The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-12-01

thought of miro was eurnsd into as
othas thorn to lrick me IN the self,
accusing side. twas her keen WON.
ans Wit. and - old blooded plan To
cheat The gallcMs. that made her give
me the sleeping draft. Eaving the OBJ
Ject lesson of MY late surrender before
her. she had no mind to let me maj
the rescue by waking to forbid ii. And
when l taxed trr. twas natural pride
that drove her t, let me go on thinking
the unworthy thought. if so l would.
| did penance for my dlsloyaltN as a
despairing love: might. and ! do not
think it made ME tenderer of Dick.
whose bearing TO me through all these
tempsstuouS weeks Was most nobly
generous and fcrgiving. | say forgiv-
ing because l WAS often but the curst-
est of companions, as you would guess.
For When | was not ben upon nding
that wicket gate of death which would
let me from tn, path of these two. 1
was in a wicked tertian of the mind
whose chill was of despair, and whose
fever WAS a hot desire to look once
more into the eyes of my dear lady be-
fore the wicket gate should open for
me.
twas this de sire that finally drew
me to her-the desire and another
thing which shall have mention in its
place. The new year was now come,
and the southern army. as yer 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
aSfs ~ e tJ,n IlrnnJ with no1in1 NJnrrn,,
for it's chief: both watching hawklike
the down-sitting of my Lord Corn
wallis, who seemed to have taken root
at Winnsborough.
AS you will know, Washington'sI light
horse was with Morgan; and we ate,
drank and well-nigh slept in the sad
die. But for all our scoutings and out
rulings, and all Dan Morgan's hearty
cursings at the III success of them, we
could come by no sure inkling of Lord
Cornwallis's designs. AS | AVE said.
the British commander seemed to have
taken root and now was waiting to
sprOut and grow.
1t was at this lack-knowledge crisis
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 tt.
Left to my own devices. l fear I
should have slipped away without tell
ing Jennifer. But, as SO many times
before. fate interviewed to drive me
morning set for my departure l
woke to find a letter pinned to
the 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
tind my missive.
What is it?" l asked, cycling the
ominous thing distrustfully.
Ills a letter, as you see. Uncanoola
left it," Then, most surlily:: Ills from
Madge, and 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
said the church might undo what the
church had lone. l have spoken to the
good Pere Matthew, and he a con-
sentcd to write to the holy father at
Rome. But it is necessary that he
should have your declaration. Since
Che matter is of our own seeking,
mayhap Q can devise a way to COM
municate will Pere Matthew. who is
at present with us under our borrowed
roof here"
That was all. and it was signed only
with her initial. 1 read it through twice
and then again to gain time. For Dick
was waiting.
Ills Il mere formal matter of bust
ness, said l. when l could put him off
no longer.
'.Business?" he queried, the red light
OF SUSPICION coming and going in his
eye. What business car YOU have witt
Mistress Madge Stair, pray?"
Ills about-it touches the title to
Appleby Hundred" said l, equivocating
as clunsily as a schoolboy caught in q
fault. 'Of course you know that the
confiscation act of the North Carolina
congress re-established my right and
title to the estate?"
No" said he: you never told me-"
Then She writes you about this?"
About IA matter touching it, as ]
say
"As you did not say" he growled; at
ter which a silence came and sat be-
tween us. I holding the open letter in
my hand and he staring gloomily az
the back of it.
When the silence grew portentous I
told min 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;
the truth. You are going to see Mis-
tress Margery."
THAT is altogether as it may hap
pen," 1 retorted, striving HARD to keep
down the flame of i~nsensate 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"
We'll? And If l do chance to see her
what then?"
Don't mad me, Jack. You should
know by this time what a fool she has
made OF me-"
Continued Next Week.,
The WARFARE Of Business.