Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1919-11-14

anything but clear. Inc problem front
Ing me did not appear so easily
solved, now that / was fairly up
against 1t, and yet there seemed only
one natural method of procedure. I
must go at my unpleasant task bold
ly, and in this case only the truth
would serve. | was an officer in the
United States army, and had in my
pocket papers to prove my identity
These would vOuch for me as gen.
tleman, and yield me measure of au-
thOrity. And this fact, once estab-
lished, ought to give me sufficient
standing in the eyes of those girls to
compel from them a respectful hear
ing. | would tell the story exactly as
l knew 1t, cOncealing nothing, and add
ing no unnecessary word, outline my
plan of action. and then leave them to
decide what they thought best to do.
Strange, unbelievable as the situation
was, proof was not lacking. Della
could be compelled to acknowledge
that Rene was her child-she would
scarcely dare deny this truth in face
of my positive knOWledge-and she, at
least, must know that Judge Beau
caire had never during his lifetime
given her her freedom This fact
could be established beyond question,
and then they must surely all cOmpre-
bend the necessity of immediate flight
that there remained no other pos
sible means of escape from hopeless
slavery. Desperate as the chance APP
peared. it was the only one.
1t daWned upon me now with more
intense force than ever before, the po-
sitiOn in which l stood, and L shrank
from the ordeal. A perfect stranger,
not even a chance acquaintance Of
those directly involved in this tragedy,
| would have to drag out from the
closet, where it had been hidden away
for years, this old Beaucaire skeleton.
ard rattle the dried bones of dishonOr
before the horrified understanding IF
these two innocent, unsuspecting girls.
The conviction came to me that had
best do this alone; that the presence
of the negro would hinder, rather than
help the solution of the problem.
"Fete," l said. measuring my words,
my plan of action shaping itself even
as I spoke. "What lies in there be-
tween us and the house?"
"A truck patch mostly, wild a fence
round it. Den thar comes SOM flower
beds"
mo path?'
"Well, done reckon as how thar
might be sorter path, sab, but you'd
hardly find it in de dark. De bes'
way'd be ter sorter feel long de
fence, It'll yer git sight O. de front
porch"
'All right, then. / am going to leave
you here while scout around. Keep
your eyes open, and have the mule
ready to leave at any minute"
"'BOut how lon yer be gone, sah?"
II cannot tell you that. AS short
time as possible. 1t may require con-
siderable explanation and urging to
get those three women to trust me.
However, all you have to do is wait,
and be sure that no one. sees you. II
you should be needed for anything at
the house, I'll get word to you some
way; and il l should send Della and
Rene out here alone, without being
able to come with them myself, load
them into the cart az once, and drive
to the boat. I'll manage to join you
somewhere, and the important thing is
to get them safely away. You under
stand all this?''
"Yas, sab; leastways I reckon l
does. Use ter take keer OBJ dem all,
an let yer take keer O. yerself."
Exactly, because, you see I haven't
tie slightest idea what l am going to
run up against. There may be others
in the house, and / might not dare to
leave Miss ElOise behind alone with
out some protection. 1 SHAH endeavor
to induce her to go to Haines at once"
Following some impulse I shook
hands with him, and then plunged into
the darkness, my only guidance at first
that single ray of light streaming
through the unshaded window. AS l
advanced cautiously along the fence
low structure built of rough rails, and
thus approached more closely to the
front of the main building other lights
began to reveal themselves enabling
me to perceive that the inner hallway
was likewise Illuminated, although not
brilliantly. All about me was silence,
not even the sound of voice or the
flap of wing breaking the intense
stiffness of the night. | came below
the veranda, still in the deep shadow,
utterly unconscious Of any other pres
ence, when suddenly, from just above
me, and certainly not six feet distant.
a man spoke gruffiy, the unexpected
sound of his strange voice interrupted
by the sharp CRATE of a chairs leg on
the porch floor, and half-smothered
ysAvn.
"Say, sheriff, how long are we all
goin' ter set we're, do yer know? This
don't look much like Saint LOuee afOre
daylight ter me-
I stopped still. crouching low. my
nrt iv,fA nd