Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-12-16

diAAOoC any III lug L OWA tO-LO SLOp
your being sent to Libby. sub, but,
see no way-I see no way"
And soon thereafter, leaving Pomp to
assist his soldier patient, the doctor
had withdrawn to his study On the
ground moor. promising to be with him
again about five.
1t was just after IL o'clock by
Bentons watch as he reused himself
from the spell of anxious thought and
looked about him. There was signifi-
canoe in Pomp's disappearance 1t was
evident that the youngster had been
carefully coached to point out the
lightning rod as the best means to
leave the house unseen, unheard. That
Benton was confidently expected to
make the attempt was obvious. Other
wise Pomp would have remained to
help him of with his boots and uni
form. Even to his watch, purse, spurs
and boots not an item of his personal
equipment had been taken by his cap
tors. His sword had been stricken
from his hand during the melee at the
stone house and his revolver was gone.
but that was all. A year later every
thing would have become legitimate
spells of war.
Peering from his window Benton
saw. or fancied he saw, the dim
light as of a lantern fitting about
the barn. Evidently they were
even then waiting for him. Evil
IDENTIFY he was expected to lose not q
moment" Yet who were they? Surely
not his venerable host and helper-for
DR.. Chiffon could not lend himself to
any scheme for the escape of the
prisoner without breaking faith with
the confederate government. Surely
not Jack, his wounded son, for court
martial and dismissal in disgrace would
follow even circumstantial evidence
that he had aided or suggested the
escape. Surely not Resale! She had
shown such deep adherence of the plot
to speed his going that, even after
her impulsive outbreak early in the
evening, he could not but feel it would
be treachery TO her and to those she
held dear, were he now to make the at
tempt, Notwithstanding the fact that
transfer to Libby stared him in the
face.
Pomp's completely it was easy to ex-
plain. The negroes, as a rule, were
glad to help the "Lincum soldiers"
and, where they were hesitant, bribe
soon settled the matter. Then Pomp's
suggestion of the lightning rod was
still further proof that outsiders, not
Chiltons, were at the bottom of the
plan, for, did the household favor 1t,
they would never have sent a one
armed man swinging into space when
the back stairs and the back door were
unguarded, and guards or sentries of
any kind there had been none, SO
sacred was the word of Chiffon. No:
as he still pondered over the question,
the hands Of his watch crept to half
past IL, and horse, somewhere out
in what appeared to be a lane or alley
behind the barn, neighed impatiently;
and, surely as he could hear the tick
OF his watch, the beating Of his own
heart, Benton caught the sound OF q
low, gruff voice almost directly under
meath his window, and then the dull,
sudden tramp of hoofs on rain-soaked
sod. Then-then there were two horses
or two parties-one in the dark lane,
one here almost at his feet.
Lose not a moment" said the note
he had crumpled in his hand, yet here
had he lost 20 in childish hesitancy.
Again he read the clearly penciled
lines. Again he recalled Rosalie's ca
gerness to see the previous note, and
her contemptuous confidence as to its
authorship. Burn this, too said the
second missive; and, in honor, was
he not bound to shield one who so ca
gerly, unselfshly sought to aid or res
cue him? Yet Rosalie wished to see,
and-good God, how he longed once
~ I'D CT hivnSn1f
that she would approve, condone, for
give If he seized this chance Of es-
cape!-to satisfy himself, moreover,
that she no longer held him as she
had-in rank disfavor. that possibly
possibly But that thought was
madness!
And then, though his door stood a
trife ajar and he had been listening,
listening for any sound that would tell
of her presence near him-that he
might, even at so late an hour, have
one word with her; though not the
whisper of g football had reached his
ears, something, light as down and
barely audible even to him, was softly,
stealthily tapping on the panel.
Marvelling, he tiptoed to the door,
and little scrap of paper waved before
his eyes. Not a finger was visible. He
took the paper with his one unfettered
hand; threw open the door by a quick
twist of the foot, and something with
long, dusky masses Of hair trailing be-
hind it sped away in the dim light from
the lower hall A board or two
creaked. There was a faint swish of
skirts, a Whit of fragrance like that of
he hut hot oil
the floor below the hall lamp still
burned, and the doctor, busy in his
sanctum, hemmed loudly and stirred