The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-04-07
BY Francis Lynde.

'cis Lynde. --
Iah. %,r=tou. you reea not fear ms
though l ana just nov this redcoa
. captains neNt friend. y know NOR
about the Baron de kaih's doinss than
[ anybody slse in Mecklenhurg
4 Il" What should know
You know a deal-or else the Cos
sips lie most recklesSiy.'
They do lie if they counec me- witi
the Baron de kaln. or with any Other
!. of the patriot side. What are the,
SAYING"
That YOU come straight from the
baron's camp in V~ivsinia-to see whai
% can see"
"A spy. ehr Ills cut out OF whole
cloth, Dick, my lad. I've never took
the oath on either side"
He looked vastly disappointed. But
you will. Jack? Surely. You have not
to think twice in such a cause?"
AS between king and congress, you
mean? lis no quarrel of mine"
Now God save us. John Ireton," he
burst out in a fine fervor OF youthful
enthusiasm that made him all the
handsomer. Il had never thought to
hear your ather's son say the like"
1 shrugged.
"And why not. pray? The kings
minion. Tryon, hanged my father and
gave his estate to his mlnion's minion,
Gilbert Stair. So. in spite of your dec
larations IL your confiscations and
your laws against alien %landholders. l
come back to find myself still the son
OF the outlawed Roger Ireton. and this
same Gilbert Stair firmly lodged in my
fathers seat
Jennifer shrugged in his turn.
Gilbert Stair-for sweet Madge's
/ SAX I lnlth ~ saw ~ 6N;th1rt Ctoir
blows hot or cold as the vino sets fair
or stormy. And / will say this for
him: no other Tyron legatee of
them all has steered so fine a course
through these last five upsetting years.
How he trims so skflfully % man
knows. A short month since. he had
General Rutherford and Conole Sumter
as guests at Appleby Hundred: now it
is Sir Francis Falconnet and the Brit
lsh lighthouse officers who are hon
ored. But let him rest: the cause of
independence is bigger han any man.
or any mans private quarrel. friend
John; and 1 had hoped"
yourself, Dick. My business in Queens
borough was to learn how best l might
reach Mr.. Rutherford's rendezvous"
20 a he sat, pipe in air,
staring at me as if to make sure that
he mad heard Alright. Then he clipt my
hand and wrung it. babbling out some
boyish bravo that / made haste to put
an end to.
Softly, my lad" I said: otis no
great thing the congress will gain by
my adhesion. But you, Richard: how
comes it that l find you taking your
ease. at Jennifer House and h~obnobbing
with his majesty's officers when the
cause you love is still in such des-
perate straits?"
Hin h11sbad lilo n rjr1 ~ +I,,+ owl
for a little space only pulled the hard
er at his pipe.
Il did go out with the Minute Men In
IS, if you know, and smelt pow
der at Moore's Creek. When my time
was done l would have listed again:
but just at that my father died and the
%Jennifer acres We're like to go to the
dogs. lacking oversight. So 1 came
home ~and-and-"
He stopped in some embarrassment,
and l thought to help him on.
Nay, out with it. Dick. If / am not
thy father. l am near old enough to
stand in his stead. Twas more than
husbandry that rusted the sword in
its scabbord, I'll be bound"
You are right. Jack: twas both
more and less" he confessed. shame
facedly. Twas this same Margery
Stair. AS l nav said. her father blows
hot or old as the wind sets. but not
she. She is the ~tiercest little Tory in
the two Carolinas, bar none, When 1
had got Jennifer in order and began to
ak of listing again. she flew into a
pretty rage and stamped her foot and
all but swore hat Dick Jennifer in buff
II blue should never look upon her
face again with her sood will"
1 had a glimpse of Jennifer the lover
as he spoke. n the sight went some
what on the way toward casting out
| tho Inril of S111nr, 1.a 0a thnt 1aJ noc-
sessed me since firstI had set return
ing foot in this my native homeland.
Twas a life lacking naught of hard
ness. but much of human m%ellowing.
that lay behind the Homecoming; AMI
my n sweet friend in all that barren
life was dead. What wonder, then. if
l set this frank Richard in the
other Richards stead. wishing him all
the happiness that poor Dick Coverdale
had missed? I needed little. would
need still less, l thought. before the war
should end: and through this love-
match my lost estate would come at
length to Richard Jennifer. 1t was a
m~eliorating thought. and while it held
l could be less reveneeful.
"Dost o her. Dick?" I asked.
AYE. and have eve since she was
i'm pinafores. and a hobbledehoy in
Master wytheby's school,"
s. long, I thought Mr.. Stair was
ariatef conner IN MecKlenDufg.
He came eight years ago, as one of
Tyron's underlings. Madge was even
then motherless; the same little wilful
prat-a-pace she has ever been. I would
you knew her. Jack. 'Twould make
this stiffness of mine seem the thing
1t is"
Sc you have stayed at home
accounting while others fought to give
you leisure said I. thinking to rally
him. But he took it harder thar /
meant.
Tits lust this. Jack: and am fair
ashamed. While the fighting kept to
the north it did no grind so keen: but
now, with the redcoats at our doors.
and the Tories sacking and burning in
every settlement. tbs enough to fay an
honest mar alive. God-a-mercy, Jack!
ri go: I've got to go. or die of shame,"
He sat silent after that. and as there
I seemed nothing that a curst old cam
paigner could say at such a pass. 1 bore
him company.
BY and by he harked back to the
matter of his GRAND making some
apology for his coming to me as the
baronet's second.
Twas none of my free offering. you
may be sure" he added. But it so
happened that Captain Falconnet once
| did IA n lilo Jr, r had nho,caI t1