The Republican journal., 1903-01-29
Used by permission.


crate States, if there are any, ten mil
lion times, if you'll help me out, and"
"Will you promise not to fight any
more?"
A long silence.
"You need MT do the other things
either" said the girl, presently. Her
voice, oddly enough, was husky.
81 thought it would be good to see a
Yankee suffer" she said after while,
''but it is n't.''
eff you could let a ladder down." said
Aladdin, 81 might be able to get up it. -
81 I'll get one,'' said the girl. Then
she appeared to reflect. NO" she said;
1--WE must wait till dark. There are
people about, and they ID kill you. Can
you live in that hole till darR?''
eff you could throw down a lot of
hay" said Aladdin. 'It IS very wet
down here and hard"
The girl went, and came with a
bundle of hay.
Look out for the lantern, she called,
and threw the hay down to him. She
brought, in all, seven large bundles and
was starting for the eighth, when, by a
special act of Providence, the flooring
gave again, and she made an excellent
imitation of Aladdin's shute on the
previous evening. By good fortune,
however, she landed on the soft hay
and was not hurt beyond a few
scratches.
I'D d you notice." she said, with lit
tie gasp, "that didn't scream?"
"You are not hurt, are you?" said AL
addin.
NO" she said; "but-do you realize
that we can't get out, now?"
She made a bed of the hay.
You crawl over on that" she said.
Aladdin bit his lips and groaned as he
moved.
cts really broken, isn't it?" said the
girl.
Aladdin lay back gasping.
"You poor boy" she said.
The girl borrowed Aladdin's pocket
knife and began whiting at a frag
ment of board. Then she tore sever
al yards of ruffie from her white petit
coat, cut his trouser leg off below the
knee, cut the lacings of his boot, and
bandaged his broken leg to the splint
she had made. All that was against a
series of most courteous protests made
in fearful voice.
When she was done, Aladdin took her
hand in his and kissed the fingers.
''They are the smallest sisters OF
mercy | ever saw" SAID he.
She made no attempt to withdraw
her hand.
ut was very stupid of me to fall
through" she said.
"Is MT there any possible way of get
ting out?"
'sNo. the walls are StOne.''
so Lord!" said Aladdin.
I'm glad | repented before l fell
through" said the girl.
$50 am l." said Aladdin.
"What were you doing in our sta
ble?" said the girl.
q got lost, and came in for shelter"
You came TO the house first. heard
you knocking, and saw you from the
window. But | wouldn't let you in be-
cause my father and brother were
away, and besides, l knew you were a
Yankee"
sit was too dark to see my uniform
81 could tell by the way you rode
''Is it as bad as that?"
"No-but it's different
The girl laid her hand on Aladdin's
forehead.
you've got fever" she said.
ut doesn't matter" said Aladdin,
politely.
"Does your leg hurt awfully?"
"It doesn't matter
did any one ever tell you that you
We're very civil for a Yankee
at does MT matter" said Aladdin.
She looked at him shrewdly, and saw
that the light of reason had gone out of
his eyes. She wet her handkerchief
with the cold, filthy water spread over
the cellar floor and laid it on his fore
head Aladdin spoke ramblingly or
kept silent. Every now and then the
girl freshened the handkerchief, and
presently Aladdin fell into a troubled
sleep.
When he awoke his mind was quite
clear The lantern still burned, but
family, for the air in the cellar was be-
coming heavy. Beside him on the
straw the girl lay sleeping. And over
head footsteps sounded on the stable
floor. He remembered what the girl
had said about the people who would
kill him if they found him, and blew
out the lantern. Then with his hand
over her mouth, he walked the girl.
"D0h't make noise," he said. Lis
ten
The girl sat up on the straw.
''I'll CALI she whispered presently,
''and pretend you are not here
''But the horse?"
'I'll lie about him."
She raised her voice.
who's there?" she called.
"It's I-Calvert. Where are you?'
'Listen," she answered; "I've fallen
through the floor into the cellar. Don't
you see where it's broken?"
The footsteps approached.
you're not hurt. are you?'
''No; but don't come too close, don't
try to look down; the floors frightfully
rickety. Isn't there ladder there
somewhere"
A man laughed.
''Wait," he said. They heard his
footsteps and laughter receding. Pres
emily the bottom of a ladder appeared
through the hole in the floor.
Look out for your head" said the
man.
The girl rose and guided the ladder
clear of Aladdin's head.
"What have you done with the Yam
KEGS horse?" she called.
'He's here"
''Where's the Yankee, do you sup
pose?"
"We think he must have run off into
the woods"
That's what thought.
The girl began to mount the ladder