Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-05-18
greasegra... he did not run me t'rouss


so like he might"
"Oh; an affair of honor? Well. we'll
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. IL you break 1t
by SO much as a wink or nod. Ire
lawny will hang you to your own ridge
pole"
Given a hearing. Jennifer would have
spoiled it all by swearing hotly he had
given no parole, but at the word the
colonel roared him doWn like bull OF
Bashan. and In the hubbub my brave
lad was hustled out
Though l was full to bursting with
my news there was nothing I could
do and when it was fairly over he was
gone. l was right glad he had not
seen me. For l knew we'll his steel
true loyalty. and that at sight OF me in
trouble he would have lost his slender
chance of guarded liberty. and with 1t
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 and quota
were mounting at the door the aldede
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 sentries.
l 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,
we'll assured that Tarleton would not
spare me. And this the colonel did
not mean to do. as l was not to hear
In brief
You put bold front on, Captain
Ireton, but tbs to no purpose, this
time" he began. Ills 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
\ soldier, sir. and you know that's hang
ing. Yet l will hear you If you've any
thing to say
l made so sure that I should hang in
any case that it seemed foolish to an
swer, and so I saved my breath. With
al he was the terror of our Southland,
| this tyrant colonel gave me time to
consider; and 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 l 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. l would be glad
that 1 had seen her thus, since other
wise, thought, must have gone with
out this last or any other sight of her.
| 1t was while l was still straining my
eyes for one more glimpse of her, and
while the court room silence deepened
dense upon us like the shadows, that
4 Colonel Tarleton signed to those who
! guarded me. A hand was laid upon
my shoulder, but when I would have
turned to go With them a womans 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
| blaze of generous emotion.
For shame! Colonel Tarleton." she
cried. do you come thus into my ia
| theirs house and take wounded guest
and hang him? You say he is spy.
but that he can not be. for he has lain
abed in this same house month or
more. You shall not hang him!"
AT this there was a mighty stir about
/ the table, as you may guess; and some
would smile, and some would snuff the
candles for a better sight of her sweet
4 face And through 1t all. the while my
heart went near to bursting at this
fresh proof of her most fearless loyalty.
ground my teeth in wrath that all
those men should look their fill and
say by wink and nod and covert smile
that this We're somewhat more than
hostess loyalty.