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


All these months searched and found
Ii at last by chance. / did not get to
Philadelphia with 1T till-tbat morn
ing"
There was no further answer, and
she slipped on hcr knees, feeling q
yearnlng that was like poignant sick
ness.
"YOu must hear" she went OH plead
ingly, clasping her fingers, "and be-
lieye me or my heart will break. Fate
put mc i'm the recess of the window at
the Red Lion tavern, Louis. L saw Jar
rat give you the forged message-saw
you fight and run him through.
knew you were true-true to your mas
ter's honor and your own"
"You accused mev' The words stung
her. Accused me to the Contlnentalsw
"Listcn! Listen TO mew she prayed
| desperately. IL must tell you it all
now--now at Tile end. Jarrat showed
me the papcr-the contract that bound
you to give your lIfe-your life! And
knew you would do 1t. Oh, what that
meant! 1 would have given my own
life hundred times to prevent 1t. Can
III
that room and say that-that of your
Your face was dreadful! / thought
should die when you looked at mcv'
$50 you killed my honorw
"No, no! Not that-I did not mean
that, Louis! 1 had such little time to
thinll-such small time to reason.
had only time to fecl-to feel rs wo-
man will, and to act. I had to defeat
the contract to keep you from going
back to the prison-to death. thought
L could clear YOU ut the last, l who
knew you were true, because 1 had the
packct-the true message. Only prom
iscd my soul that ] should not speak
within the month"
went OH I'm sudden pathos of pleading:
"What know we women OF soldiers
duty or soldiers honor-we who are
cherished and toasted all our lives?
We know only to love, to follow-and-
and-to save what we love in spite of
all the world"
There wGs Il movement now, step
"Thcn l took the packet, Louis, into
the congress to DR.. Franklin that very
hour, and could not tell you what
had done-and you escaped them. /
thought you had gone to your death.
And you didn't know! You never knew.
Oh" she sobbcd, 'if you would only
forgive me, only touch me, only lay
your hand on my head
She heard stumble. smothcrcd
cry. The iron bar changed against the
floor. An arm, cropping, trembling.
touched her wet check.
"My God! And l doubted YOU" Ar
mand's voice thrilled her in IL great
burst of gricfwound joy. "You gave
the message? My darling, my darling"
She felt herself caught up in his arms
in the dark, shuddcring, crying, pant
ing incOhcrcnt phrases, kissing his face,
his rough coat, his cpaulCt3, stranyling
with fierce terror and ecstasy of love
and feeling his passion strain and fold
her. 1t seemed to her that all of life
and death was concentrated in that one
cmbrncc-that nothing existed i'm the
world but the dclirium of that single
sweet bitter moment.
a medley of shouts and aX blows on
both of the doors ut ono time sent her
into quick spaSmS of dread. \ panel
IL
thrust in. Armand released her, struck
once with the iron bar, and the man
fell back, cursing, with broken arm.
"Shoot" one shouted. Are we TO be
baycd by this rat"
"pon't fire" came the response. The
order was Imperative.
The blows began again. Another pan
el crashed. and the holes let in more
light. 1t fell upon Anncs pallid lips
and showed her .Nrmund'S white sleeves
and pale face, set, but calm. "A blow
struck the lock of the other door. 1t
yielded, and tho oak swung In against
the stout sideboard.
Anne felt her limbs grow cold.
"Lost, lost! she murmurcd and lean
ed dumbly against the wainscoting.
Suddenly fusillade of muskctry
woke the echoes out OF doors and a
crisp shout garnishcd ii. "Iilc out of
that hall and lay down arms!"
There arose n saturnalia of rcvile'
mcnt from tho hall. Then, as 1T died,
the voice asked, "What mean these ac-
tive hostilticS in n period of armis-
ticeW
otis sortic for an escaped prison
err" came the jnrring mirth of Jnrrat.
well major, 1 think YOU will have
need yourself for all the prisoners to
be found here
Anne had gone from one terror to an
other and bttcrcr one. The Cont
nontals.' she moancd.
The crisp voice approached the spln-
tered door "Coloncl Armand" it said,
II arrest YOU i'm the name of the Unit
ed States of America. DO you surrcn-
derY'
"By whose ordcrs!'
"Thc generals commanding the Sec
ond brigade"
"I am colonel Of independent cav
airy" answered Armand clearly. II
acknowledge orders only from the divi-
sion commandcr."
Jarrat laughed.
Sharp directions followed. The axes
cut wider assures in the panels, and
through these muskcts obtrudcd and
took aim. "Aiy orders are TO take You
alive, to shoot il YOU resist. give YOU
five minutes TO open that door"
Anne ran to Armand and threw her
solf info his arms "th Won must not !