The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-06-08

for e~scape-fhe very latencs~ N the
hour. the urgent requirement for haste
on the part of MI concerned. the poS
sibility that the necessary papers had
not been procured. the girls strong op-
position to the ceremony.
we were mt tie steps. and 7 could
perceive the outlines OF two black hg-
ureS rising up to greet me. II was the
deep voice Of the elder Denslow which
spoke. bis outsfretched hand warmly
grasping mine
.sTbe last minute. Calvert. M boy.
the last minute. So we are to march
at midnight. you say? Well. we a
make il with bard riding. and ! a
~ now with a relieved heart. know
ing Jean will be well looked after
while we are away. Come up. my boy.
The thieving Yanks have not left us q
light about the house. nor very much
Of anything else. However. we al
get along In the dark. reckon the
parsou knows his lines without a book.
Chaplain Mordaunt. you u he nc
quaiuted with Lieutenant Dunn. as you
are both stationed at headqusrtersY"
Il have seer him occasionally. al
though. as you may recall. he is but
newly assigned
True: only your second week Of
star duty. isn't It. Calvert? Jean.
daughter"
A swift hope thrilled through me
that she might have already fed or
have hidden herself within the dark
ened house. The hospitabIe colonel
had half forced me back into a vacat-
ed chair and remained facing me.
standing shoulder to shoulder with his
son on the upper step. The chaplain
remained seated close upon my left.
All about us was latticework thickly
covered with trailing vines. The only
way of escape would be BY finging
both father and son headIong to the
walk below. or perhaps q sudden dash
back into the unknown interior.
| neither saw nor heard her as she
came forward. When she answered
her slight figure suddenly appeared
standing between her father and the
chaplain. a mere indistinct outline. yet
so womanly as to send a sudden thrill
to my heart.
Every we'll. father. / am here to keep
my word with Lieutenant Dunn"
IL had come. The urgent necessity
for instant action. for immediate de-
cision was upon me. and-l failed
saw the chaplain rise deliberately to
his feet. and ! struggled up also. fierce
~ gripping the back of my chair. half
tempted to use it as a weapon with
which to sweep the steps before me
clear. Yet | hesitated. swayed by
doubt. Influenced by many emotions.
What was right? What was best7
What ought | to do? Would eve the
license of war exonerate me? The op-
portunity for an easy escape lay clear
before me: merely a few brief words
spoken in the darkness. the silent act
ing of a simple part. the riding away
| together. the others departing unsus-
pcctingly to their several commands.
the leaving of the uninjured girl within
easy reach of Fairview. which could
not be far distant. then the spur. the
river. and Rosecrans.
] could not distinguish a feature of
her averted face. but a vagrant
breath of air blew a strand of soft
hair against my cheek. Could ] sac
rifce her. eve for such a cnuses
Suddenly. as If it were the whisper of
the devil in my ear. came the con-
trolling thought-she despises the man
Dunn: she is being driven into this
marriage against her will. Possibly
this very fraud on my part will best
serve her. will eventually result in her
final happiness. We would be togeth-
er merely for an hour or two hours.
Then she would be left safe in the
care of friends. comprehending the
deceit. angry with me no doubt. yet
nothing the worse for the adventure.
1t might ever be that the marriage
contracted under such peculiar cir
cumstances would not be held as legal.
while If it was q divorce could be
most easily obtained on the ground of
fraud.
You will join right hands"
How soft and small her hand was!
How cold to the touch. and how 1t
trembled beneath the clasp of my fin
gers. Once the drawing voice APP
peared to ask me something, repeat
ing the question somewhat sharply
before I could force my dry lips into
the few necessary words of response.
Then I heard her distinctly say. II
do" yet with an effort. as though the
utterance nearly choked her. The
very sound of these two words as she
thus spoke them. filed with utter
honeiessness. shocked me even then.
and l looseneu my clasp. permitting
Der hand to drop as l stared toward
her. The hot blood rushed to my
head. every nerve tingling. I would
not he guilty Of this cowardly thing!
| would fight them all first.
And now ! pronounce you husband
and wife; whom God hath joined t0-
gether let no man put asunder."