The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-11-24

thought of miro wat turn ed into All.
a seess.n as'S siue to a arMas me her OK Keen the w ss1f.
ans Wit, INC 10 cold blooded plan to
cheat the gallCws, that made her give
me Abe sleeping draft. Having the OBJ
ject lesson of my late surrender before
her, she had no mind tn let me MAJ
the rescue by waking to forbid 1t. And
] when | taxed Ecr. twas natural pride
that drove her t.; let me go on thinking
the unworthy thought, if so ! would.
l did penance for my d~isloyalty as a
despairing love- might, and | do not
think it made me tendercr of Dick.
whose bearing to me through all these
tempestuous w!nks was most nobly
generous IL fcrgiving. l say forgiv-
ing because l WAS often but the curst-
est OF companions, as you would guess.
For when | vas not bent upon finding
that wicket gate of death which would
let me from the path of these two. |
was III "A wicked tertian of the mind
whose chill was of despair. and whose
fever was d hot desire to look once
more into the eyes OF my dear lady be-
fore the wicket gate should open for
me.
Twas this desire that finally drew
me TO her-the desire and another
thing which shall hav mention In its
place. The new year was now come,
and the southern army, as yet too weak
to cope with the enemy, was cut into
two wings of observation. II under
General Greene himself at Cheraw Hill,
the other and lesser in the knoll for
ests of the Broad with Daniel Morgan
for its chief; both watching hawklike
the down sitting of my Lord Corn
wallis, who seemed to ave taken root
at Winnsborough.
AS you will know, W~ashington's light
horse was with Morgan; and We ate,
drank and well-nigh slept in the sad
die. Blu for all our s%coutings and out
rulings, and all Dan Morgan's hearty
cursings at the i'll success of them, we
could come by no sure inkling of Lord
Cornwallis's designs. AS l nave said,
the British commander seemed to have
taken root and now was waiting to
spyout and grow.
that I volunteered to go to the British
camp at Winnsborough in my old quail
ity Of spy; did this and had my leave
and orders before Dick learned Of 1t.
Left to my own devices, I fear 1
should have Slipped away without tell
ing Jennifer. But, as so many times
before, fate interviewed to drive me
where I had not meant to go. On the
morning set for my departure 1
woke to find a letter pinned to
he ground beside me with an Indian
scalping-knife thrust through it.
Dick was sitting by the newly
kindled fire. nursing his knees and most
palpably waiting for me to wake and
find my missive.
What is it?" l asked, cycling the
thing distrustfully.
Ills a letter. as you see. Uncanoola
left it," Then, most surlily: Its from
Madge, n to you. There is your
name on the back of it,"
At this l must needs read the letter,
with the lad looking or as if he would
eat me. Twas dated at Winnsbor-
ough, and was brief and to the point.
"Monsieur: When last we met you
church had don l have spoken to the
good Pere Matthew, n he has con-
sented to write to the holy father at
Rome. But it is necessary that he
should have your declaration. Since
Tho matter is of your own seeking,
mayhap o can devise a way to COM
municate with Pere Matthew, who is
at present with us under our borrowed
roof here"
That was all, and it was signed only
with her initial. l read it through twice
inc then again to gain time. Fol Dick
a waiting.
TITS IL mere formal matter of bust
ness. said l, when | could put him off
no longer.
.Eusiness?" he queried. the red light
Of SUSPICION coming and going in his
eye. What business al you have wits
Mistress Madge Stair, pray?'
TITS aDout-it touches the title to
Appleby Hundred" said 1, equivocating
as clunlsily as Il schoolboy caught in a
fault. "Of course you know that the
contiscation act of the North Carolina
congress re~-established my right and
title to the estate?"
No" said he; you never told me-"
Them: She writes you bout this?"
about a matter touching it., as ]
say"
LAS you did not say" he growled; af-
ter which a silence came and sat be-
tween us, [ holding the open letter in
my hand and he staring gloomily at
the Jack of it.
When the silence grew %portentous I
told him Of my design to go a-spying.
He looked me in the eye and his smile
was not pleasant to see.
You are lying most clumsily, Jack;
or at best you are. telling be but half
the truth. You are going to see Mis-
tress Margery.'
THAT is altogether as 1t may hap
pen," l retorted, striving hard to keep
down the flame of insensate rivalry
which his accusing ways kindled in me.
1T is not. Winnsborough is neither
London nor yet Philadelphia, that you
may miss her in the crowd. And you
| do not mean to miss her."
well? And il I do chance to see her
what them"
Don't mad me, Jack. You should
know by this time what a fool she has
made of me-"
Continued Next Weekly