Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-04-17

Are you John BranderStdnc, sire"
leave your house till we call for him"
Helen cast an inquiring look Mt me to
know If she should give the pledge. !
saw that glance would enable me to
remain where l was and, If l chose,
after the departure Of the troop. leave
the house, with Helen to bear the re-
sponsibility Of my going.
Nonsense, man" said, rising. do
you suppose Pm going to permit wo-
man to stand between you and me?
You are gentleman, If you are taking
1t upon yourself to arrest whom you
please, and I'm enough Of gentle
man not to avail myself Of your prof.
fered avenue Of escape. II 1 must go,
l must. Where do you intend to take
me. captainT
BY this time several men who had
followed the officer pushed their way
into the room. l received no reply to
my question, but was ordered tc get
up and 60 with them. The members Of
the family, discovering that something
had gone wrong, flocked about, and 1t
was easy to see that, though they did
not understand why l was arrested.
they were all in sympathy with me.
Mrs. StanfOrth seemed greatly dis
tressed. Mr.. Stanforth attempted to
argue my case for me, Of course to no
purpose. The negroes were all indig.
nant. While waiting for my horse
heard Lib delivering herself in the
back hall:
"Wha' TO dat mis'able osifer wild he
sleeves covered all Ober wild dem gor
snakes goin t rest fine south'n gem
len like dat? Dat wha' yo' call free.
dom? Colored folks got mo- freedom
den dat. l heah mas'r talkin bout
stutional libe'ty. Wha's de use O. stu
tional libe'ty when de oder man got he
hand on yo' collarr'
heard no more, for I was conducted
out to the gallery. Just as 1 started
down the walk Ethel appeared, with
curious eyes, and paused to take her
up and give her parting kiss. cast
a glance at Helen. There was intense
interest in her face, but among so
many emotions l could not discover
which predominated. I went with the
soldiers down to the gate. where I
found my horse. and. mounting, a cav.
alryman on each side Of me, rode away
with the troop.
We proceeded up the pike for a short
distance. then, crossing the railroad
track, struck road which bent to the
east.
Captain" 1 said. II don't like the
direction you are going. If your IN
tentions were not murderous, you
would take me to Huntsville and exam
inc into the charge against me. 1t ap-
pears that you are taking me into the
country to dispose Of me-"
Il am on my way to join my squad
ron near Brownsborough, sir, where
20 will have an opportunity to face
yo'r accuser If 70 are innocent. yoll
have no trouble. Yo' can enlist in my
company"
Thank you. Do I look like a man
who would 60 begging for commits
STOMP
Il beg yo'r pardon. SIR" And he lift
ed his hat alphabetically.
had retained my GOODNESS thus far,
but confess l did not like the situa.
ton. AS southern man, used to
southern people, I felt certain conf.
dence. yet II it were known that I was
a Union officer I would be put out Of
the way without benefit Of clergy.
Who was the man who had informed
against me? What did he know? The
more thought about 1t the more in.
tense became my anxiety. Suddenly l
looked up and saw white tents. l
knew at once By the looks Of the camp
that it contained one or two companies
Of cavalry. There was railroad bridge
near by, crossing what I knew to be
Flint river. and judged that the cav.
airy was guarding this bridge.
l had forgotten my unlucky wound
and was intent on the camp when,
passing under overhanging branches,
a stiff bough scraped my arm, and
felt at once that 1t had been injured. l
told the captain Of my fears, and we
halted to make an examination. TAX
Ing of my coat, there, as expected,
was stain of fresh blood on my shirt
sleeve.
"You needn't trouble yourself to MUIR
der me-" remarked. ''That wound is
a better enemy than all my others to-
gether."
The captain cast glances about him
for house. He had no intention Of
numbering me or being n party indi-
rectly to my death. While he was
making a survey of the surrounding
country was twisting my handker.
chief above the wound.
"Can you get to that plantation:" he
asked.
looked up and saw q large manor
house about half O mile distant, with
its f1anking rows of negro huts.
Il can try it."
We mounted and rode on and in a
few minutes passed into the gateway
between imposing stone posts, proceed
Ing by winding way to the house.
was glad to dismount and get inside
the spacious hall out of the sun. There
l sat down on an old fashioned hair
cloth mahogany sofa.
A number of white and negro chill
dren, who were playing together as
contentedly as If the pickaninnies were
not the property of their fair skinned
playmates, stood gaping at me. A slim
man with determined mouth, at the