Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-30
CHAPTER XVII.
An Embarrassing Situation.

L - y ~
came down into the fertile valley of the
| Cowskin.' II had proven an uneventful ride
| thus far. for we had met with no adven-
| lures and had sobserved little worthy of
consideration from military standpoint.
| We had travelled slowly, carefully watchful
of our horses, not only because we felt
| they might be- greatly needed farther on,
but owing to the Impoverished and almost
deserted country through which we rode
Abandoned houses, many of them devas-
tated by fire, deserted negro quarters and
| uncultivated fields greeted eyes con-
| stantly, and told US we were in the track
of armies. Forage there was absolutely
| none, while even the pasture land gave
| small return. The men had done well. how
ever, and were stiffening nicely into field
soldiers. while my Teutonic second In COM
mand had sufficiently recovered from his
| wounds to sit his saddle with some elephan-
| tine grace. He early proved himself good
soldier, and l learned he had seen consid-
! cradle active service in Europe.
+ While constantly observant of those
| points regarding which had been dispatch
ed my one overmastering thought during
| all those hours was the possibility of again
meeting with Edith Brennan and proving
of, some a!ssistance~to her. Her greeting
| of me in the federal hospital had been SO
! sweetly gracious, so marked with tender
| sympathy, while the memory of her words,
and even more of the look which accom-
| panied them, had so remained with me In
| encouragement that l longed 10 encounter
| her again. God knows what / hoped for,
| for knew we'll it must all inevitably end
| in despair, yet like the moth must con-
| tinue to SINCE my wings until the flame
| deyoured me. Now, however, as we ac-
| tuaily drew near to where / supposed she
might be, felt my earlier courage fast de-
sorting me. Nor was furnished with even
the slightest excuse for pressing on: my
orders did not positively compel me to pro-
ND rod iny1p ha
to lead me to suppose that harm of any
kind threatened that peaceful valley.
Everything meeting my eyes evidenced that
here, at least, war with its attendant hor-
rors had not come. Totally without the
beaten track of those great armies which
had battled so fiercely for the Shenandoah,
1t had been traversed only by few scout
ing and foraging parties. and short had
been their stay that even the rail fences
| remained ,undisturbed to guard the fields,
and nowhere did I note outward signs OF
| devastat 1t was Virginia as I recalled
! 1t in those cd days of peace and plenty,
| before civil strife had sown the land with
dead. hr- ia
What possible excuse then had for go
| ing there? In my own heart knew had
none, or one so poor and selfish l scarcely
burst whisper 1t even to myself; yet l rode
| steadily Impelled by. my own weak
ness, or drawn irresistibly by fate-Which-
| ever the real cause / know not-I would at
| least look upon those walls that bad once
sheltered her. would learn X posi- kif she
| was. yet there. Then-well, in he~pendage
| Of my passion hoped for what might hap
pen as every lover does.
1t must have been o'clock; we had baited
our horses, remember hour previous;
| and the sergeant had enjoyed his MONDAY
siesta beneath the shade of a great bush
bearing purple blossoms. The road we had
been travelling since early morning wound
in and out among great trees. and crossed
and recrossed the little stream called the
Cowskin until l almost thought we had
tlOstH way. We met with no one in all
the long. days riding, not even stray
negro, and indeed it was some hours since
we had passed q house of any kind. Leav-
| ing the brook behind us we toiIed slowly
up long hill, and at the top Bungay, rid-
Ing beside me. pointed to the westward.
cap" he said. thar is Their Minor place"
! The very sight of 1t in the distance was a
thrills great a white house placed well
from sight by. fine, large trees an old-fash-
toned, big-roomed house lit looked to be,
built after the colonial type, a wide veranda
| upon three sides. with futed columns to
support the overhanging roof.
"Haint no signs es fer es 1 kin see of
any trouble havin' Cured thar Jed said
slowly, his shrewd gray eyes roaming over
the peaceful scene Somebody ter hum
tew, fer Their chimley is a smokin'.''
OF course now I was there, the only sem
sible thing for me to do would have been to
ride openly to the front door. and thus
learn all 1 desired. But what man who
and fears, by strength and weakness, ever
does the sensible thing? had certainly in
tended, doing SO at the start, but now my
nerve failed me. She was the wife of an
other. could not confess I had ventured
to come to her in love, nor could l look
into those clear, honest, questioning eyes
and lie.
Haiti L ordered.,p" Sergeant"
II am here, captain"
Take your men down into that hollow
yonder. and remain there until l return.
Better post sentry on the hill here
1T will be done, captain
II shall not probably, be absent more
than an hour, SO don't permit the men to
stray"
Dot. is IT, captain. 1 will be NIT dem all
over"
+ / rode down alone into the thick woods at
the foot of the hill, and dismounting tied
nay horse to sapling. Then on foot 1
struck across the fields. my intention being
to come in by way of the negro quarters at
the rear, in hope of meeting some one from
whom 1 might inquire relative TO the great
house and its inmates.
1t was a slight upward trend of land l
had to traverse and although the house
was most slightly object and stood upon
the very summit of the elevation, yet so
surrounded was it with trees, both fruit
and ornamental was enabled to make but
little of its situation until l approached
the, outbuildings. I met with no one, nor
could perceive any negroes about the slave
quarters. Yet the place did not bear the
in the stable, cat was curled up on one
of the cabin doorsteps. and smoke con-
tinued to pour in a dull yellow cloud from
the kitchen chimney. Altogether there was
much In the situation to puzzle over, and
I no longer regretted that l had exercised
some caution In my approach.
The orchard, with the remains of a gar
den. lay between the house and the stable,
protected by a low fence of whitened pick
cts So far as I could observe it con-
tanned no occupant. and l pushed open
the gate and started down a narrow cinder
path which led between two rows of low
bushes. To right of me was an extensive
grape arbor.. completely covered with vines.
the fresh green leaves forming a delightful
contrast to the deep blue sky beyond. AS l
came opposite an opening leading into
this arbor Irtsuddenly caught the futter
of drapery and stopped instantly, my
heart throbbing like a frightened girls.
It was quite dark beneath the vine
shadow, and 1 could make out no more
than that a woman stood there her back
toward me, busted at some task. Possibly
she felt my presence, for all at once she
glanced around, and upon perceiving me
gave vent,to,a quick exclamation of ter
ror.
0sPardon me-" said, hastily, and re-
moving my hat, but you have nothing
to fear"
fThera was a rnomenf's hesifaucv ou her