"I cannot leave father," she sobbed. "I
cannot; I must not." They had moved out from the shadow of the tree into
the moonlight. He had taken her hand, and had begun to renew his appeals,
when they were both startled by the sound of footsteps on the gravelled
walk and the General's voice crying, "Sue! Sue, where are you?" At the same
moment Elias came up, leading two horses. The Colonel and Miss Braxton
stood just as they were, too surprised to move. They could not escape in
any event, for almost as soon as the words reached them the General came
into view. He saw them at once, and it required only a glance at the
approaching horses to tell him everything. With an inarticulate cry of
rage, his gray hair streaming behind him, he rushed wildly back to the
house. The Colonel looked after him, and then turned to Miss Braxton.
"He has gone to arm himself," he said, quietly. "He will be back with your
brothers."
The girl looked up in his face and shivered. Then she glanced towards the
house, where lights were flashing from room to room, and the doors were
being opened and shut, and she wrung her hands.
Pages:
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242