Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-10-11
Nai.d, Wife or Widow?
Is McD.Fron the Enemy. E e =
B~ MIRO. ALEXANDER.
CHAPTER l.
Continued,
Y
~>r>N~>Nr~.


Continued.
IN another minute the song ceased,
a voice murmured some words the lis
tener could not catch. and then the
song was resumed with peculiar ten
derness In the strain.
Steinhausen rose, cautiously holding
him sabre to avoid making any noise.
and approached the window. which
was open, in order to peep through
the jalousies unseen.
"That Is no Dienstmadchen's song
he thought. 1T is trained. refined
voice, and expressive. too
Looking carefully through the blind
he discovered the singer.
The room occupied by S.,inhausen
was near an angle Of the square
formed by the house and offices on
three sides, the gateway and low walls
right and left making it the fourth.
The chief entrance was beneath the
apartments assigned to the Prussian
officers; but to .he right OF Steinhau'
sens window, in the side Of the house
opposite the gateway, was a smaller
door, or, rather, a French window. to
which two or three stone steps led
from the yard.
It was open, and on the stone steps
before it stood the songstress, slight
figure in white, with black sash and
ribbons in her abundant hair parted
and drawn back from the face into
rich coils, and the face itself. with a
dreamy look. toward the window
where the unseen watcher had taken
UP his post Of observation.
Her right arm rested on the rail
which defended the steps, and the
hand held an open letter, while the
left, dropped to her side, clasped q
small key basket.
It was long since Steinhausen had
looked upon 50 charming figure. An
indeflnable, soft, womanly grace per-
vaded every line and marked every
gesture, while the lace undersleeve.
falling back, showed wrist and arm
WOlueTlull. lOuHi anu 'oh'
AS he looked the song ceased again,
for several pigeons came futterlng
down, some to strut and bow at her
feet, some, more audacious. lerching
themselves on the lail at her elbow.
She put the letter, with a sort OF ten.
der care, inside the folds of her dress
ION the left side, Steinhausen noticed),
and. searching in her basket. pro.
duced some grain or seeds, which
she threw to the pigeons, speaking
softly to them, the murmur Of her
voice reaching Steinhausen where he
stood, fascinated In an unaccountable
degree.
There was nothing about the quiet
figure which deserved to be called
"beautiful."
He had seen dozens of women far
lovelier and more distinguished
But why attempt to describe the in
describable?
Steinhausen. scoffer and skeptic as
he was, wes suddenly and completely
eaptivated.
\; He would have scorned to admit IT
even to himself. in SO many words, yet
he was conscious OF q wild, intense
wish to talk with this fair girl face to
face, to ask her history, to attract to
himself the delicate tenderness which
she lavished on the mute creatures
around her Zone had just taken a seed
from her lips.
1t was no whimsical. intermittent
kindness that had thus familiarized
them with her presence.
Leaning his arm against the side OF
the window-frame above his head,
Steinhausen gazed through the down
slanting jalousles to his hearts con-
tent, unseen and safe.
But the villa was rouslng itself from
its afternoon repose.
Sounds of voices and the occasional
clatter of pots and pans from large
apartment to the right of the stems
where the lady in white stood, broke
the stiffness.
Several hens and chickens which had
been lazily luxuriating in beds of sand
and gravel under the shade of the
walnut tree now crept out and came
clucking and -chirping toward the gen
eral benefactress to share whatever
was going.
The tramp of heavy boots sounded
from the stables, and a trooper with a
couple of buckets came across the yard
and proceeded to fill them from the
stone trough; having done so. he Ad.
vanced step, and stood gazing very
unconcernedly at the object of Stein
hausen's admiration.
1t is that insolcnt brute. Martin" he
muttcred, with infinite disgust.
"These fellows must not give th"m
selves the airs of conquerors here"
md he frowned portentously as q
pleased grin spread itself over tic
soldiers broad red face.
A large Newfoundland dog at that
moment came bounding from the farm
yard. and proceeded to bcstow his
boisterous caresses on the central o1
)ect, upSettinS ner pdshct anu sCat'ei
ing the keys about.
"Down. Nero, down! thou hast 70"
gotten all thy masters tcachinG.' or ed
the young lady. LOUD enough to be dis
tinctly heard at the same time th:
trooper came quickly forward. AMI
with amazing .ollteness. assisted II
collecting the keys. restoring them tt