Charlevoix county herald., 1917-11-16

tOunu u0ISou race 10 race VIII uer otU>
carded lover. Behind him came brit
ish officer and four dragons. the lat
ter hating just outside the door.
Melton was a sight.
He had got into a uniform, but was
without side-arms. He was hatless;
his hair was disordered. and his face
as white as chalk. "Here she Isl" he
exclaimed, and stopped breathing
hard as he stared at the girl. who
stood without moving. That the man
took me to be his mother was fairly
plain. / sank into chair and quietly
fumbled for my sword, but could not
clear 1t. For a moment after Melton's
exclamation not word was spoken;
In fact, there was hardly a sound In
the room; without doubt, 1t was the
most dramatic and least dignified mo-
ment Of my life.
HE'LL" said Melton. finally catch
ing his breath and exploding. 80
you have taken the bit and are run
ming! Where to, in Gods nameT
Agnes made no return to this coarse
outburst.
Where Is that mani" he demanded.
taking a step toward her.
Am his keeper" returned the
girl. Il shall not speak to you again
until you remove those men from this
room. Are you not ashamed of your.
self, sir?" She said this quietly, but
/ saw the strain she was under; her
cheeks were now as white as Melton's.
Whether 1t was shame or desire
to conciliate the girl, know not; but
he obeyed readily enough, and order
ed the soldiers into the hall, closing
the door after them. The officer re-
NAMED In the room. I figured our
chances. Had there been no soldiers
l would have felt better, for Melton
was evidently unarmed, and might
make short work of the officer; as 1t
was, ! was too heavily handicapped
to dare the odds against me. The on
ly possible hope for US lay in the fact
that Melton had at once taken me to
be his stepmother and paid no atten-
ton whatever. After disposing of the
dragons he returned to Agnes, his
manner hardly less violent than be-
fore.
"A fine story. that you gave clin-
toni Broken your troth, hey! Afraid
Of my importuniti - whenf By
why did you tell him that?"
Because l meant it." returned the
girl, facing him fearlessly.
And you mean 1t now?"
AYE, / do. Henceforth We are
nothing to each other"
Domination! Has that fellow 20
prevailed on you? Agnes, l."
ct is useless, Lysander," inter
rupted the woman, whom ! now saw
was In no danger Of breaking down
before him. 1T Is a matter long con-
sidered by me-"
"And you dare tell me this to my
face?"
AYE, l dare-and do"
'Hell's fire on earth, II Is Dressler's
doing! I'll cut his heart out! You
have been protecting him! You saved
him from Arnold?"
Yes" Her answer might have
come from a corpse, SO little was the
emotion in It,; the word was as crisp
and as short as the snap OF an icicls.
And you know where he ISL"
Il know. But he was never 80 safe
If his danger depended on my telling"
Gods DEATH" screamed Melton.
losing the little hold he had on him.
self. you acknowledge you are pro-
tecting a rsbel-a spy?"
Il am one myself"
my God!" Melton staggered
back. "You a rebel - spy! Con.
verted by that willy devil! Why not
confess that you love him"
"Lysander Melton" returned Az
mes, drawing herself up and looking
him steadily in the eye. II have made
one onfession-enough to damn me
in the eyes of the law-and shall make
no more. Captain Dressler has es-
capped you; now order in your men and
arrest me If you dare. will come to
trial, and all the world may then know
something of the true Lieutenant Mel
ton, of the Loyal Americans. I have
never loved you, sir; and since have
known you as you are, / determined
never to marry you. There you have
it,
This was too much for the poor fool
The girl had not raised her voice.
but there was no doubt Of her earnest.
ness; and she had hardly uttered the
last word when the brute raised his
arm and struck her with his clenched
fist.
With that my own sense forsook me.
forgot my assumed character, my
danger, and all else; and with some
thing like roar / jumped from my
chair and sprang at the man, the act
loosening my sword and sending II
Gathering to the floor. For an instant
l was q mailman. grappled the un-
suspicious coward and threw him to
the floor with force that half stun
ned him; then, with my knee on his
chest, held him by the throat with
one hand while tried to reach the
rapier, which had fallen q little be-
yond my reach.