Year: 1873

maiden also has disappeared p

 Escaped ?' I cried. ssImpossible 1! Surround the stable, and look for the priestp'

 We hurried inAo the stable, searched every corner. even the racks and managers, but in valn. Neither the soldier nor the young woman was to be found. Sc, too, the mother, his sister, and the priest had vanished, and no doubt was left in my mind that regular plan for his escape had been devised by the relatives of the deserter, and carried out with the help of the priest. Although angry that should have been overreached in such manner, l cannot say that very much regretted being relieved from the painful. duty of carrying into effect the sentence of the court, as could not resist the conviction that Michaefs story as he had related it was true. l could not therefore pretend any very serious dissatisfaction at his es- 1 cape, but would have gladly received some explanation of the manner in which 1t had been rendered possible, and the l means by which it had been. carried into effect. Time, however, did not allow any attempts to discover these, for we had re- ceived information that the advance of the army of Prince Windischgratz had al- ready passed the Yheiss, and was ap- preaching the town. gave orders there fore to evacuate S. immediately, and our regiment again took it's position in the extreme front of the retreating army. l may mention here that the passage of the river was accomplished only just in ! tune, for portion of our troops were stlll upon the bridge when Gorgey's forces reached the right bank of the stream, so that our pioneers were subjected to a heavy fire and severe losses, while engaged Tn destroying the bridge so as to prevent further pursuit on the part of the enemy. A few days later considerable reinforce again to our antagonists.

 In the year 1855, after had long for gotten Szelady's flight, I found myself again in the field with my regiment. On this occasion, however, our service was not so dangerous. The regiment formed part of the army corps commanded by Count Coroni, and sent by Austria during the war in the Crimea to occupy Moldavia and Wallachia. During this expedition 1 gained by chance an explanation of the mystery which had hitherto enveloped the conclusion of the episode which have above related. One day set out with my servant, a man from the regiment who had been with me for many years, to go to little inn on the frontier where the commander of the army corps had appointed an interview with me. We soon lost the right road, as the neighborhood was entirely unknown to either of us, and after several vain at- tempts to regain 1t, l sent off my man to 8 farmhouse, visible at the other end of the little valley in which we found our selves, to make inquiries as to the lost road. He was gone for some time, but returned at last with a broad grin on his face.

 II have found an old acquaintance of ours, Colonel, in the owner of the farm house wonder, as we'll as of most of the land hereahout.

 'fAn old acquaintance?" I replied What is his name ?"

 Michael Szelady, sir" answered the man.

 "How? Szelady3 The deserter at S--? Are you sure that you are not 1 mistaken ?"

 ''Quite sure, Colonel" he replied. "He bade me to say to you that he would es- teem 1t the greatest honor if you would however, he comes to speak for himself. He pointed towards the farm-h house, out of the court of which well-dressed man came riding towards us. My servant was right. It was indeed Szelady. The for- mer dragoon greeted me respectfully, and invited inc ill most cordial terms to rest for few hours at his house, promising to guide me afterwards to the frontier tav- ern. When we reached the house, handsome, smiling matron, in whom I recognized Carlin, advanced to meet us She carried a young child in her arms, while two somewhat older were clinging to their mothers skirts Michael intro duced me to his wife, and then led the way into the house.

 After partaking of an excellent dinner 1 which had been prepared for us, begged my host to tell me in what way he had succeeded in escaping with betrothed from the stable at S.. l assured him l that he might trust me withoat hesitation, as he was now under the protection of the Turkish government, and I did not intend to demand that he should be de- hvered up to us.

 ''Of that am sure, Colonel" answered Michael. ''I have not served three years in the army without learning to know the | difference between true officer and gen. tleman, and rascal who would betray a poor fellow for the sake of the informer's reward. Had I felt any doubt about that, I should not have made myself known 10 your man. But you ask in what man. | ner escaped with my bride? I can only answer, that in fact we had not escaped at all, but were in, or rather under the sta l ble, the whole time that you were seek | ing us. You are astonished? I will ex- l plain to you. In almost all the houses of Hungarian towns there IS secret room, large enough to secrete valuable proper ty, and even persons in case of necessity In my fathers house at S--there was under the stable such an apartment, which had been filled with frewood. A trap door in the floor led to it, and this was so skillfully contrived, that you might have looked long for it in vain, even though aware of its existence. In the haste and confusion of your search a dis covery was much less likely. My mother had spoken of this place, and when she came to see me i'll my prison, besought me to make use of it. The great difficult ty lay in raising the trap-door without be- ing seen from the outside, and in restor- ing it, after passing through the opening, to its proper position. In order to obvi- ate this, the priest, an old friend of my | AdlACA, uOFASCu UhC pAdA OA DAAhsSAhS5 S"L lin to see me a second time, and then of entering himself; in order, ostensibly, to shorten our parting interview. Upon this second visit, he restored the trap door to it's former place sprinkled earth and straw over if, and then hastened to depart from the town as speedily as pos sible with my mother and sister.

 "Carlin and remained in our place of concealment until your regiment and ar my had evacuated the town, and their place was taken by the troops of Gorgey. Then for the first time we came forth again. We did not, however, consider ourselves safe any longer in Hungary. My mother collected together all her property, and we game hither into Mol davia, where bought this farm and mar ried Carlin. Here we are living very hap oily, and hope to remain for the rest oi our lives. y

 l I repeated to Szelady the assurance