The Wingham Times, 1900-05-25, Page 7t.a.•. So�+i'G' t•a "f�:y3gtl"'t
L
VE'S TIUMPI—L
67 ORY OF LOVE AND \VAR..
BY MARY J. HOLMES,
Author of 15 Lelia Rivers,' " Edna Browning,"
as Tenlreit and Sunshine," Etc„ Eta-
♦�MAi,+ "T e1 W. �ya.� '•'�((�����,i�r��r+ 1d. • M•
tamely, Sn'aming her gwilsli benuty,telf-
ins atlow hire •nnc1 goo(' site was. and
.tow once a hope had Stirred 41ia Heart
-tint he, perhnirs, might win her,
"But I gave her nit to, Jimmie. An-
nie will be my sister, and I know now
wby it .was so appointed. Goll had in
'store for mea gem as beautiful as Au-
. nie Getteiam, rind better adapted to me.
:I moan you, Alnnde. Clod uten.;s you
i for. my wife. Do. you accede willingly?
• Have you any love for the poor Yen-
kee soldier who liras beau so long de-
-pendent upon ,yoii?'
ITo bad her head now on his alai, and
with his hand was smoothing hor b:wicls
of satin hair, while he waited for her
to speak. Ile had dealt honestly with
i her. She could be equally truthful with
.shin, and slie answered at last:
"Oh, Mr. Carleton, yoit don't know
ihow Much it pains me to tell you what
1 I must; 1 m ;
might have loved you once
a bot now it is too late. I promised Ar-
thnr, if he would be kind to the poor
prisoners and help .the escaped ones to
get away, end,—oh, I don't know what,
but I am to be his wife 'viten the dread-
' Lul war is over. Mity ate, Air, Carleton,
but don't love me. No, neo, don't snake
are more wretched by tolling me of a
love 1 ettiuio't return.
I "Gould you return .it, Maude, If there
t w (1'x,,,,10 promise to Arthur?"
Toles spoke very low, with his 1ipe
clt:s.o to her burning Cheek, but Maude
.did erot reply, tend '.l'oietontiuued:
1 "Maude, was the getting Inc her in
safety any part of the price for which.
,con soil yourself?"
j
She did notanswer even then, but the
i as shesled
low, gasp ng sob she gave 1
: back from her ]rot brow the heavy hair,
' told Tom the truth, and to himself he
.; said, "It eha11 not be." And then ft.om
• this heart there went rap a silent prayer
• - that God would give him the brave,
:beautiful girl who drew herself away
front him, and leaning over her sleep-
' ing brother, sot with both hands elar•p-
,' ed upon her face. They did not talk to-
gether nnlch more, . and once 'Tom
- thenght 'amide was asleep, she set so
i rigid and motionless, with her face turn -
i, :ed toward the entrance of tlic cave,
But she was.not asleep, and her dark
, eyes were fixed wistfully upou th0 one
bright star visible, to her, and which
seemed whispering to• her of hope. Per-
. haps Arthur would release her from .'ler
promise, and perhaps, — but Maude
et:trted from that thought as from an.
• •evil spirit, and her white lips whispered
fnlnlly, "Goch help raze) to • keep my pro -
mdse•"
The night was very still, and as the
1 hc'uri wore on, and the faint Anvil of
).clay came over the maunt:tin tops,
''ililcnde's quick ear caught the eeho of
'the fierce shouts in the valley below,
and laying Charlie's Bead from her lap
site went out of the cave, followed by
Ooptain Carleton, who wontlere;l to see
-how that one night had cletnged her.
• •,J:re brilliant color Wes gone from .-t'r
'•Chari:, which looked lin. ga rd s - pele •
.'4r8 faces look when sonie•'"great storm
',of sorrow has passed overthem. "Ter
Hair hadfallen down and lstiin nmeses
upon her neck, from which shre shook it
• " off in1pnti{nttiy, a.url then iit•;entli°,listen-
-ed of the sounds which each moment
grew louder. Shoutings they were, and
. •tones of command, mingled w Rh she
klistnnt trnmp of horses' foot, while sect,
'-•'denly above the tall tree -tops with
-Skirted the mountain side, arose 11 Al
of smoke. Too clerk, too thick to ave
:Corns• from any rhinn'ey whore tl early
- morning lire was kindled. it tol its own
''tale of horror, and. Mefttle's.6t�`yos grew
so black and - fierce that teem shrank
black from her, as, poinieng her finger
toward the fast incur sing rings •of
smoke and flame, e tliisperetl:.
