Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-21
ROMANCE
BY ROBERT W. CHAMBERS
illustrated by Jay Barnum.
,(Copyright, 1914, by the Newspaper En-
terprise Association,

terprise Association,
The Special Messenger drew her
buckskin gloves carefully through her
belt and buttoned the holster of her
revolver.
A hospital orderly, passing hurried
~, stopped to hold her stirrup; she
mounted, thanked the orderly, and,
swinging her powerful horse vest
ward, trotted off through the woods,
passing the camp sentinels with a nod
and a loW-spoken word.
There seemed to be no firing any
where in the vicinity; nothing to be
seen but dusky pine woods; and after
che had advanced almost TO the edge
OF a little clearing. and not encoun-
tering the outer line Of Union pickets,
she drew bride and sat stock still in
her saddle, searching in every direc-
ton with alert. dark eyes.
a forest path, apparently leading
vest, attracted her attention. Into
this she stirred her horse and con-
tipued, even after her compass had
warned her that the path was now
running directly south.
An cabin stood at the farther edge
TlSree forest bride paths ran west,
sast \and south from this blackened
clesrNg. She unbuttoned her waist,
drew but map and, fiattening it on
her pommel. bent above it in eager
silence. And. as she sat studying her
map, she became aware of a faint
tremor in the solid earth under her
horses feet. 1t grew to a dull Earring
yibration-nearer. nearer. nearer-and
she hastily backed her horse into the
depths Of the laurel. sprang to the
ground and placed both gauntleted
hands over the horses nostrils
A moment later the Confederate
cavalry swept through the clearing at
trot-a jaunty, gray column, riding
two abreast, then falling into single
ale as they entered the bridle-path
ut canter.
There we're only a hundred of them
probably some of Stuart's riders,
Cor they seemed strangely familiar.
What were they doing here? She
did not know. There seemed no logi-
cal reason for their presence.
This must be the burnt clearing;
her map and the cabin corroborated
her belief Then it was here that she
was to meet this unknown man In
Confederate uniform and Union pay
spy like herself-and give him GER
tain information and receive certain
Information in return.
Her instructions had been unusu-
ally rigid; she was to take every pre-
caution; use native disguise whether
Garry no papers, and let any man she
utght encounter make the advances
Until she was absolutely certain of
Hinn. For there was an ugly rumor
anoat that he had been caught and
hanged, and that a Confederate might
attempt to impersonate him. So she
looked very carefully at her map,
then out of the thicket at the burnt
clearing. There was the wretched
cabin named as rendezvous, the little
garden patch with standing corn and
beans, and here and there a yellow
Ing squash.
FAT last, with a slight SILVER, she
opened her saddle bags and drew out
che dress she meant to wear--a dingy,
earth colored thing of gingham.
Dressed now in the scanty, colorless
clothing of a poor white of the
pine woods, limbs and body tanned
with walnut, her slender feet rubbed
I'D dust and then thrust stockingless
into shapeless shoes, she let down the
dark, lustreless mass of her hair,
braided 1t, tied 1t with faded ribbon,
rubbed her hands in woodmold and
crushed green leaves over them till
they seemed all stained and marred
with toll. Then she gathered an arm
$ul of splinter-wood.
Head bent, she moved on in the
ghiftless, hopeless fashion of the sort
of humanity she was representing,
furtively taking her bearings and
making such sidelong observations as
abe dared. To know the shortest way
back to her horse might mean life
70 her. She understood that. Also
she fully realized that she might at
that very instant be under hostile OBJ
servation. In her easily excited inn
agination all around her the forest
seemed to conceal hundred malevo-
lent eyes. She shivered slightly, wiped
the perspiration from her brow with
one small, bare fist and plodded on,
clutching her light wood to her soft,
rounded breast.
And now at last she was nearing
the open cabin door; and she must
not hesitate, must show no suspicion.
SO she went In, dragging her clum-
sily-shod feet.
very young man i'm the uniform
OF a Confederate cavalry officer was
seated inside before the empty fire.
place of baked clay. He had bad
scar on his temple. She looked at
him, Stimulating dun surprise; he rose
~ and greeted her gracefully.
at'Howdy," she murmured in re-
aponse, still staring.
''s'Is this your house2" he asked.
''Suh?" blankly.
us this your house?'
es'T reckon" she nodded. How come
you all in my house?"
He replied with another question:
E'What were you doing In the
woods"
tt'Light- she answered brief
~, stacking the fragrant spllnters On
the table.
''Do you live here all alone?"
te''Reckon I'm alone when l live
heah,' sullenly.
st'What is your nance" He had a
trick of eoloring easily.
a'What may be yoh name, subj"
She retorted with a little flash Of
Southern spirit, never entirely