Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-06-22

L
tween us and them. GLADDEN. Hall is
the nearest refuge"
"Arc you certain"
"Ycs. mudemoiselle"
"Listcn," she confessed then. II have
deceived you. l made you take me past
the Continental line bccause-because
you yourself cannot go there. You
British who would seize you now. All,
do you not understand? You have been
denounced. Ills known that you are
the same who. they think, would have
! misled the congress-"
Uniformed against?' he said
"Again?"
"Oh, what ghastly thing for you
| Row ashore and fly"
"Where?"
| "Anywnere. anywhere" she cried
wildly, "only so it be to safety! Haste!
| They gain on u.s."
"If we land they are certain to take
| us. You cannot go afoot as fast as
they"
| SIlslll llol ~. 1Ou jilitil iSttNS AhS
| there. Row. Row"
"And why should you care for my
hfe?"
".Ah. will you stay when my heart is
breaking? There is no time to talk
now. What is anything they may do
beside your life? beseech you'll com
mand you to run in. never intended
you to take me farther"
You would be safe if we could
reach GLADDEN. Hail." he said. Then
he stood up and threw off his coat.
Her tears came at this. ".rherc is no
one at the hall to protect" she wept.
Not slave to beat them back. Not
a weapon. Tarleton sacked it. All,
you do not believe me because l de-
ceivcd you before! But this is the
TRUTH swear it is the TRUTH"
He made no answer, but set the
boats bow straight up the stream and
rowed as she had never seen man row
before. She felt the timbers shiver and
creak, heard the deep intake of his
breath and saw the splendid play Of
the arm muscles beneath his shirt
sleeve. Then, entering, ever more in
sistent, came the creak of the pursu-
ing craft.
The moonlight fell Whitley on the
shore they sliirtcd. Two milcs-thrce
miles-past the shadows of Kings
creek. and Corbin's point. Every
tongue of land, every wedge of forest,
how well She knew them! But how
slowly they fell behind! There was no
longer danger of arousing the Cont
mental pickets, and the pursuers' voices
came clearly, gliding ut the. error Of
their prisoner which had carried him
past the line of safety and made his
| taking certain. Once Anne heard the
officer who led give sharp command to
put down a gun.
| A scant 200 yards was all there was
between the two boats when Armand
| sprang upon the wharf of GLADDEN.
Hall. Leave me-" she begged family,
"and save yourself! You have yet
time"
"Givc me your hand!" he command
ed peremptorily. He took it and led
her, running, up the sloping lawn.
Its unllempt forlornness was softened
BY the kindly Mlsssea!igift -:tad not until
they reached the front of the house
did its gray desolatencss become all at
once apparent. The pnnes in the Win
dows were broken, the white pillars
battered, the front door swinging. the
yard unsightly with rubbish.
"'Tis deserted!" Despair was in his
tone
81 told you that"
care there no horses?"
"The barns are burned. Leave me.
leave me and go"
| He hurried her to the front door, and
they entered, hearing as they did so
the larger boat bump the planking.
Without word he shot home the bolts
in the great door and drew her into the
dining room. now overscattcred with
broken crockery. He locked both doors
of this room, smashed the sashes of the
porch windows with a chair, brought
together the heavy outer blinds and
slid the bars. AS he fastened the sec
ond the pursuers came tumbling to the
porch. Anne, meantime. taking clew
from him, had managed to fasten one
of the windows in the opposite side.
He sprang to secure the other before
the soldiers reached the back of the
house.
This shut out the last of the moon.
light, and the room became a black
darkness. Outside was Il deadened
clamor, curses and shouts to fetch ships
lanterns and search the empty quarters
for an AK. Anne could hear Armands
convulsive breathing.
She had CROPPED her way to the side
board and opened its candle drawer. A
tiny half inch end rewarded her. Flint
and steel still hung in their accustomed
place. She struck them and lighted the
wick with trembling hands.
AS she did so heavy body came
hurtling against the other side Of the
inner door. Better give up, you wea.
sell" painted voice.
Armand answered loudly, "If l do
will you promise to let the lady go?"
mo, no." Anne besought in an agony.
''You shall not give yourself up to
Them! They would not hold to such a
promise"
With her cry, however, whirled n
scramble of curses. "We'll lay you by
the heels and take the girl back, too,
curse you" And rain of blows de-
scended on the door, while crash
against one Of the blinds shook the
wall.
Leaping back, Armand dragged out
the heavy mahogany sideboard, now
slashed and denied, and set 1t against
one door. The other he REINFORCED
with the overturned table and bound
this to its place with the twisted win
dow curtains. Last, lie wrenched an
iron from the fireplace and stood wait
ing. AT the same moment the candle
end collapsed, the wick dropped, flick
cred and went out, and darkness fell
around them again.
A lull had come in the attack. Evil