Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-10-02

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l do not mind a fair fight in the light
of day, but God defend me from the
vicious hatred of a fiend such as this
man showed himself to be in that one
look. The courtesy With which the Of
ficer of the post conferred With me
about the papers, after l had shown him
at his order what / carried, and the
Kindness with which he then sped US on
our way With fresh horses, requesting
me to take Hazeltine's dispatches With
me. did not carry off the cold feeling
that had settled somewhere in the pit
OF my stomach at the mans look.
However, we We're in we'll guarded
territory now, and passed post after
post on our ride into the city. AT
Greenwich we stopped a moment for
the last outpost examination, and then
rode on down by the waters side
through a muddy road over the creek
and into the town.
II was Il dusky. fogsv night with
signs of rain and high wind that Sent
street in quicl, succession as the clouds
swept By tie moon. l had little
time to notice much. but at
the top of the town we passed on the
left q long row of buildings that l knew
must be the great barracks
Farther on We're the ruins of Il beau
tiful church on the right. that | knew,
too, must be Trinity church. burned III
the great fire a few wears before. 1t
La: close by the old wall OF the town
now fallen into disuse. amd we met
many people cropping along here ami
there In the mud and II crowd OF car
rlages interspersed with II chariot or
two. Once we must needs wait a few
moments till line of vehicles could
move on, and one of the chariots
brought back to my mind IL certain
wet country road and such another We
hicle Tilted over to one side with the
face of young girl looking out of It's
windows at me.
What the devil means this crowd ."
said I.
Crowd, mani" said Acton. why. do
you not know YOU are in n city. my
friend? And that just below here
mighty as George the Third at Wind
sor? Where, think ye, are We, then, in
campo"
Then we are near No. Broadway"
l asked.
Aye, here we are" he answered as
we came opposite the head Of the line
of carriages, which We're disc!larging
1stulCo NillI SIIEGIl sONI!tS GIlI IpMQrIpt
wigs at covered bit of canvas that
hung over the door of the great house.
The place was lit from top to bottom,
and / could hear fiddles jigging out a
dance amidst the hum of q hundred
voices, jocose greetings of men, and
yells of servants in livery crying out to
one coachman TO move on and to an
other to move up. Twas busting
scene out there in the dimly lighter,
filthy street. For no light, except what
came from q lanthorn here and there
over door, or escaped from the great
house, served to give the eye the small
est chance.
Beyond doubt that is the house,
and he holds court this very night"
said Acton, as we came opposite the
entrance with the line of carriages be-
tween us and the door. Twas Z jam,
indeed, and before we knew it. We ,ere
caught between two lines of cursing
coachmen, one driving up to the door,
the other turning and moving back.
a chaliot drew up, and | had leaned
down on my horses neck to look
through the windows up the steps and
into the house, when the vicious hiss
of a whip on the other side sent my
beast, that was none of the best by a
side jump against the coach, bringing
me up to the door with u thump that
shook the whole vehicle. And then
had like to have fallen into the mud:
for there, looking AZ me out of the VIM
dow, in some white and sillsen gown
with Il whittier neck peeping out from
under 81 furry cape, WAS Il face | had
had by me these ten days.
She knew me on the instant, and
started forward with cry of surprise
as if to speak. And then, on the i'm
pulse, the powdered head went up with
q movement l knew full Well, and tho
| stare that only a high bred woman
knows how TO call up from some depth
within her met my eye, as II gruff voice
! behind her cried:
Have a care there, my mani What
the devil. would you ride in here by us
Come, Deborah we are at the door
and was pulled on by the frightened
horse and reached the door across the
street, / know not how, in % daze OF
mind that finally landed me in a ditcl
by the gutter, as slid off his back.
She had known me, | would swear
| and yet she had given me as cold a de
NAL as ever heartless wench gave amy
man. And yet--'twas but human ma
ture to think it-yet ! had saved NOR,
than her life but Il fortnight ago, ant
risked my own skin in the saving Isu
what should !, Merton l3alfort. expect
| after all, and what right had | to thinl
| 1t could or should be otherwise?
| Still, what tricks the iNnd will play
knew then that that face had been b,
| me ever since the night II the old tav
| ern, and in my foolish thoughts TIN
| next meeting had happened again am,
| again; but the reality was of n far diff
fcrent order from the dream.
CHAPTER XVII.
! IN WHICH THE SPECIAL MEssI.N
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