Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-27

and arranging to have the lad moved thither. This was on the eighth of March, and up to noon they had no sign of soldiers coming from the east a' north.
 So Paul had gone, never counting on Chilton's taking the bit in his teeth. And when late at night he returned to Thornton, weak and weary, he was aghast to learn that with only his body servant and trooper nurse, Chiffon had started southward in the wagon that evening by the Sudley road, bent on escaping from the heralded advance of the union blue. Despite fatigue and failing strength, Ladue followed, caught them at the Henry house, and was within that historic wreck, con- sulting the owner as to the best roads to follow while the farm wagon, with its solitary escort was toiling up the slope from the crossing of the pike, when all on sudden there came a cloud of blue-jacketed, yellow-trimmed troopers sweeping across the field from i the southeast, and MT. Henry had bare ! ly time to hide his visitor under the flooring in the garret when they were dismounting by the dozen and jovially sWarming all over the premises. l Another moment, too, and they had surrounded the wagon with it's help less load. Then Averell himself had ridden up to investigate, and one of his first orders was that the Henry house and grounds were to be pro- tected against all possibility of pillage and vandalism.
 II So it had happened that for two days Paul Ladue lay concealed within the Henry house-once when the guard was changed hearing voices he recog- nized as those of men he we'll knew in his western home.
 And again the word was passed from the sentries at the front: Here comes the general!'' and while the guard sprang to their stacked arms, Paul Ladue, crouehing sadly in the little garret, crept to the westward side and peered through a crevice at the coming cavalcade.
 All in the uniform of their rank, in frock coats, belts and sashes, gaunt- lets and forage Ncaps, with regulation horse equipments the general and his little staff made gallant show as they breasted tSe slope. There were only five in all, with three orderlies and no escort, but in three of the five Ladue saw the faces of men whom he had looked Up to, honored and esteemed, while the face of the fourth was that of the faithful and devoted friend whom he had loved as David loved Jonathan. Ladue threw himself upon the floor, so sick at heart that it was relief to sob like a homesick child.
 And so Henry found him, when in his stocking feet, little later, he climbed the ladder to the loft with wonderous news. Dr. Chiffon and his daughter were coming-were even then on their way from Warrenton
 Much of the early morning of the following day he spent with Rosalie. by the side of the wounded boy. Now that pr. Chiffon had gone on in search of the commanding general, hopeful ot permission to take his crippled soldier home, the vital question arose. What was to become of Paul? He had no excuse for parole He had not been grievously wounded. He was there of his own yolition, undiscovered. with- in the hostile lines and, though wear ing his new and natty uniform and in no sense spy, still, the lot of southern prisoner in northern hands was prob lem yet unsolved Then RosaIie Chill ton, the daring, quick-witted girl. planned the escape so successfully eff fected
 Little luggage had she brought with her on that hurried journey, but, soon as it was dusk, she doffed the gown and skirt she wore-eyen the crinoline, at period of our national life regarded as indispensable to the wardrobe of the gentlewoman-then donned a soft wrapper, and ten minutes later, Paul Ladue, shorn of his new uniform, was attiring himself aloft in the travelling dress of a Virginia belle. He well> nigh ruined the whole plan-and crino- line-by putting his foot through the fiimsy cage as he searched the stairway, but from the floor below came ominous sHush-sh-sh!" in Rosa1ies tragic tones, and she shook him almost savagely while giving some fin.shing touches to his toilet. How dare you be so care- , less with my best hoop-skirt, sir? Don't you know that's almost the very last one in Virginia?' Then, duly in- formed as to the paths in the garden and the exits through the fence, with her shawl over his head and prayer on her trembling lips she sent him forth, and Jim Ferguson. officer of the guard, bowed to her representative with killing grace-and let him go.
 Half an hour later Paul had shed his skirts at the stone house, had had a whispered word with Jennings-he of the subsequent demijohn-and, in some old clothes of that worthy and with a note to a farmer friend back of Grove ton, was away en route to Hopewell. By nine he was in saddle, with horse borrowed of the farmer friend; by ten he had learned that Judge Armistead was at Gainesville, having reached the Thornton farm too late, and there were , they lboth-judge and lieutenant-when i the little ambulance train came along