10
THE STATE JOURNAL.
FHday, April 18, 1913,
The Militant Maid
By Ella Randall Pearce
Copyright, 1913, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.
Mrs. Seward looked anxiously at
the door which her attractive young
est daughter had just closed behind
her, and continued to look long after
the sounds of firm, tapping footsteps
had died away in the distance. Then
her troubled glance shifted to the
paternal head of the family, who was
cosily intrenched behind his news
paper. "Father, 1 don't approve of this
sort of thing at all. I think you we
ought to protest."
"What is it?" asked Mr. Seward,
without looking up.
"That's just it are you blind?"
Mrs. Seward spoke a bit testily. "It's
Anna. Don't you know where she is
going?"
"Going for a walk, she said," re
plied the newspaper reader, complac
ently. "Yes; but do you know where
and why?"
The intensity of Mrs. Seward's
tones claimed her husband's atten
tion at last.
"Well, mother, what is it? What's
Anna up to that makes you so up
set? i don't understand."
"Ah, that's what I thought. You
don't understand. Yet our daughter
is out now practicing for a 'hike' to
the capital, as she calls it. She's
joined a club; she's a suffragette!"
Then Mr. Seward threw back his
head and laughed until his glasses
fell off.
"Club Suffragette? Yes, yes, I've
heard her talking about it lately.
Pshaw! It's nothing but a notion."
"Father, I'm surprised at you! Do
we want Anna's name in the papers,
and Anna 'hiking' all over the coun
try. She says she's going with the
club to-morrow; she's been training
for the past two weeks. She walked
ten miles yesterday, and she's off
again to-day. Why, she'll make her
self sick."
Mr. Seward looked thoughtful.
"I wouldn't worry about Anna's
getting sick in that way, or doing
anything discreditable mother. If
she's taken a notion to join the fe
male suffrage party and hike along
with them, there's no harm to it."
"Oh, but, father, that isn't all.
There's something at the bottom of
all this. Anna's discontented al
ready; that's why she's turned to the
excitement of club affairs. Our lit
tle girl's unhappy; she's not herself
since Morgan Giles went away. You
know Anna was always so gentle, so
domestic. It isn't like her to be mil
itant." "Well, if walking will help her
any, let her walk," said Mr. Seward,
as he returned to his paper; but a
shade of gravity had fallen over his
genial face. Anna, his little daugh
ter, discontented? Unhappy? That
was a new, disagreeable thought.
Mrs. Seward resumed her needle
work with a sigh. Since the day of
the lovers' quarrel, when Morgan
Giles had left the Seward home for
ever, as he had avowed she had
noticed with much anxiety the grow
ing unrest and fitful moods of the
girl.
Unaware of the disturbance in her
home, Anna Seward Swung buoyant
ly through the streets of the town,
and out upon the suburban highway.
She was the picture of youthful
health and bloom. Her close-fitting
costume revealed lines of supple
grace; her dark blue eyes were
sparkling; the breeze that tossed the
white feather of her cap backward,
loosened the short, curling strands
of auburn hair. No one, to have
seen Anna Seward then, would have
pronounced her discontented or un
happy. Eleven miles or so were made in
good time, and after a brief rest, the
traveler started on her homeward
way. All went well until Anna
reached the outskirts of the town
again. Just as she was crossing the
wide driveway that encircled the
park toward which her fdosteps
were leading, a big touring car iadert
with a gay, recklfeBS pafty bore
swiftly down Upon her! Anna stop
ped abruptly, took a startled step
backward, placed her foot on a loose
stone, and as it rolled over, she came
tumbling to the ground.
The motor car had been brought
to a standstill, and one of the party
came back to her assistance; but
Anna had drawn herself to a seat be
side the driveway.
"I'm all right," she said, laughing
nervously; and, it was not until after
the gray car and its occupants had
gone that the girl realized that she
was really injured.
Anna sank back on the iron seat,
conscious of increasing pain and the
fact that the afternoon glow was
shifting into the gray of twilight.
