Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-11
SBn RANDALL PARRISH

looked across the table at me almost an
grlly.
Very WELL SIR he said gravely. Your
fate is in your own hands, and will depend
very largely upon your replies to my ques-
lions. You claim to have been the bearer
of dispatches, and hencea no spy, yet you
possess nothing to substantiate your claim
AS your regiment is with Lee, l presume
you were seeking Longstreet. Were your
dispatches de1ivered?"
II have reason to believe So
by yourself?
by the sergeant who accompanied me,
and who continued the journey after was
detained
rs Lee contemplating an immediate
movement
+ General Sheridan 1 exclaimed indig-
nantly, you must surely forget that L am
an officer of the confederate army. You
certainly have no reason to expect that I
will SO far disregard my obvious duty as to
answer such a question:
Your refusal to explain why you were
hiding within our lines Is ample reason for
my insistence, he said tartly; land I am
not accustomed to treating spies with any
great consideration, even when they claim
rebel commissions. You are not the first
to seek escape in that way. Was your dis
patch the cause of the hurried departure Of
Longstreets troops eastward"
This last question was hurled directly at
me, and I noticed that every eye in the
room was eagerly scanning my face. had
the quick, fiery temper Of a boy then, and
my cheeks flushed.
Il positively decline to answer one word
relative to the dispatches intrusted to me-
said deliberately, and my voice shook
with sudden rush of anger. "And no officer
who did not dishonor the uniform he wore
would insult me with, the question"
A bombshell exploding in the room could
not have astonished them as did my answer
| realized to the full the probable result
but my spirit was high, and I felt the ut
ter uselessness of prolonging the Interview
sooner or later the same end must come
Sheridan's face, naturally flushed, in
Stantly grew crimson, and dangerous
light fiamed into his fierce eyes. For a mo-
ment he seemed unable to speak; then he
Numbered forth:
You young fool, 1 can tell you that you
WIZ speak before another twenty-four
hours, or LII hang you for a spy If 1t cost
me my command. Major Brennan, take
under guard
Brennan stepped forward, smiling, as if
ne enjoyed the paTt assigned to him.
Come on, you Johnny" he said coarsely
his hand closing heavily on my arm. Then,
seeming unable to repress his pleasure at
the ending Of the interview, and his pres
ent sense OF power, he bent lower, so that
his insolent words should not reach the
others, and Missed holly:
stealing women is probably more in
your line than this"
AT the sneering words and the Insulting
look which accompanied them, my blood,
already boiling, leaped into sudden fire.
All the fierce hatred engendered within me
by his past treatment. his cowardly insin-
uations, his unknown yet intimate rela-
ionship to the woman loved. famed up
IN irresistible power, and I struck him with
open hand across the lips.
You miserable hound.' I cried madly
None but coward would taunt helpless
prisoner. l only hope l may yet be free
long enough to write the lie with steel
across your heart
Before he could move Sheridan was upon
his feet and between us.
... Back both of your he ordered sharply.
There shall be no Drawing here Major
Brennan, you will remain; I would speak
with you further regarding this matter
Lieut.. Cation, take charge of the prisoner"
Go be continued tomorrow