The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-02-07

AOOAh-e hH at lnt III DCuhSs ltll
feeling of awe and reverence stealing
over her and softly sang:
Still all my song shall be.
Nearer. my God to thee
Nearer, my God, to thee;
Nearer to thee
And 10. From close beside her a
voice repeated the last two lines of the
refrain and brought her out of the
hammock and upon her feet in an in
slant.
Leaning against tree scarce two
yards distant she saw young man of
less than thirty. with his cap in his
hand and smile of apology on his
bronzed and handsome face. He was
roughly dressed, and yet the garments
did not fit him i'll.
"A thousand pardons for the intru-
sion" he said as he bowed low.
"You-you are the man who sang at
Andy's, and you are hurt" she said as
she took u step forward.
"Only bit of an accident, miss-two
or three ribs broken by a fall from my
horse. l know this place. Up behind
the big bowlder there is a cave. |
wanted to lie up in there for couple
of weeks and give these ribs a chance
to mend. OF course | did not know
you were here. A thousand pardons.
l will so elsewhere"
"No. You shall go up there, and
will see that you are made comforta-
BILE. The colored man shall bring you
everything needful. Go at once be-
fore some one comes. Please go."
The man smiled and bowed and took
his way up the hillside, and Moses.
coming up just then with a supply of
fuel. was told of the strangers pres
ence and pledged to aid and secrecy
A flask of brandy was filed bedding
and food flung together, and these
things he carried up to the cave.
An hour later sherilf's posse ar
rived, but they made no discoveries.
The man they had been trailing for
three days seemed TO have vanished off
the face of the earth.
On the afternoon of the fifth day, all
the men being away again, the girl
climbed the hillside. and, sitting down
beside the bowlder with her back to
the cave. she said to the man inside,
who gave her greeting and protested
his gratitude:
You must have had home-father.
mother brothers and sisters perhaps?"
And then he told her his story-told
ii TO human being for the first time
1t was the old. old story-pranks at
college. stern father. an obstinate
son, harsh words, the going away from
home with Il heart full of bitterness.
And now, when you are better?"
she asked as his story was finished.
"Ive been thinking. | shall do no
more of 1t. | may go back and take
my place in the world again. have
not taken human life and am not be-
You'd redemption
God grant that you go back she
fervently exclaimed. Il think there
are spies around the camp. ana l dare
not come to you again. If y0u go at
night, when all is quiet, give me Il
sign, IL sign that you are going back to
those who must still care for you--to
honesty. honor and respectabiity.'
He promised. At midnight five nights
later terrible storm swept the noun
tains and the valleys again. There
was no sleep for any one in the camp
until the storm passed away and Il
stars shone again.
The last lingering raindrops were
falling upon her tent when a sound
caused the girl to rise from her couch
and part the flaps of her tent and look
out. From up the hillside whore Its
clothing of frs still glistened with tie
wet, came the words of the refrain:
''Still all my song shall be,
Nearer. my Cod, to thee;
Nearer, my God. to thee;
Nearer to thee.
"What is it. Olly?" asked the broth
er as he looked out of his own tent.
and his query was echoed by the young
men.
The girl did not answer. There were
tears in her eyes and a sob in her
throat. Happy Harry was going
away He had given her the promised
sign. He Was going home to father,
mother and sister. and the mountains
and valleys would know him no more.