Part 14 (1/2)
Every nerve was alert now. ”This is pure madness. Great heavens! what am I going to do with you?”
The seriousness of the situation overpowered him.
”s.h.!.+” The warning was caused by the restlessness of the dogs outside.
Their quick ears were sensing danger or--the coming of their master!
Either possibility was equally alarming.
”Oh! you do not understand,” Nella-Rose was pleading by his knee. ”If they-all see you, they will have you killed that minute. Burke is the only one in their minds--they don't even know that you live; they're too full of Burke, and if they see me--why--they'd kill you anyway.”
”But what can I do with you?” That thought alone swayed Truedale.
Then Nella-Rose got upon her feet and stood close to him.
”I'm yours! I gave myself to you. You--you wanted me. Are you sorry?”
The simple pride and dignity went straight to Truedale's heart.
”It's because I want you so, little girl, that I must save you.”
Somehow Nella-Rose seemed to have lost her fear of the oncoming raiders; she spoke deliberately, and above a whisper:
”Save me?--from what?”
There were no words to convey to her his meaning. Truedale felt almost ashamed to hold it in his own mind. They so inevitably belonged to each other; why should they question?
”I--I shall not go away--again!”
”My darling, you must.”
”Where?”
The word brought him to his senses--where, indeed? With the dark woods full of armed men ready to fire at any moving thing in human shape, he could not let her go! That conclusion reached, and all anchors cut, the danger and need of the hour claimed him.
”Yes; you are mine!” he whispered, gathering her to him. ”What does anything matter but our safety to-night? To-morrow; well, to-morrow--”
”s.h.!.+”
No ear but one trained to the secrets of the still places could have detected a sound.
”They are coming! Yes, not the many--it is Jed! Come! While you slept I carried a right many things to the rhododendron slick back of the house!
See, push over the chair--leave the door open like you'd gone away before the storm.”
Quickly and silently Nella-Rose suited action to word. Truedale watched her like one bewitched. ”Now!” She took him by the hand and the next minute they were out on the wet, sodden leaves; the next they were crouching close under the bushes where even the heavy rain had not penetrated. Half-consciously Truedale recognized some of his property near by--his clothing, two or three books, and--yes--it was his ma.n.u.script! The white roll was safe! How she must have worked while he slept.
Once only did she speak until danger was past. Nestling close in his arms, her head upon his shoulder, she breathed:
”If they-all shoot, we'll die together!”
The unreality of the thing gradually wore upon Truedale's tense nerves.
If anything was going to happen he wanted it to happen! In another half-hour he meant to put an end to the farce and move his belongings back to the cabin and take Nella-Rose home. It was a nightmare--nothing less!