Two or three times she tried to stand
on the injured foot, but she was help
less. Anna waited. It seemed, after a
while, that the big gray car was to be
the last that would pass that way
before night set in. After a time she
grew uneasy. The road was rather
lonely at this turn.
"I guess I will be out of the march
to-morrow," thought Anna grimly.
Another hour dragged by. Sounds
of passing on the driveway within
the park could be heard, but no one
came along on the outer road. Soon
the figure on the seat became indis
tinct; only the rampant white feath
er pierced the darkness. The lonely
girl grew really apprehensive. Even
if any one should come now, she
would be timid about hailing a stran
ger in the night. The pain in her
crippled foot became intense, and
she had to set her teeth sometimes to
bear the sharp pangs without crying
out.
Then came a gay whistle out of
the shadows, lilting like a bird's
song. Surely it would be safe to hail
one who could whistle in that way.
"Boy! Boy!" cried Anna. "Ooo-oo-here."
The whistling lad approached won
deringly. Anna told her story, and
he scurried away like a rabbit. A
few minutes later he was back with
an old-fashioned buggy and a driver.
"He came to see pa, and pa's out,"
he explained, breathlessly. "But he'll
drive you home, and I'll bring the
horse back. I told him it'd take two
of us to get you home."
"He" came toward the seat by the
roadside, and the girl gave a little
scream. "Oh, Miss Seward, is it you?"
said Morgan Giles, stiffly. "I came
down to see this boy's father about
some carpentry work. I never
guessed "
"If you had, I suppose I'd been
left here all night." Anna's tones
were too broken to sound very an
gry. "I'm sorry I'm so helpless, Mr.
(.Tiles."
"I suppose that means you're sorry
you've got to accept my help. Well,"
sharply, "I've got to carry you to the
wagon."
"No, indeed! I'll walk," retorted
Anna; but at the first step, she
crumpled in a heap, and young Giles
picked her up in his arms master
fully. He did not speak again during the
ifthg drive through the park. Anna
cast a few shy glances at his stern
profile; his broad shoulders looming
beside her; his strong hands on the
reins. ' Suddenly a sharp twinge
made her utter a little grasping cry,
quickly suppressed,
"Shall I atop at the doc-tor'fl?"
asked Morgan, gruffly.
"Nf home, please."
He turned his head. "I'm sorry
you're Buffering. But what were ydu
doing so far from home and
alone?
Anna's heart. leaptd. He Was in
terested, iit least: Her rriddd soft
ened. "I was finishing a fifteen-mile
walk. My club starts for Albany to
morrow." "Your club? Albany? You mean
"Yes, I'm working for the cause.
I have a mission in life, now."
He did not see her face, but her
voice sounded encouraging, despite
its uncompromising statement. Mor
gan Giles sat silent a moment. The
little flre beside him atirred uneas
ily. Would he accept her words as
a finality? Then a man's laugh rang
out freely, mirthfully.
"Anna Seward, is that why "
"No, it isn't!" she said crossly. "I
thought Of that after after you
went away."
"But you told me to gd. You said
you would never marry; ydu would
not allow any man to dictate to you."
"Oh, oh, but that was about quite
a different matter. And you were so
high-handed. I I just couldn't stand
it!"
Another silence; then young Giles
brought his lips close to the girl's
inclined ear.
"And, now Anna, now?"
The lights of home flashed out.
The man sprang down, and wrapped
his arms around the unresisting girl;
her head dropped to his shoulder.
"And now?" came his urgent whis
per, as he carried her to her door.
Her arms clung closer as her voice
answered him in mocking petulance.
"What can a girl do when she is
crippled and can't walk or run
away, Morgan?"
He had just time to kiss her hur
riedly before the door was opened.
Ransom's Brigade.
The State Journal of April 4 has
quoted from the Statesville Land
mark a sketch of Ransom's Brigade
from Mr. J. C. Brown, of Iredell,
Company K, Fifty-sixth North Caro
lina Regiment. This writer was at
Appomattox April 9, 1865, with the
Twenty-fourth North Carolina Regi
ment, Ransom's Brigade. On the re
treat from Petersburg we took part
in the battles of Dinwiddie Court
House and Five Forks terrible and
destructive battles. The most of our
brigade was captured at Five Forks.
