Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-05-19

among the ~bystanders being fresh CONS
from the night without to the glare OF
j candle-!ight within; and while the
swaft-faced colonel piled him with
questions | had a nance to look him
up and down. Though his arm was stir
in it's sling, he VAS seemingly the bet
ter OF his wound There was a glow OF
health and strength returning In cheek
and eye, and ! thought him handsomel
than yer what time he stood forth
boldly and confronted the bullying
colonel.
Knowing the Jennifer stock and 1t,
fine scorn OF subterfuge. l feared II
would go hard with Richard; and 50
indeed, IL had rome, lacking a word ir
season from an enemy. When Tarleton
would have him choose between the
taking Of the kings oath and captivity
IN the hulks at Charleston, a burly He's
sian captain at the table spoke the woro
in season.
"Verdammt! mine Colonel, / win
know dis Mr.. Yennifer. He is a prave
yoong schalavags, n he Is not gone
out NIT der rebels. Give him to ms
FOR mine plumbers
The colonel laughed and showed his
teeth. Having one man to hang he
could afford TO be lenient with another.
What will you do with him, Cap
tain Lauswoulter? BY the look OF
him he'd make but Indifferent sausage
meat"
Vat shall do nit him? / shall
make him mine best bows and send him
home, by Gott, We did had some lid
die troubles NIT der cards, and ven
mine foot was slipped on dis verdammt
greasegrass he did not run me trough
so like he might"
"Oh; an affair OF honor? Well. Wen
count that In his favor. Take him
away, Trelawny. and quarter yourself
and twenty men upon him at Jennifer
House. You have your parole, Mr.. Jen-
infer: but by the Lord, II you break 1t
by so much as a wink or a nod, Ire
lawny will hang o TO your own ridge
pole
Given a hearing, Jennifer would have
spoiled Ii all by swearing hotly he had
given no parole, but at the word the
colonel roared him down like a bull of
Bashan. and in the hubbub my brave
lad was hustled out
Though I was full TO bursting with
my news there was nothing / could
do; and when 1t was fairly over he was
gone. l was right glad he had not
seen me. For / Knew well his steel
true loyalty. and that at sight of me In
trouble he would have lost his slender
chance OF guarded liberty, and with ii
my last hope of sending word across
the mountains; though, as for that, the
hope was we'll night dead at any rate.
While Jennifer's guard n quota
were mounting at the door the aide-de-
camp returned, and that without the
baronet. / caught but here and there
a word OF his report; enough to gather
that the captain-knight was not yet
in from posting out the sentrtes.
made no doubt his absence was de-
signed. He would have Margery be-
lieve that he had spared me honorably
as an enemy wounded, and so had left
me to the tender merices of his colonel,
well assured that Tarleton would not
spare me. And his the colonel did
not mean to do, as | was not to hear
in brief.
You put a bold front on, Captain
Ireton. but tits TO no purpose, his
time" he began. ''Tis charged against
you that you rode here from the baron's
camp with your commission in your
pocket. and came and went within our
lines like any other spy. You are a
soldier, sir, and you know that's hang
ing. Yet l will hear YOU If you've any
thing to say"
/ made so sure that i should hang in
any case that 1t seemed foolish to an
swer. and so / saved my breath. With
al he was the terror of our Southland,
this tyrant colonel gave me time to
consider; n while he waited, grim and
silent the candles on the table guttered
and ran down, and the dim light
failed till / could no longer see the
face of her | loved framed in the arch
way OF the stair.
/ thought 1T hard that | had seen my
last OF her sweet face thus through
thickening shadows, as a dream might
fade. Nevertheless. i would be glad
hat l had seen her thus, since other
wise, l thought, / must have gone with
out this last or any other sight of her.
1t was while / was still straining my
eyes for n more glimpse of her, and
while the court room silence deepened
dense upon us like the shadows, that
Colonel Tarleton signed to those who
guarded me. A hand was laid upon
my shoulder, but when l would have
turned to go with them a woman's cry
cut sharp into the Stiffness Then, be
fore anyone could say a word or think
a thought, my dauntless little lady
stood beside me, her eyes alight and all
her glorious beauty heightened in a
blaze of generous emotion.
'For shame! Colonel Tarleton.' she
cried. do you come thus into my IA
TIERS house and take a wounded guest
and hang him? You say he is a spy,
but that hi can not be, for he has lain
abed In this same house month or
more. lou SudI uOl Adt6 hbbh
AT this there was a mighty stir ese.t
the table, as you may guess; and some
would smile, and some would snuff the
candles for a better sight of her sweet
face. And through it all, the while my
heart went near TO bursting at his
fresh proof of her most fearless loyalty,
Il ground my teeth in wrath h a all
those men should look their fl and
say by wink and nod and covert smile
that this were somewhat more than
hostess loyalty.