The Press., 1911-12-27

You will have to inform Confed- crates that I am a Federal soldier in disguise carrying important dispatches through a country supposed to be in Confederate hands; in other words, that am spy. When you have told them that they will put rope around my neck, throw the end over the limb of tree and shall hang there a dead man,
 The girl shuddered. She sat on her horse, revolving something in her mind. She had come to prevent Murray from carrying out his purpose, and, although she was not minded to be the cause of his hanging, she was not ready to let him go through. The young man, too, had his problem to solve. Had his enemy been a man the result would have depended on the life of either one or the other, but girl-this was an entirely different matter.
 "I'll ride on little way with you" she said.
 They rode on slowly till they came to a wooden trough beside the road into which water ran from a pipe, while a tin cup stood on a post. The girls horse, seeing the water, turned to drink, the mans horse following.
 q would like drink myself" said Alice, and she was preparing to dis mount when Murray threw himself from his horse and, stepping up to the trough, reached for the cup, then bent over to fill it. In doing so he exposed his right hip, at which was slung revolver. Alice bent down, and before he was aware of what she was doing she had the weapon in her possession. He turned, and as he did so heard a click. When he faced her he was look ing at the muzzle of his own pistol.
 There were two weapons between these two young people-the revolver in the hands of the girl, while on the lips of the man was that good natured, winning smile. She summoned all the severity of which she was capable to show him that she was in earnest and having him at her mercy was disposed to sacrifice him if necessary to what she considered the good of her country.
 "Well," said Murray, 'fs it hands up?"
 "Give me the paper you carry"
 "Tll not give you that, but I'll give you something in place of it."
 "What?'
 "A kiss.''
 She summoned all her will power to look terrible. Give me that paper or I'll fire," she said.
 He stood back a few paces, took off his wOolen hat, folded his arms and said:
 Put it into the center of my fore head"
 Alice bit her lip. She had cherished a faint hope that he would yield. But there he stood with head uncovered, arms folded, handsome even in his butternut clothes, a breeze stirring the hair over his forehead, while on his lips remained still a trace of that i'm perturbable smile. She played her part so we'll that he was not sure but that she might bring herself to sacri- flee him to her cause.
 Alice, having nerved herself for the unmaidenly contest, was determined not to give it up without desperate struggle. She had no experience with a pistol, but determined to put ball sufficiently close to Murray's head to scare him-if he were to be scared at all.
 "Give me the paper" she said. "At three I fire"
 0DoD'f uSsfo vo11p hroa tb oountinO" he replied. Fire at once"
 "Oner
 Before I die I have but one word to say to you. You are ravishing."
 "Two!'
 And love you."
 Ahce's bosom was heaving with con- flicting emotions, a desire to strike a blow for her cause and the more nat ural one of a newly born love. She was endeavoring to mask her feelings behind the muZZle of a cooked revoly- er, but her resolution had from the first been sapped by her feminine na- ture And now it had suddenly crum- bled at the words ''I love you"
 Murray saw that the victory was his. His smile deepened, and his eyes what his lips had spoken. He advanced slowly toward her. The point of her revolver sank to her side; he encircled her waist with his arm; her head sank; their lips met.
 When darkness came Alice Clay bourne rode back to her home, and Robert Murray rode forth on his mis- sion.
 But he returned in safety and re nained long enough to convert a rebel into a Union girl, though the change was not complete till after the war had ended.