Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-06-21

struck the lock Of tile other door. II
yielded, and the oak swung in against
the stout sideboard.
Anne felt her limbs grow cold.
"Lost lost!' she murmured and lean.
ed dumbly against the wainscoting.
Suddenly a fusillade Of musketry
woke the echoes out Of doors, and a
crisp shout garnished it. "File. out Of
that hall and lay down arms"
There arose saturnalia Of revile-
pent from the hall. Then, as it died,
the voice asked, what mean these ac-
live hostilities in a period Of armis-
uce?"
"'Tis sortie for an escaped prison
e." came the Earring mirth Of Jarrat.
'sWell, major, I think you will have
need yourself for all the prisoners to
be found here"
Anne had gone from one terror to an
other and bitterer one. 1.-THE Cont
nentalsv' she moaned.
The crisp voice approached the splin-
G6KSu uOOIs SOlOASA 61AAAoh0b ~ SaASef
II arrest you in the name Of the Unit.
cd States Of America. Do you surren-
derT'
"By whose orders?"
"The generals commanding the Sec
end brigade"
II am a colonel of independent cav
airy" answered Armand clearly. II
acknowledge orders only from the divi-
sion commander"
Jarrat laughed.
Sharp directions followed. The axes
cut wider assures in the panels, and
through these muskets obtraded and
took aim. "AIy orders are to take you
alive, to shoot If you resist. give you
ave minutes to open that door,"
Anne ran to Armand and threw her
self into his arms. "Ah, you must not!
For Gods sake, give yourself up!
will tell it all to General Washington.
He will hear and believe me. will
''Think you it would be credited?' q
he asked gently. "And If not
She chung to him, weeping. "But
you have fought SO. There is that!
Oh, twill give me your life-your life!
That is all want! care not for
shame or report, SO know it is not
true! All, pity me! And tits my fault
Oh, this must be hideous dream come
to punish me"
II used to Dream" he said, "of you
and me as wed-in honor"
"Oh, would wed you in dishonor, in
disgrace, in death! See" she said hur-
riedly, there is my mothers wedding
ring. have always worn it about my
neck. I love you! love your She
laid it in his hand.
"Put 1t upon my finger" she whis.
pered. "Say it after me, 4, Anne, take
thee, Louis, to my welded husbands"
A strange fire had come into his face.
81, Louis" he repeated solemnly,
take thee, Anne, to my welded
WIFE,"
"'To have and to hold from this day
forward, for better. for worse, for rich
or. for poorer, in sickness and in
health -
ITO have and to hold from this day
forward, for better, for worse, for rich.
Or. for poorer, in sickness and in
health -
She was sobbing now so that she
could scarcely frame the words:
TO love and to cherish-till death
~ do'-join, Louis! 1t cannot, it shall
not, part usv'
my own lover he said In choked
tones, and held her quivering against
his breast.
''The time is up" said the voice.
Anne clasped Armand with her young
arms-tightly, desperately, as If her
warm, yielding body, her face fragrant
with white fragrance, could keep back
the death that looked from those muz
Nes.
His hands disengaged her own TO pin
to his coat a yellow bauble he had tax
en- from his pocket, and then, as she
chung, her strained senses became con
scious of a wheeling plunge Of horse
men at the porch, hurried steps, a voice
shaking with strange vibration, ask
Ing questions in broken English.
At the sound Armand threw back his
head and stood like stone image.
There was pause. Then
Louis Armand" said the sibilant,
hating tongue, 81 command you to
open thees door! You will not, Ell? You
know who ann"
The sideboard fell with a crash, the
splintered door tumbled upon it, and
Armand stood to attention in the blaze
Of lantern light. At a glance Anne
knew the officer who stood in the door
way, surrounded by a glittering staff.
He was the major general commanding
the division.
"You surrendair, then2 Good! An
where, Major Woodson, is the infor-
MAR who has done such brilliant sairv-
Ice to denounce-eh? Come stan be-
] - Iii