"Do you see the Ceptai,t Carlo -
UM': It is uncle ani's dwelling; they
have sot it otu I never thought
.they would do that, thought I have
welched meg then 'one berating house
'1n these reshunt blies, and stave almost
fell a thenl of pride as I thought how
;dearly were paying for our love to
the nflag; but when it Comes to my
owt home, the pride- is nil gtm", the fire
fives deeper, and one is half tentpted
llnestidill the price required for the-
„•- TJnic n."
- 'font wns about to needle to her, whet
she turned nbruptly upon him,, null said:
"Captain Carleton,do you believe your
• Northern woman; your hose, your An•
nice would beer nncl brave what the
loyal women of the South emlmro• They
nay be true to the Tinion,—•,no doubt
they are, and they thl.nk they know
what war means; but I tell you they do
-not, Did they over Keo their friends
and neighbors driven to the'weedls•a0u1
hills like 'united hosts, or watch the
kindling flames devotning their own
Ilomirs, 88.1 am doing how? for I know.
rtfhat`iy my "Tilde I'utul's, eed whether
Ile still lives or is hanged between the
-earth nidi heavens, frad only lcuows,
and ltorhaltn Ile has forgotten, I some-
,.,
+ •c l h (Thee He
1 ti Z hats e rat. why c
i, a <. think lie i . 3
sheat send us 81d? WHere Oh, your hordes
of risen? Why* do -they not come to
save sus, when we have waited tin long.
-end our eyes nird calve arc weak nnil
weans with watching for their coining."
I r1ir10crlf
1was tinting now n
oe to
She g
looked
n rt, owl she c
her r nm a io
• it ben to r
very 811(011 cf tragedy, es, with her
• hair flouting over her shoulders, and her
.bends pressed tightly together, she
'Walked hurriedly the length and breadth
1of the long( net reek vhieh. boitilcre(t a :precipice ]tear to the cave.
•r Tom was about to answer her, when
u 141 11 went whizzing past hint, whale the
(loud shouts of the inert, whose heads
I Were V:41)10 beneath 'isle' distant 'trees,
i.itoill that he lied boon diseeveredl.
' return to the earn and take Mande
Stith hintas the work of ,u;moment.moment.nentmoment.1
*ad was amid yells of fury the 'drunken mob
1•oare on to where ii'tiutde, forgetting
' ov'el'yilting now except Tom (.'•arletoa,
liftetd waiting for Ahem. They would
•
not ha1111 tier, Sh0 ii4'iletit", .still, line^ it
.seers guarding its young, she eta0ct
within the dive,. but so near the cn-
tinuce titan her :face wee, visible to the
mot, who at sight of her stopped snd-
("only, and asked what elle wars doing
there,' and whom she had with her.
"My brother Charlie and Captain
Carleton, the than whom you sought a
Thiele Paul's." she answered fearlcssiy,
as she held with a firm grasp the clrin-
serous-looking weapon which she knew
bow to use,
":13X1 pray, what may, you be doing
with the Yankee?" asked once of the
enerser of the men; and Maude re-
plied: •
"I am ,standing -between him and just
such creatures as you are,"
While '.Coni, grasping her shoulder,
said:
"Step aside, Maude; 3 cannot endure
this, You, a girl, defending ale! I
most go out Let hie Maes.".
"To certain dent..? Never!" Maude
replied, tlrusituzg him back with a
strength born of desperation.
Charlie, who had roused front his
sleep, and fully comprehended whet was
going on, caught 'Tem around the lied:,
and nearly strangled him, as he said:
"Let
;nude :dome, Captain Carleton.
'1'hey'll',ot harm her. They would only
shoot you down for nothing." '
Thus hampered • and importuned,
Tom stood back a little, while Aiaiide
held a parley with her besiegers, threat-
ening to ,shoot the first man who should
attempt to pass her. She did not think
of clanger to herself, and site stood firnt-
1 • at her while thesulted
� .post;wuc on
together ns to the best course to be pule
shed( And while they talked, and
Maude stood watchful and dauntless,
the flames of Paul Haveiill's house rose
higher in the heavens, andostrauge, om-
inous sonnets wore Beard in the distance,
—eounds las of Many horsemen riding
for dear life, with shouts and excited
voices; and Maude became aware of
seine sudden influence working upon the
crowd around her: .
Then 'a band of cavalry clashed into
sight, and all was wild hurry nnd,colt-
steruation. But, above the din of the
strife without, Toth 'Carleton caught
sol.nds which made his heart leap Pp,
and, springing rammed past Mande do
Vere, he exclaimed:
"Thank God, the ceder+ass have cone!
We are saved! aside, We are saved!"
1s his tall form emerged into view,
a brutal soldier, Maddened by the sur-
prise' turd unavoidable defeat, levelled
his gun and fired, reeking little whether
'firm or Maude was the victlm;