The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-19

yags. and he is not gone out nit der rebels.
Give him to me for mine plumbers.
The colonel laughed and showed his teeth
Havlng one man TO hang. he could AFFORD to
be lenient with another.
Mnat VIII you do with him, captain
Laiswculter: by the look of him hed
make but Indifferent sausage meat.
vat shall do NIT him? / shall make
him mine best bows and send him home, py
der cards. and ven mine foot was slipped on
dis verdammt grease-grass, he did not run
me- trough SO like he might"
'Oh, an affair of honor? Well, we'll
count that in his favor. Take him away.
Trelawny, and quarter yourself and twenty
men upon him at Jennifer house. You have
If you break it by so much as wink or a
ridge-pole''
Given hearing. Jennifer would have
given no parole, but at the word the colonel
roared him down like a bull of Bashan,
and in the hubbub my brave lad was hus-
tied out.
Though 1 was full to bursting with my
news there was nothing l could do; and
when II was fairly over and he was gone I
was right glad he had not seen me. For
knew we'll his steel-true loyalty, and that
at sight of me in trouble he would have
lost his slender chance of guarded liberty
and with 1t my last hope of sending word
across the mountains; though, as for that,
the hope was well-nigh dead at any rate
While Jennifer's guard and quota were
mounting at the door the aid-de-camp re-
turned, and that without the baronet-
caught but here and there a word Of his re-
port: enough to gather that the captain
knight was not yet in from posting out the
made no doubt his absence was de-
signed He would have Margery believe
that he had spared me honorably as an
enemy wounded, and so had left me TO the
tender mercies of his colonel. well assured
that Tarleton would not spare me. And
this the colonel did not mean to do. as /
was now to hear in brief
You put q bold front on, Captain 1retOn,
but tbs TO no purpose this time" he began.
Tis charged against you that you rode
here from the baron's camp with your COM
within our lines like any other spy. You
are soldier. sir. and you know that's
hanging. Yet ! will hear you if you've
anything TO say"
l made so sure that should hang in any
case that it seemed foolish to answer, and
so / saved my breath. Withal he was the
terror Of our Southland, this tyrant colonel
gave me time to consider; and while he
waited, grim and silent, the candles on the
table guttered and ran down, and the dim
light failed till / could no longer see the
face of her / loved framed in the archway
of the stair
thought it hard that had seen my last
of her sweet face thus through thickening
shadows as a dream might fade. Never
theless. would be glad that had seen her
thus, since otherwise, / thought. / must
have gone without this last or any other
sight of her.
1t was while was still straining my eyes
for one more glimpse of her, and while the
courtroom silence deepened dense upon us
like the shadows, that Colonel Tarleton
signed to those who guarded me. hand
was laid upon my shoulder, but when
would have turned to go with them wom-
ans cry cut sharp into the stiffness. Then.
before any one could say word or think q
thought, my dauntless little lady stood be-
side me, her eyes alight and all her glorious
beauty heightened in blaze of generous
emotion.
"For shame! Colonel Tarletonv' she cried
"Do you come thus into my fathers house
and take wounded guest and hang him.
You say he is spy, but that he cannot BE-
for he has lain abed in this same house a
month or more. You shall not hang him.
AT this there was mighty stir about the
table, table, as you nay guess; % and some SON would
for better sight of her sweet face. And
through it all, the while my heart went
near to bursting at this fresh proof of her
most fearless loyalty, ground my teeth in
wrath that all those men should look their
fill and say by wink and nod and covert
smile that this were somewhat more than
But it was the coloners mocking smile
that lashed me sharpest his smile and
what he said; and yet not that so much as
what he left to be inferred.
"Ha! How is this. Mistress Margery? Do
you keep open house for the kings ene-
mics? That spells treason. my dear young
lady. and hath an ugly look for you. be-
sides"
"It should have no look at all, save that
of hospitality, SIR" she countered, bravely.
Surely 1 may plead for justice to wound
ed man who was, and is, my father s
guest?"
"And yet he is a spy, and spies must
hang"
He is no spy"
The coloners bow made but mock of
true politeness.
"You should not make me contradict a
lady. Mistress Margery. 'Tis evident you
have not all his confidence He was cap
tured red-handed in the act at yonder win
dow. listening to that which he may never
know and live to prate about. Besides, he
killed sentry for his chance to listen, and
for that I'd hang him if he were my own
fathers guest.
So much he said as mild as If he had not
annals as King Georges butcher. Then. in
sudden burst of rage. he turned upon the
priest, cursing him brutally and threaten
ing vengeance for his bringing of the lady
to the courtroom.
My brave one stood a moment. shocked
as she had warrant for. Then, before the
priest or or any one could stop her. she ran
to throw herself upon her knees at Colonel
Tarleton's feet-to kneel and plead for me
as | would gladly have died thousand
deaths rather than have her plead; for life
for me- or. if not that, at least for some
me.
And I'm the end she won the respite,
though did think ii far too dearly bought.
When he granted 1t the colonel lifted her
and shook her hand. bowling low over it
with courtly Difference. For your sake,
Mistress Margery. 1t shall be put off till
morning" he said: then gave the order:
At dawn they would march me out and
hang me. and / would best he ready. For