Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-01-25
CHAPTER xviii.
We Capture a Courier.

CHAPTER xviii.
i We Capture Courier.
! The girls light burst of laughter
aroused me thoroughly to sense of
our situation.
"You seem to derive much amuse-
ment from condition of affairs al
most intolerable to me-" said bitter
~. II have always valued most highly
the friendship Of Mrs. Brennan, but
this unfortunate occurrence will doubt
less end it."
She glanced up at me, her long
lashes wet, but her dark eyes spark
ling with mischief.
.Oh, she won't care so far as you
are concerned" she exclaimed indif-
ferently. But l suppose she will
think am perfectly horrid. Well,
don't care If she does; she might
have waited and learned the truth
hrst. Wasn't her face q study? And
how shall ever explain to Arthur so
that he will understand? I'm sure
have got the worst of it. Oh, Captain
Wayne, is my hair all ruf11ed up?
know I look like fright. You must
come In now, and we will explain to
Mrs. Brennan the whole matter. She
cannot help believing us both, while
know she would be so cold and
proud to me alone"
/ shook my head decisively. Per
haps it was better ended so; at least
/ possessed no courage just them to
face her indignation. She might but
deem we had concocted our explana-
ton, and would very likely receive it
with all the scorn she felt it deserved.
Besides, 1t was clear there was moth
Ing I could do to aid them. 1 should
be now merely an unwelcome intru-
der. An escort was to be there short
ly to convoy them northward, and for
me to be found in their company by
Brennan would only inflame him and
add greatly to the embarrassment of
his wife's position. Much as l might
long for immediate vindication in her
sight, the plain duty Of true love was
to depart at once, and permit time to
straighten out the tangle.
You must pardon me-" l fastened
to say, standing hat in hand before
her, "but 1t would not be best for
me to tntrude upon Mrs. Brennan aft.
or her late reception. merely halt
ed here in order to assure myself OF
your presence and safety. My men
are even now waiting for me a few
hundred yards away"
But wish you to meet Arthur"
"Oh, think not, Miss Minor. fee
warm friendship for Lieutenant Cation
but we wear different uniforms, serve
under different flags, and a meeting
here, both with armed forces behind
us, would naturally have to be a hos
tile one. However the Lieutenant and
might consent to a temporary truce
his superior officer, Major Brennan
would not likely prove of the same
mind"
Then you really must go?"
Unless you specially desire to wit
ness cavalry skirmish in your from,
!dooryard, certainly consider it best.
and held out my hand. Surely VIZ
part as friends, and l may hope tina
you will intercede in my behalf will
Mrs. Brennan?"
She rose up impulsively.
How ridiculous; how supremely RI
diculous! Why, of course I will
though don't suppose Edith reall!
cares very much, but she believed i
would be highly proper to be shocked
don't think she likes you so yer.
we'll anyway, Captain Wayne, for sh'
never will talk about you"
With these cheering words ringing
In my ears, and feeling thoroughly de
feated In every cherished hope,
strobe savagely down the long hill an,
amounted my horse. How roughly fol
tune had suffeted me, to be sure, AM
how extremely small the inspiration
left. Well, perhaps deserved it TO
ever permitting myself to love on
whom l knew to be the wife OF ar
other. Doubtless she had seized upo'
this slight pretext to be rid of me
and was already rejoicing over 1t
easy accomplishment.
In my agitation forgot entirely tn
presence of Maria Bungay at tn
house, and ordering my men into sac
die prepared for departure withou
giving thought to the little felloN
and his domestic troubles. chos
the road leading toward the nortt
west, for although I had not asked tn
question conceived it highly probabl
that Brennan and his party would rid
from the Federal calvary quarters q
Golfers Church, and had no desir
to meet them. They were upon a
errand of mercy of far greater impo
tance than my revenge.
AS we swung along through tn
heavily timbered land fringing GU
road, Bungay pressed his mule into
trot and finally succeeded in rangin
llp at my side. Even in my disturbe