The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-07-18
AS LIZALOVED
THE KING"
BY Curran r. Greenley
Copyright. lse, by the
S. s. Mcclure Company


3 Copyright. laoe. by the o
g S. s. Mcclure Company q
600 oooo ooco oooo ooco ocS
The old red brick mansion stood up
primly. its harsh outlines of uncompro-
missing squareness haH hidden by a
riot of Gueider roses that climbed and
threw long green arms Of loveliness
around the small diamond panes Of the
windows. A straight box bordered path
led down to the gate through an ave
nue. Of beeches where the sunlight fell
In lance riffs down upon the blue grass
fresh with the green Of May-Alaytime
in odd Kentucky in the year Of our Lord
1893. Beyond the rustic gate broad.
white road ran from east to west
Those were strange professions that
wound along the great highroad. the
artery Of trade from the east over the
Alleghanies to Kentucky and the south
ern country that lay beyond in the gate
way Of the wiIderness-iong trains OF
white covered wagons filed with a
medley Of women, children, household
goods, with their escorts Of staiwart
men on horseback Already the hegira
to the west had commenced. often q
tribe Of Choctaws bound for the wig
wan Of the great father. grim. dusk
faces under nodding plumes. animated
bundles, with smaller bundles bound to
their backs. astride Of the ponies. silent
as ghosts. and passing. always passing.
up the long white road
Twice each day. with the long tan
fara-ra-ra Of the bueIes and the rattle
os whip and hoof, came the stagecoach.
q Hash Of color from east to west. and
again the quiet Of earth and sky.
Over the hills, whose dim. blue line
encompassci her world around. the
childs heart went each day with the
dying echo Of hoof and bugle; over
the hills. where the gold lights Of sun
set kissed the pink limestone cliffs.
Frightening to emerald green the tufts
Of maidenhair In the deep ciefts. and
farther up. where the mists caught and
held them, deepening into the evenings .
violet crown
A slim. shy maid Of barely fifteen, In
her long. narrow skirt aud prim ker-
chief drawn tightly across the childish
breast. the small brown hand shading
her level brows. she watched with
wistful eyes up the long ribbon Of
road--littie Anne. with her peach bios
som face and soft gray eyes that had
dared to look from under their long
black lashes at q face that was the
face OF q peoples hero; not all the peo-
pie. for here in her fathers house Anne
even curses against that name. But
when had politics aught to do with a
maids romancing3 Deep down in her
heart the girl cherished the memory
of one summer evening. when all alone
the great man refined In his horse and
sprans from the saddle to walk and
talk with q pretty child. Two years
had come and gone. but over the low
gate Anne leaned and dreamed OF her
hero as did that Lisa In faroff Italy
OF her king
The evening shadows grew longer
and the sun vanished behind the hills
as the tinkle Of bells es,...isda eaia Z; from
the pasture T.,h eyes still dream
/ thralled Anne wandered out and across
the road to where the spring bubbled
| up from Its mossy pool. A little rustic
summer house sheltered 1t. and the lit
tie stream lost itself In dense thickei
OF hazel bushes that grew close up t.
the arbor. The girls light foot made
no sound as she entered and dropped
down upon the seat. Voices close a
hand aroused her AZ low murmul
came from the hazel copse.
"The best place Is where the road
comes through Hungerford's woods
this side OF the MILL"
Then another voice: 81 don't like II
It's doing all the dirty work and get
ting the kicks for pay. Let them a,
wants him out Of the way put hin
there"
And the irst voice answered with al
oath: What's that to you? The mel
that wants Andrew Jackson dea,
hain't the men AZ risks nuthin'"
Andrew Jackson" Anne's hear
gave a great bound. then almost stop
lped. az there was a rustic among tn
bushes. She strained her ears to cate
the last words.
He'll likely spend tonight at Hun
i gerford's. leaving there by daybreak." !"
"No. There hain't but one nigge
along. He don't like comp'ny a-trave
in" And the low chuckle died In th
distance.
1t was nearly dark as Anne crept ou
from her hiding place and glanced feal
fully up the long white road. Sh
knew that Hungerford's lay fftee
miles away as the crow flies, and I
, reach IL would mean a ride through th
lnight-morning would be too lat'
knew too. poor child. that In the heart
OF those about her dwelt the bittere,
hatred Of the man that she would ha,
risked her life to save, Not that the
I would have lifted hand against b
! 'ise. but they would have laughed b,
story down and basie her hush. as chi
dren should.
Alone in her little white curtaine
room she knelt and prayed her simp
J prayer. She had always been afraid ,
the dark-the dark that was like whi
' pering lips In your ear and the tous
OF soft fingers clutching at your gown
but the life OF her hero was the hie
D guerdon OF the deed.
q One by one each door was close
She heard her fathers chair pushs
back and knew that he was laying h
pipe on the mantelsheIf: heard IA
mother setting the house In order. NJ
then IL ali grew still. The tall clo'
q licked louder and louder through Il
" dark with an accusing voice-t'
e eleven. twelve. and ut the last stroke
little dark figure hurried across the ya
to the gfuble where Harry Clay Il