these wild ~colonists, who fought as
Indians, from tree to tree, rather than
as well-trained troops, standing
up to be killed in the open. There was
an instant's embarrassment, as he halt.
ed and stumbled through the unwel-
come duty OF announcing his Grand.
Mistress Esther, L am forced to
commit the indignlty of asking your
permission to search the Hall. Believe
me the loyalty of your house is un-
questioned by my Lord CORVALLIS, as
well as your humblest admirer," and
here he bowed very low, " but we have
tracked one of the rebels straight to
this mansion, and TO satisfy evil
tongues it were we'll to search, though
it be a mere matter of form"
Mistress Esther cOurtesled low.
"Capt. Willoughby, there need be no
apology, no hesitation in this matter of
your duty. A Gordon is ever a Kings
man, and it were we'll to set an ex-
ample of moral as we'll as physical sac
riiice in these times of d~isaffectlon, if
80 be it benefit the cause. MY doors
are open to your men, bid them search;
search we'll, that Gordon's roof hide no
traitor to his Majesty" UP the stairs,
and down other stairs, through the
rambling garrets, and into holes where
scarce a mouse could hide. deep into
the cavernous cellars went King
Georges men, but never so much as a
coat-tail of the hated blue and buff
could the most dillgent spy. Mistress
Esther herself peered down the cellar
stairs and bade them search well, lest
the rebel should disturb her household
IN the midnight hour.
1t was well done. No tremor of the
soft white hands that poured the rare
red wine for the Captain, and as the
shadows grew soft and the gray time
stole over the land, Mistress Els.
ther paced by his side up and down the
long hall, while he spoke of his home
over the sea, and the old mother that
wrote such p%itiful, loving letters to her
boy in this far-off savage land. He
told her of the wide moors, where the
purple heather bloomed, of the grim
old castle that frowned across the
smiling land, from the day of "Bluff
nal" and all the goodly heritage that
but waited to claim her mistress. There
was good cheer in the kitchens of
Gordon Hall, where the servants feast
ed the troopers, and the Troy songs
rang loud above the ale cups, aud there
was something more i'm the long hall.