The Washington times., 1913-09-07

! his carbine ready, every officer looseneJ
his pistol in his holster.
Ariadne rode near the. head of the
| column BY the side Of the colonel Man
ring had not told Colonel Ledyard that
Ariadne was going to the Piney Branch
Church, SO when she turned with the
| rest OF the regiment in the byroad he
expressed no surprise. Conversation
mad been forbidden in a vain effort to
lessen the noise, and the colonel rode
in silence, saying nothing save to give a
whispered reply to an equally low re-
port from some officer or man who
fsEcied he had something to tell
AS for Ariadne. she was IN a state OF
nervous tension almost amounting to
hysteria. She had seen so much death.
she had passed through so many eX-
citing scenes that she had not strength
for this terrible prowl in the Stygian
darkness She knew the dangers that
! lay before them, that any moment they
might blunder into the enemy In spite
OF every precaution. and sne kept lis
tenlng in strained expectation for the
report OF weapon, the Shrek of VIC
tim. the cheer OF a fighter-listening
" hile her heart beat SO that II sounded
in her ears like the tap of a drum
The intangible is always more terrible
tEan the real to the being whose only
| courage is moral. This is the high va
riety In which women abound. II II had
been daylight Ariadne could have stood
it better. but each slow. piodding step
O: her horse, as they felt their way
over the broken road, made her wish
to give vent to her feelings in a wild
scream. She had reached the limit of
her endurance when the expected hap
pcEed
Without a word Of warning. without
the slightest indication, the wood to the
right was suddenly Illuminated by what
seemed to the startled girl to be num-
Der Of vivid flashes OF lightning, and
the darkness was split By a series OF
terrific CONCLUSIONS. Her horse stopped
screamed horribly. and sank shudderine
to the ground. She heard shrieks ard
cries. groans. and curses. She herself
VAS conscious Of sharp pain in her
shoulder; something smote her head like
hammer. She felt and knew nothing
ore.
Merciful oblivion rushed over her like
wave: She could not hear the splut-
tering fire with which the discharge was
returned: the words of command, by
which the officers strove to rally the
regiment; the wild flight back up the
road In confused. disorganized mass,
which the officers tried in vain to
stay She knew nothing at all until a
light flashed into her face and she
opener her eyes to find a figure bend
ing over her, a bearded. rough looking
man. seen dimly in the faint light cast
by lantern and to hear a voice ex-
claiming:
1t was a Southern voice, II must be
Southern man.
Who are you?" she asked, feebly.
Ny name is Wilmington. ] belong to
the Sixth Virginia Cavalry"
General Stuarts command?'
Yes. maam"
is he here?''
Back on the road about mile and
Z half away"
Take me to him Immediately"
But you are wounded in the shoul-
DER. said the officer, lifting his lam
tern.
NO matter. have a message from
General Lee to General Stuart of the
greatest Importance"
How came you to be with that Yam
kee regiment. them"
II can't explain now" said Ariadne.
But II you love your country for
Gods sake take me to General Stuart"
What Is II, Whittington?' asked
Colonel Green. who commanded Ibe
regiment. at that moment riding up