The Littlest Rebel

ed; then drew the ladder after him and closed the trap, w

the cannon-shot above the door; and it fell on the quaint, brown head of little Miss Virginia Cary, and

the rumble of pounding hoofs; a bugle's note came winnowing across the

nybody else-no, not for anything

ing noise of dismounting men; a pause, and the sharp, loud rap of a s

, yet filled with dread; then came a low-toned order and the crash of carbine butts on the stout oak door. For a time it resisted hopefully, then s

s, each with his carbine cocked and ready for discharge. Yet, as suddenly as they had come, they halted now at the

till broken by a piping voice,

hink you are

command was f

he door of the adjoining room and turned to his waiting men, though speaking in an undertone: "He's in

d to guard the cabin's open door. Virgie slowly turned her head, with

m-an' don't you-all bother

sappointed squad returned. The carbine butts were grounded; the troopers

r name, lit

her eyes in

called a monkey. It-

n soldie

Mademoiselle." He shot his sword into its scabbard, and laughed again. "Might I in

she answer

"and a very pretty

is Miss Virgini

ced at his troopers, then

t Cary you

r, and got it, straight

bert Cary i

ed and made he

ted. Where is y

e hes

don't

inquisitor took o

hiding somewh

hot blood came into her cheeks; but she looked hi

was here-but h

cess and sobbing failure, till a bubble from Mother Eve rose up in her youthful blood and burst into a spray of perfect feminine dece

e officer demanded, and s

ing-through the

tood for a moment, looking at the fl

gone, then why did

, but only f

ught you migh

ds, as he thought of that new-born,

, his eye was caught by the double-doored cupboard against the wall. "What do you

things to eat-w

d evasion, and p

is in

n p

hing

yes,

ed a little nearer, bending ti

ha

ite, with a most emphatic nod;

d as he turned to

ll have a look." He dropped his air of amuse

of their carbines trained upon it, while their leader a

e tin pans; yet tacked to the door was a picture print of Mosby-tha

l flung back her

erted officer, pointing at him with her spoon. "If a mouse ha

t at control; nor was he assisted by the knowledge that his m

orporal, deploy your men and make a thorough search out

is mouth to choke off an exclamation of anger. Then he snarled at his men, t

ken door, leaving their commanding o

olding her eyes with his, "do you mean to tell me-c

lips to speak, she pointed to h

aintance, Miss Susan, believe me. My own name is Morrison-Lieutenant-Colonel Morrison-at your service." He turned to the little mother with a smile that showed a row of white and even teeth. "An

bled gaze into the

no,

? Why

d, and answ

you're one of t

d to hear a baby's lips profaned. "Little g

ar, fearless, filled wit

me, isn't it? Every

o-south of Washington. But don't you know we are just like other people?" She shook h

ng racial prejudice at war with you

tenderly. "Gertrude Morrison. Wo

f which had lain between her and her enemy. "You can sit

in, was a silver locket containing the miniature of a plump and pretty child. It had lain there since the war began, through many a bivouac, many a w

My Gertrude-my

ned forwar

She's-" The child stopped suddenly, and raised her eyes. "An'

hinking of his comfortable North

question thoughtful

gets through the lines

from the selfish dream of happiness that ro

at why your

s,

now! I thou

a pang of parental pity gnawing at his heart; then he whe

times-what do

ng gesture toward the appoint

'-an' coffee mad

ubled conquer

muttered between his

y, till Virgie spoke and jarre

ankees have bread every day; an' tea

tial awe; and, somehow, it hurt the well-fed Union officer far more than ha

't bear to listen to-even in times of war." He sighed and dropped into his for

l, patrician brows. "This is the overseer's house.

d to

-but the Yanke

eglected state. Again he looked into the fearless eyes of a Southern gentlewoman who mocked him while her lover husband swam the river and escaped. Again he sa

bout it. W

from her chair, and s

horses. Mamma an' me were all by ourselves-'ceptin' Uncle Billy and

leaned his elbow on the tab

dear.

ffee pot between them; but gradually she began to edge a little nearer,

a man set it on fire. But another man got real mad with him, an'-an' shot him. I know, 'cause Uncle Billy pu

his arm about the mite, and trying not to put his own belo

, she got terrible sick-an' one night Daddy came through, an

ss? He drew the baby closer to him, stroking her hair, as h

lly Ann went away-I

on. "She left you he

ess laugh. "But I don't mind. Sally Ann

rrupted, "what became of

o Richmond-to get some things, but he ca

't t

nkees are up the river an' down the river, an'-an' everywhere-an' he can't." She paused, as Morrison turned to her from

thing for him to say, and Virgie

u come after

urned away, and was gazing through the open door, listening to the muttered wrath of the big black guns f

your G

n, regarding her i

my Ge

e him-like I lo

answered earnest

ing with a problem. If a soldier had orders from his general, as she herself might put it, "he was bound to come"; but still it was hard to

you hurt my daddy, I'd te

ee smiled. "Is

d him with a look of posit

"An' if I was to tell him, he'd come right af

ldier

in hip eye, "to tell you the honest truth, your

d, in rapturous de

ersation to matters a shade more pleasant. Take you, for instance. You see-" He stopped

above them, a scraping sound, as of someone lying flat along the rafters and shifting his pos

ce from an outside view; but now he was certain of the fugitive's hiding-place. Virgie watched him, trembling, growing hot in the pit of her little stomach;

t think he ca

with the pitch of the ceiling, then turned to her again: "Is your father in that loft?" She made no answer, but began to back away

p to stop its quivering, and turned her head away. For a moment the man stood, silent, wondering if it was possible that the child

. And all the rest-is a sto

out at last. "I didn't tell you stories'. Onl

ne compassion, his own eyes swimming at her childish grief, hi

and dragging the table across the floor to a p

ked in terror, following as he mov

he placed a chair upon the table and pr

she cried out shrilly. "He

e could, she attacked him fiercely, in a childish storm of passion, sobbing,

in conscience-stricken pain. "There

n the sun-parched woods chanting their shrill, harsh litany of drought; but more insistent still came the muffled boom of the big black guns far down the muddy James. They called to him, these guns, in the

on his course of action; best for her, best for the man who lay i

't told me what I want to know, I'll have

r, fighting to break his hold, while the trap above them opened, and the head an

nd!" he ordered f

d unmoved as he looked into the pistol's muzz

sed, then spoke again: "And you needn't bother about your gun. If you'd had any ammunition,