Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-10

laughter"
AS God pleases. Neither you nor 1
know which Of us will then be alive, Cap
tain Hamburg" said the American lightly.
Il can guess" retorted the other
b~rutally.
And with that he turned on his heel.
But even as he wheeled around, the door
swung open to let in a cloaked and hooded
lady. In the darkness neither of the men
recognized her for the moment. She stood
in the doorway, blinking in the uncertain
light.
Kate cried Arundel in glad amaze
ment, while the Hessian let slip out a
Dutch oath between his set teeth.
She went straight toward her lovers out
stretched arms as a tired child to its
mother. He tried to comfort her, not
with speech-he dared not trust himself
to speak-but in the sweet ways a lover has
at command. Presently she explained in
a pathetic little broke voice:
II made General Howe give me a pass
into the prison. Twas all he would do.
He will not believe that-Oh! Will, why
did you conner"
Twas reported you were dying from
the accident. 1 came to see you"
And tits you will die-not l. Oh, would
10 God 'twere ~" she moaned.
Inc I1tHHldh bAOOu III Nv baChbAOhaANt
watching their misery stolidly and awk-
wardly. II he felt emotion his ~phlegmatio
German face gave no hint of It. But he
shifted from one foot to the other, and at
the sound the girl. looking over her lovers
shoulder, recognized him. Her eyes di-
lated.
You! You here?' she cried. Then to
Arundel, What is he doing here7"
He has come to make me an offer"
Something in the constrained manner OF
the two men puzzled her. She threw back
her head and looked at her lover search
ingly; then at the Hessian.
What offer has Captain Hamburg to
maker she demanded.
He proposes a way by which my life
may be saved, but to my thinking the
terms do not consist with honor" he am
swered slowly.
, your life? How can he save your life?''
, He has possession of the papers which
would prove me not a spy-the decoy mes
: sage for one. When he recognized and ar
rested me this letter was found on me
/ The captain has not thought 1t necessary
l to show this to the general" Arundel ex.
planned bitterly.
Not thought it necessary she repeated
5 But 1 do not understand. That letter
might saw you"
5 80 Captain Hamburg feared"
, She understood then and guessed
= shrewdly the terms that had been offered
I Mistress Kate freed herself from the arm,
Of her lover and turned to the Hessian
but that officer had decided discretion tC
e be the better part OF valor and slipped from
. the room. 1t was one thing to discuss sucf
a matter with a condemned rebel, 'twai
quite another to front the scorn and de
spair of the woman he loved.
d The girl stood lost in thought for
n minute. When at last she spoke 1t was Il
e promise her lover that she would save hin
4 yet. Arundel took her by the shoulders
I gently and swung her around till the ligh
. that filtered through the barred window
. shone on her face.
You will save me? How? - he asked.
For that she had no answer ready. H
a looked into her eyes steadily till they fel
before his searching glance.
Il will not be saved at that price" h
cried. II had rather a thousand times di
!. than see you married to HumburE."
Twas to see me you ran into danger
Shall l let you die when / can save YOU p
Eyes. by heaven" he told her wildly
The cost is too great. What do you thinl
: me? I should drag out my life in shame
No. no! We shall not add dishonor to on
u misery. Let us be true to ourselves
She trembled in his arms like an aspen
u and he was quick to press his advantage.
1t has been given us not to look at If
, as Hamburg does. We know that death 4
IL not the evil most to be feared. TIL harde
l part is yours, not mine; but you will b.
q brave. Kate" he told his sweetheart sadl,
but proudly. 80 brave that you would hav
L neither of us compromise with dishonoI
Is 1t not so3"
" II shall try. viii. But oh! Il is so hard
n I cannot-I cannot let you CO."
l. The jailer opened the door to let ther
know her time was up She chung despair
ingly to her lover. her body all torn wit
n silent sobs. Presently he gently unclase
IT her arms and led her almost ~faintinE TO tn
n door.
Dusk had fallen and the city lights wer
already twinkling through the GROWN
d darkness when Mistress Kate France cam
knocking at the door of the house wher
a Captain Fritz Hamburg lodged. Her peopl
were tories and she had none to look I
for hep save her own mother wit. Sh
had slipped from home and stolen along tn
crowded streets to plead with the Hessia
I'd oficer for this life that meant so muc
to her. More than one young blood in tn
e. kings uniform had attempted familiarit
III with TINS ntne' graceful young n~ightwalkel
whose face, save for the shining eyes, wa
hidden in her cloak. but she had hurrie
past with heart beating fast and cheek
afame at their g~allant1es. They Nigh
think hat they would Of her, but sh
would stop at nothing to gain her end.
h n stern-faced keeper Of the lodgin
house looked suspiciously at this mig
d visitor. She had an opinion of youn
women who came visiting at the rooms {
!. an omcer-and after dark. Besides, tn.
= particular miss had already been here twic
today seeking the captain. Therefore tn
- manner of the woman was something les
!" than civil.
- mo, he is not in" she answered shortl,
: Can you tell me when he will be back
asked the girl timidly.
NJ NO"
But l must see him tonight must"
~ Kate saw her last chance slipping fro,
her. II she did not see the captain soc
= her lover must die. She dared not s
~ home. lest she be locked in for the nigh
+" nor could she go wandering through n
-, streets alone. She resolved to wait II
y Captain Hamburg. and said so.
- The woman snorted at the impudence
." the brazen hussy.
That you will not, unless you wait on
" side. miss"
"oh, you do not understand. A life hanl