The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-08-05

was In ner room anu ar sunset Sne
gave him her answer, for she came
to him dressed in white. knelt by his
chair, and put her head in his lap.
And there was a rose In her hair.
81 have never understood about my
self and-and that man." she said.
land / never Will"
II do" said the general gently, "Fand
I understand you through my sister
who was SO like you. Erskine's father
was as indignant as Harry Is now.
and / am trying TO act toward you as
my father did toward her" The girl
pressed her lips to one Of his hands.
II think I'd better tell you the whole
story now" said General Dale, and
he told Of Erskine's father. his wild
ness and his wanderings, his marriage,
and the capture of his wife and the
little son by the Indians, all OF which
she knew, and the girl wondered why
he should be telling her again. The
general paused:
"You know Erskine's mother was
not killed. He found her. The girl
looked up amazed and incredulous.
eyes," he went on, ''the white woman
was his mother"
Father" She lifted her head
quickly, leaned back with hands
caught tight In front of her, looked up
into his face-her own crimsonina
and paling as she took In the full
meaning of 1t all Her eyes dropped
Then" she said slowly, that In
dian girl-Early Morn-is his half
sister. Oh, oh!'' A great pity flooded
her heart and eyes. "Why didn't Frs
kline take them away from the In
diansr
His mother wouldn't leave them
And Barbara understood.
"Poor Erskinei' she whispered. anC
her tears came. Her father leaned
back and for a moment closed his
eyes.
"Erskine's father was the eldes
brother-and Red Oaks
The girl sprang to her feet, startled
agonized, shamed: Belongs to Frs
kline" she finished with her face in
her hands. God pity me-" she whis-
pered, 81 drove him from his own
home"
NO." said the old general with a
gentle smile. He was driving the barb
deep, but sooner or later it had to be
done.
Look here p He pulled an old
piece of paper from his pocket and
handed 1t to her. Her wide eyes fell
upon a rude boyish scrawl and a rude
drawing Of a buffalo pierced by an
arrow:
cit make me laugh. / have no use.
/ give hole dam plantashun Barbara"
"Ohl'' gasped the girl and then
where Is her.
"Waiting at Williamsburg to get his
discharge" She rushed swiftly down
the steps, calling:
"Ephraim Ephrafm!"
And ten minutes later the happy
grinning Ephraim. mounted on the
thoroughbred, was speeding ahead of
whirlwind of dust with little
scented note in his battered SLOUGH
hat:
"You said you would come when
ever | wanted you. I want you to
| come now. BARBARA"
| The girl would not go to bed, and
the old general from his window saw
| her like some white spirit of the night
| motionless on the porch. And there
through the long hours she sat. Once
| she rose and started down the great
path toward the sundial, moving
slowly through the flowers and moon
light until she was opposite a giant
magnolia. Where the shadow of it
touched the light on the grass she
/ had last seen Grey's white face and
scarlet breast With a shudder she
turned back The night whitened.
A catbird started the morning chorus.
The dawn came and with 1t Ephraim
! The girl waited where she was. Eph
rain took off his battered hat.
'Marse Erskine done gone, Miss
Barbary,' he said brokenly. He
done gone two days"
The girl said nothing, and there the
old general found her still motion
less-the torn bits of Erskine's scrawl-
ing deed scattered about her feet.