The Washington times., 1913-09-02

4 holster as he ran. Two minutes that
seemed hours brought him to little Sc
questered clearing. A small white
among the trees. @ Flowers FLOW % bioomed %
around the porch. A little gadren lay
on to the left On the porch woman
was struggling desperately In the arms
of three men. Half a dozen others
were eongregated at the, foot Of the
steps watching the scene, laughing.
| yelling in brutal and vulgar triumph.
| Others were ransacking some OF the
| outbuildings further away.
Their uniforms. So far as they wore
any, were blue. All told there might
ton did not stop for that. His advent
was complete surprise. He was upon
them like a storm. The pistol cracked
In his nervous hands. Once, twice.
startled survivors started to run. One
| man on the porch released the woman,
who redoubled her efforts to escape. and
turned and drew his pistol. firing In re-
turn. The bullet grazed Grafton and
stopped, faltered and fell He had been
hard hit and was dohe for. Grafton
luckily disengaged himself as he went
down and shot the man before he could
| pull the trigger again. He drew his
sword and rushed at the remaining man
on the porch. A slightly wounded man
at the steps. who had seized his gun.
rashly interposed. Grafton swept him
Of his saber. He had one load left in
his pistol. He shot the foremost man
on the porch and made at the last with
the point Of his sword upward. =.
This man snapped his pistol full in the
grazed his cheek 1t staggered him for
moment, but he still came on, where
upon the remaining ruffian turned, dart
ed through the house and sought safety
"a Hal AAul \
I and dying men lay groaning and curs-
| ing In the yard. No enemy faced the
! excited soldier for the moment He
could have swept an army out Of his
path to get TO -Ariadne. He dropped his
sword and stretched out his hands TO
his wife. standing so straight. SO daunt-
less, before him. With pale face she
stared at him where the blood trickIed
across his cheek
Phillip she cried. She had not
recognized him till then.
She made beautiful picture in spite
OF her disarranged clothing, caused by
THANK God. 1 have found your an
swered her husband, oblivious to every
thought but that at first. that have
come In time TO save you!
You are hurt, beloved" cried Ari-
adne, moving toward him as In dream.
IT'S nothing" said her husband, wip-
ing the blood away with his hand. "A
bullet In my heart couldn't hurt. now
that / have found you. Oh, IL you only
| knew how / have"
A musket shot rang through the air
Grafton acted promptly. He realized in
stantly that some of the men who had
ned before his onslaught, seeing that he
was alone and knowing that he was
practically weaponless, had rallied. and.
led by him who had passed through the
! mouse, had renewed the attack. He
seized Ariadne. who still stared at him
as II In daze, by the arm and whirled
her into the house. He fung to the
door and locked II.
Have you a weapon?" he cried.
Upstairs" she answered, I'm my
room; / keep It there
Which way?"
Here"
She opened the door. He drew her
into the stairway and urged her up. To-
gether they entered her chamber, a
half-story room, under the long roof.
with dormer window. furnished in that
same virginia. white that he had seen
SO long ago in Richmond. She ran to a
bureau drawer, and, opening It, pro-
duced a small but serviceable revolver.
useful in close quarters. He Looked
rapidly about him as she did SO. The
windows gave on the forest. The men
outside could easily shoot into the
room. At that instant a bullet crashed
through the sash. passed between the
heads Of the two young people, and
buried itself In the opposite ceiling.
Down! cried Grafton, taking his
wife and fairly forcing her to her
where he could see with a minimum of
danger. while she was entirely pro-
tected.
We're in a tight place." he whispered.
II don't know whether we'll get out of
II alive or not. l have only one thing
to say: You are mistaken; / loved you
alone"
And Kathleen?'
That was boyish infatuation. care
nothing for her. never did" Oh,
lcye only you"
Another bullet tipped through the
window. Philip raised his pistol quickly
and fired at the place whence the shot
had come In the underbrush. Yells of
pain answered his shot.
Il got one, / guess. That'Il max. |
them more cautious he Continued.
my heart broke when found that YOU
had been there and left me- Some one !
ran across the open yard and PhIIip
fired again. Missed" he said in great |
disa ppointment
There was a sound of footsteps on |
the porch: and presently the little house !
shook snS Kan aad rocked S az II something heavy
What is that?'' cried Ariadne, who i
really didn't much care what n was
Philip had found her, he had come back |;
to her.and he loved her! Nothing |
They have gained the porch and are
bi eakiBg the door in." he said
What will they do next"
Try to rush the sairs"
And then?'
Some of them will die before they
get Up," he responded grimly.
Save one shot for me, Philip, and a !
kl,s." said his wife. Those mer were
They shall never lay hands on YOU
again, dear, said Philip savagely.
lie stepped over 10 the door, stood be- /
fore II In such way as not to be Wig
!ble fIom the window. and after a mo-
nent's hesitation opened It. The stair
was blind one. with sharp turn half