The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-01-11

the nearest refuge"
"Are you certainr
Eyes, mademolselie."
"L!sten," she confessed then. II have
deceived you. made you take me past
the Continental line becausc-because
you yourself cannot go there. You
must not go there. 'Tis not only the
British who would seize you now. ALI,
do you not understand? You have been
denounced. IT'S known that you are
the same who, they think. would have
misled the congress"
Uniformed ngainst?" he said.
"AgainT ~.
"Oh, what ghastly thing for you
to say to mel Twas Jarrat-Jarrat.
Row ashore ana fly"
"WhereT
Anywhere, anywhere" she cried
wildly, "only so it be to safety! Haste!
They gain on us!'
"lf we land they are certain to take
us. You cannot go afoot as fast as
they"
* shall not go. You shall leave me
there. Row! Row"
"And why should you care for my
lifef"
"Ah, will you stay when my heart is
breaking? There is no time to talk
now. What Is anything they may do
beside your life2 beseech You'll COM
mand you to run I'm. never intended
you to take me farther"
"You would be safe IL we could
reach GLADDEN. Hail." he said. Then
he stood up and threw OF his coat
Her tears came at this. "There is no
one Mt the hall to protect" she wept.
"Not Il slave to beat them back. Not
weapon. Tarleton sacked it, All,
you do not believe me because L de-
ceived you before! But this is the
truth-I swear 1t is the TRUTH
He made no answer, but set the
boats bow straight up the stream and
rowcd as she had never seen man row
before. She felt the timbers shiver and
creak, heard the deep intake Of his
breath and saw the splendid play Of
the arm muscles beneath his shirt
sleeve. Then, entering, ever more i'll
sistent, came the creak of the pursu-
ing craft.
The moonlight fell whitley OH the
shore they skirtel. Two miles-three
miles-past the shadows OF Kings
creek and Corbin's point. Every
tongue of land, every wedge OF forest,
how we'll she knew them! But how
slowly they fell behind! There was no
longer danger OF arousing the Cont
mental plckets. and the pursucrs' voices
came clearly. gibing ut the error OF
their prisoner which had carried him
past the line Of safety and made his
taking certain. Once Anne heard the
officer who led give sharp command TO
put down n gun.
A scant 200 yards was all there was
between the two boats when Armand
sprang upon the wharf Of GLADDEN.
Hall. Leave me-" shetbegged family,
land save yourself! You lave yet
time"
"Give me your hand" lie command
ed peremptorily. He took it and led
her, running, up the sloping lawn.
Its unkempt forlornness was softened
by the kindly moonlight, and not until
they reached the front OF the house
did its gray desolateness become all at
once apparent. The pancs in the win
dows were broken, the white pillars
battered. the front door swinging, the
yard unsightiy with rubbish.
"'Tis deserted!" Despair was in his
tone.
IL told you that"
"Are there no horses"
''The barns are burned. Leave me,
leave NE and go."
He hurried her to the front door, and
they entered. hearing as they did so
the larger boat bump the planking.
Without word he shot home the bolts
In the grcnt door and drew her into the
dining room, now overs' altered with
broken CrOckery. He locked both doors
OF this room. ~ .ashed the siIshes of the
porch windows with chair, brought
together the hrIvy outer blinds and
slid the bars rs he fastened the sec
ond the purs Ers came tumbling to the
porch. Anne. meantime. taking n clcw
from him. hm managed To fasten one
OF the win COWS in the opposite side.
He sprnng to secure the other before
the soldiers reached the back of the
house.
This shut ont the last OF the moon
light, and tho room became black
darkness Outside was Il dcadcncd
clnmor, curses and shouts to fetch ships
lanterns and search the empty quarters
for an ax. Anne could hear Armand 8
convulsive breathing.
She had gropcd her way to the side
board and opened its candle drawer \
tiny half inch end rewarded her. Flint
and stccl still hung I'm their accustomed
place. She struck them and lighted the
wick with trembling hands.
AS she did so II heavy body came
hurtling against the other side OF the
FINER door. "Bctter give up, you wca-
scl," painted voice.
Armand answered loudly, "If l do
will rOu promise to let the lady Eo!"
mo, no. Anne bcsought in an agony
"You shall not give yourself up to
them! They would not hold to such n
promise"
With her cry, however whirlcd Il
scramble of curses. "Wc'll lay you by
the heels and take the girl back, too
curse you!' And Il rain OF blows de
sccndcd on the door, while IL crash
against one of the blinds shook the
wall.
Lcnping back, Armand dragged out
the heavy mahogany sidcboard now
slnshcd and dcnted, ana set ii against
one door. The other he rC-cnfOrccd
with the overturned table and bound
this to its place with the twisted win
dow curtains Inst hn wrpurlpI an