The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-13


When / was In one of other rooms
just now | heard one soldier tell an
other that there had been many deser-
tions. Now if your men lose heart
your enemies would get you at last"
We'll. then, they would get us, that
is ALL
And It, would not surprise me if
these fellows suddenly resolved to
give up as the price of their own am
nesty."
THAT is much more likely"
But you would be shot
Without doubt, but not in the man
ner you suggest"
How is that?'
We'll, they would have to take me,
you know
But good heavens, man, is your
life of no use to you? There is yet
time for you to get to the barber. and
once on that Gulf steamer you would
be safe"
The steamer sailed this afternoon.
Beside, there is the Dictator. l am
responsible, to some degree, for the
drastic policy he has followed. 1t
would be scurvy trick to desert him
now Further, l have no life but the
one ] have lived here When that is
ended so will l be-
We'll. 1t seems very strange to me.
And for the life of me l cannot re-
AlCiIDGI DdNilB SeSH you dl MY Ia
theirs house. Still, l was in college
five years ago. That may account for
it,"
Very likely"
They relapsed into silence watching
the fight. The men in the tree top
finally succeeded in launching their
brand. But their aim was impaired
by the fire which the preparation of
the torch drew upon them and the
nd AL A 49,, y 4 10
heveled hair ran out into the open
space in front of the house and
screamed in a tirade in Spanish at the
troops. While her flow of language
was strongest she suddenly waved her
hands wildly above her head and ran.
still screaming. back to her friends. II
was impossible to tell whether she
was hit or merely hysterical. After
| the first clamor of battle died away
both sides INDUCED less in huzzas, and
| each endeavored to husband it's am
munition by shooting only when fair
mark presented Itself. There was an
uncertain murmur of voices every
where, but these rose in approval or
l. disapproval only in response to a
| groan from behind a shutter or when
| dark object fell out of a tree onto
the uncertain, silent heaps beneath.
| The Dictator went everywhere about
| the house encouraging his men by his
| presence and the promise of greater
| emoluments in case of success. He
crept into the room where his chief
| of police lay watching and held a con-
ference as TO the possible outcome of
| the affair. The chiefs courage re7
stored his confidence. which perhaps
had begun to fail him, and he crept
! out again as he had come in--on all
| fours. Toward midnight the chief
| started to creep from the room. At
| IL ~ Rarr
| and exclaimed under his breath.
Brownson heard him fumbling in the
darkness, and asked what was the
| ma tier.
IAN right" he whispered. keep
duiet!" Presently he crept back
again. Coming close to Brownson,
he whispered:
Dictator I found"
"What! Dead"
Dead. He must have been instant
ly killed by a stray bullet while he
| was leaving the room"
| Brownson was Mortified.
what will you do?" he asked.
Nothing. Those hounds will sell
| me to the revolutionists the moment
they find he is dead. l am sure to
| go out in any event. l have pulled
| him away from the door, and 1t is
dark. Perhaps it won't be discovered
until morning. But you must go, M
stantly Go down stairs, find Jose.
Send him here and will order him
to accompany you. Go by the back
way and through the guard lines to
the harbor. Then work your way
around through the city and join the
revolutionists. You can prove that you
were imprisoned in the Black Hole by
my order. Go-you have not mo-
| ment to lose"
But the other did not move. What"
he replied. Go, and leave you here to
face them alone. Go, become reVolu-
zionist and give consent by my silence
to having you shot in the back to-
| morrow morning, and you, as you
say, a friend of the family? I assure
YOU will do nothing of the kind.
~You must go. 1t is folly to stay.
II will be two lives instead of one.
We cannot make head against a
mob
"At least, tell me who you are
The other regarded him steadily In
the darkness.
'Win you go If tell your" he said
at last.
Perhaps"
"My name is Richard Wilson"
II was Brownson's turn to stare. He
uttered not a word.
81 was engaged to your sister Ethel,
said the chief 1.-The engagement was
broken. / left New York and came
here. That is all there is to it. You
see. now why questioned you to-day
and YOU will also realize the necessity
of going"
But Brownson did not speak. He sat
on the floor, unable apparently to md
words. His face was the face of man
who has suddenly been confronted by
a horrible alternative. He was thinking
fast and furiously; repeating over and
over in his mind words which he dared
not utter but which he knew should
be spoken must be spoken. MY Cod
he was thinking. ''he does not know
he does not know. All these years she
has waited for him and he has not
known. And here in the face of death
he will know 1t at last. and I, her
brother, will be left to tell her this
horrible thing"
The groans of stricken soldier in
the next room kept pace with his
thoughts like a miserere. 1t made him
almost hysterical.
1--WE thought you were dead We
thought You were dead!" he painted.
Wilson smiled bitterly.
life worth the living.
"But my sister-she is-you did not
come back"
your sister preferred some one
else"
But that was only for father s
sake. He wished her to marry old Nor
ton. When father died she broke it off
1t was you she wanted. but you had