Year: 1865

| lllc bdNlS ueSpOIlSll. III was pOllLlCdl illu
night in East Tennessee 1t was nearly
twilight, when young man and young
| girl sat at the open window of fine man
sion near Il pleasant little village-a will
age now almost swept out of existence by
the Sirocco-breath of war


The girl was Mary Basham, an orphan
who, with her brother Richard, had inheri
ted the splendid property of her parents
consisting mostly of land and slaves The
greater part of the slaves had been left tc
her brother but the mansion belonged tc
them in common, and she also owned sum
III Louisville bank shares Her brother
had taken up arms to protect his property
as he said and he probably thought, and
was then Captain of Confederate gueril
las. Mary Basham was considered a
great catch" and it was certainly strange
if not improper, in Mrs. Grundy's eyes
that she should love that fair-haired young
man who sat by her side at the open win.
dow for Ernest Fielder had no riches, eX.
cept fair share of talent, and true, hon
est heart. He was only music teacher
and German at that Consequently he
was worse than Yankee, and a marriage
with him would be as bad a mesaliance as
Mary Basham could make.


You are foolish Ernest" said the girl,
as she plucked a flower from the vine and
pulled it to pieces. "What is the Union
to you, that you are 50 anxious to make
yourself martyr for its sake Besides
what can you do for the Union by hiding
out i'll The woods and mountains, and being
| hunted down at last, and hung or shot, or
imprisoned? SO far, although you have
been subject to annoyances, you have es-
capped harm ; and now, If you will simply
submit to the new order of things, all will
be well, and you will not be troubled"


"The Union is everything to me, Mary
Basham," said the young man, for it shell
tered me and its flag protected me when |
came to this country an exile and under
the Union have enjoyed the fruit Of my
labor, and have been happy and contented
1t would be worse than ingrattude to de
sert it now, because happen to be among
its enemies"


"Then you will leave me-" said the girl,
as she tore flower passionately.


4" | must Mary, unless you can be con-
vinced that it is polite as well as right to
seek peace and safety on Union ground
But that is not to be expected, and do
not wonder at you, being slave owner"


80, bother the slaves" broke in the i'm
petuOus girl They are more trouble than
they are worth, and always were. Dick
Basham is welcome to all of them, if he
wants them, except Hessy and little jim
| always felt as if ! belong to them more
than they belong to me- and the feeling is
irksome. But as for those guerilla bands
like that of Brother Dicks, they are dis
graceto the country, and ought not to be per-
mitted. Dick has said he meant to bring
his gang Of rufians here some night and
give them a supper--as if | would stay in
the house where these wretchcs are holding
their drunken orgies | dared him to do
it. Humph he talks so much about the
blood of the Bashams--let him try to com
NIT such an outrage on common decency
and he will find that there is as much blood
of the Basham's III my veins as in his.
will let master officer know that am not
to be frightened by him."


The conversation was here interrupted
by rough looking man, dressed in brown
homespun, badly tattered, and carrying a
long rifle upon his shoulder who came hur-
riediy over the lawn toward the house
Hardly stopping to knock he entered the
front door, and pushed into the room where
Mary Basl1am and Ernest Fielder were talk
ing.


beg pardon, Miss" said he, pulling a
slouched hat from an unkempt head, and
resting the butt of his rifle upon the car
pet; sorry to come in so sudden like, but
havn't time for periteness Mr.. Fielder,
the gueriIlas has been huntin' for you in
the village, and they ken trot. SO there
amt no time for tradin' horses, eff you want
to git off"


at has come sooner than | expected,
Mary" said Ernest as he started up. 81
must bid you farewell now, and perhaps
forever II can reach the Federal lines
safely will try to get word to you"


" No use talkin' about the Federal lines
now, Mr.. Fielder" said the rough looking
man, " for here's the guerillas"


As he spoke, about twenty horsemen,
dressed in homespun imitation of the Con-
federate uniform, rode up the street, and
halted in front of the mansion. They were
villainous set to look at, and were armed
with all sorts of weapons, from hunting
rifle to fint-lock pistol. At their head
rode a young man in the gay uniform of a
Confederate officer whose seat III the sad
die was quite unsteady.


"They are part of Dick Basham's gang"
said Mary, as she cody surveyed them
from the window, and he is drunk, again.
I'll be bound 1t is enough to destroy any
mans respect for himself to associate with
such wretches, and | should think nothing
could induce a gentleman as Dick Basham
used to be- to do it"


Come, Ben Sterling said Fielder, who
had hastily seized his hat, " we can yet es-
cape by the back way"


." Now y exclaimed the girl as her eye
shot fire You can do no such thing, for
they have already surrounded the house.
Come now you two, you are men, and you
have arms, and if it comes to the worst,
you know how to sell your lives dearly
But let me do my part first, for tell you
that not a man of that gang shall cross
this threshold while Mary Basham lives !
Mr.. Fielder, give me one of your pistols"


Quite overcome by the intrepidity and
energy of the high spirited girl, Ernest
Fielder almost mechanically handed her
pistol. AS quick as thought, she brought
out from an adjoining closet large tin can
filled with powder, carried it into the hall
threw open the door, and stood there, with
a pistol in hand, proud and defiant, and
beautiful in her Dride and defiance