The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-08-24


stopped at the. dining room door aghast.
The smoking candles in the sconces
We're throwing a somewhat uncertain
light over a scene Of devastation and
ruin. The furniture of the table and
the accessories Of the meal lay in a
broken heap at the foot of it, the chairs
were overturned, the curtains torn; the
great sideboard had been swept bare
Of its usual load Of glittering silver.
At his feet lay the body of man in
the now familiar red uniform, blood
from a CHASTITY sword thrust clotted
about his throat, the floor about his
head being covered with ominous
stains. A little farther away on the
floor near the table there was the body
Of another man in another uniform, a
naked sword lying by his side. He had
frightful looking wound on his fore
head, and the blood was slowly oozing
out of his coat sleeve, staining the lace
at his left wrist Even as he looked
the man turned a little on the floor.
and the same low moan broke from his
lips. Talbot stepped over the first body
to the side Of the other.
My God, it's SEYMOUR he said. He
knelt beside him, as Katharine had
done. Seymour" he called, "Sey-
mourn The man opened his eyes slow
~ and looked vacantly at him.
''Katharinew he murmured.
"What Of her? Is she safe?" asked
Talbot in an agony of fear.
Raiders prisoners" continued Sey-
mour brokenly in whisper, and then
feebly murmured, "Water, water!
'Here, Dick, get some water quick
ly! First hand me that decanter of
wine," pointing to one which had for
tunately escaped the eyes of the ma
rauders. He lifted Seymour's head
gently and with a napkin which he had
picked up from the floor wiped the
bloody face, washing it with the water
the groom quickly brought from the
we'll outside.
Then he poured a little of the wine
down the wounded mans throat, next
slit the sleeve of his coat and saw that
the scarcely healed wound in the arm
had broken out again. He bandaged
it up with no small skill with some Of
the other neglected table linen, and
the effect upon Seymour Of the stimu-
liant and Of these ministratons was at
once apparent. With a stronger voice
he said slowly:
"Dunmore men-Captain Johnson
colonel a Observation-Disclosures also
God grant-no harm intendedv'
FLUSH, hush! I understand. But
where are the slaves?'
Terrified, suppose-in hiding"
"Dick, see If you can find any of
them. Hurry up. We must take Mr..
Seymour back to Fairview tonight and
report this outrage to the military CON-
mander at Alexandria. Oh, that l had
boat and few men, he murmured.
Katharine was gone. He would not
tell his story tonight. She was in the
hands Of a gang of ruffans. He knew
the reputation of Johnson and the mo-
t1ves which might actuate him. There
had been struggle it was evident;
perhaps she had been wounded, killed.
Agony! He knew now how he loved
her, and it was too late.
Presently the groom returned, fol-
lowed by mob of frightened, terror
stricken negroes, who had fed at the
first advent Of the party. Talbot is
sued his orders rapidly. "Some of you
get the carriage ready. We must take
Lieutenant Seymour to Fairview Hall.
Some of you go down to the landing
and bring up the bodies Of three men
there. You go with that party, Dick.
Phoebus, you get this room cleared up.
Hurry, stir yourselves! You are all
right now. The raiders have gone and
are not likely to return"
"Why, where is Master Philip, I
wonder? Was he also taken?" he said
suddenly. "Have any of you seen
him." he asked of the servants.
HE done gone away fshin' wild
Mars Bentley" replied the old butler,
pausing, land dey amt got back yit,
tank de Lawd, but spec 'em ev'y min
ute, subj"