I remember the smoke of battle in
creased by the smoke of the burning
woods was almost suffocating and so
blinding that we could not distin
guish a Southern from a Northern
soldier. The cavalry horses from
both armies were rushing riderless
back and forth seemingly in search
of their fallen riders. At Farmville
finding the baggage wagons could not
be drawn any further, they were
packed and burned with all the stores
of the army. For three days follow
ing Lee's army subsisted on parched
corn. These incidents occurred forty-eight
years ago this April, and
Monday was the forty-eighth anni
versary of Lee's surrender. M. N.
Mclver, in Scottish Chief.
President Wilson has directed that
a wreath in his name be laid on the
grave of Thomas Jefferson at Mon
ticello next Sunday, the birthday of
the original Democrat.
HART-WARD SSSS
SENDING GOODS BY
PARCELS POST.
The new law which went into
effect 'Jaouary 1 enables us to
Send merchandise by mail,
thus we can send anything in
the line of HARDWARE and
TINWARE ihat does not weith
moret n 11 pounds and meas
ure more than 0 fret arou' d
the package; To take care of
the Orders we have arranged a
Mpedal Department
RATES fOH ON RURAL ROUTES
1 pound 5t 6 pounds. ..10c
2 pounds 6c 1 pounds...Hc
3 pounds 7c 8 pounds, ,,l2c
4 pounds 8c 9 pounds. ..13c
5 pounds 9c 10 pounds. ..14c
11 pounds. ..15c
We guarantee our prices as
low as any catalog house and
will meet their prices on any
article for the same quality
goods. Goods will be sent on
approval by mail, if money ac
companies order. Special
goods not carried in stock,
that can be mailed, will be
ent direct to your door from
the factory, as we have made
arrangements .with several of
the largest factories to do this.
SPORTING GOODS
HART-WARD
HARDWARE CO.
No. 1?5 East Martin, Raleigh, N. C.
rr
Oak City
Steam Laundry
Company
SHIRTS, COLLARS & CUFFS
A SPECIALTY
Phone 87 Special Delivery
H5 W. Hargctt St. RALEIGH, N. C.
NOTICE TO THE CREDITORS OF THE
WENDELL MERCANTILE COMPANY,
Having been appointed permanent receiver
of the Wendell Mercantile Company by am
order entered in a civil action pending in
Wake County Superior Court entitled K. W.
Harris and J. B. Owens vs. thff Wendell
Mercantile Company, 1 hereby notify all
creditors of said company to forthwith pres
ent their claims to me duly verified.
F. EUGENE HESTER,
April 12, 1913. Receiver.
COPY OF SUMMONS FOR RELIEF
For Creditors, Stockholders, and Dealers
With Wendell .Mercantile Company.
Wake County In the Superior Court.
Slate of North Carolina.
E. VV. Harris & J. E. Owens
vs.
The Wendell Mercantile Company.
To the Sheriff of Wake County Greeting:
Vou are hereby commanded to summon
The Wendell Mercantile Company, the de
fendant above-named, if It be found within',
your county, to be and appear before the;
Judge of our Superior Court, at a court to.
be held for county of Wake, at the court
house in Raleigh, on the seventh Monday
after the first Monday of March, it being the-.
21st day of April, 1913, and answer the com
plaint, which will be deposited in the office'
of the Clerk of the Superior Court of said'
county within the first three days of said
term; and let the said defendant take notice,,
that if it fail to answer the complaint with
in the time required by law, the plaintiffs
will apply to the Court for the relief de
manded in the complaint, to-wit, the ap
pointment of a receiver of said corporation.
Hereof fail not, and of this summons make
due return.
Given under my hand and seal of said
court, this 3rd day of April, 1913. x
MILLARD MT AT.,
Clerk Superior Coairt.
When -writing adwtJLs.ers plaaa
mention this paper.