Love And Loyalty.

asked the officer- in tones of deep concern . "Alethinks , my men will be unnerved if yon pose thus boldly . " "I thank you for your consideration , " replied Wharton , bowing , "but I have no fear . ' 'Tis not the first time that 1 have faced the weapons of the soldiers of your King . Poor fellows , they bufc do their duty ! I forgive theni withall my heart . Again , sir , I sayadieu ! "

As the officer turned away with tears in his eyes . Wharton exclaimed in a resonant voice , rendered more startling in its intensily by the silence that prevailed— " Long live King James ! " Then after a painful pause . " Oh , Gad receive my sinful soul ! ' Then ci ' me the measured commands from the captain , " Load Look to your flints Prime Ready- ! "

Again are heard the solemn utterances of the chaplain and ( he melancholy roll of the drums . Then , after a parting pressure of the hand the cleric withdrew from the vicinity of the condemned . At this supreme moment- the least unconcerned present was ( he one who stood on thc grim threshold of eternity .

The ollicer was about to give the final commands , when Ihere came ringing in thc now still air the notes of a trumpet , 'lhe people glanced in the direction < f ( he sound , and as ( hey saw two horsemen advancing towards the p ' ace of execution at a gallop , they

instinctivcly divined the cause < f the interruption . Then exelaillations of joy were raised . Some shouted and others cried " A reprieve . a reprieve ! He is saved ! The brave boy is not to die ! bong live the Duke ! Hurrah ! Hurrah !"

The soldiers with military stolidness did not stir , but their faces all bore a look of relief . The tiring party remained at the " Heady , " with tlieir eyes steadfastly lixed upon the prisoner , but their inward excitement caused the muzzles of their muskets to waver .

As the horsemen approached it was seen that one was an ollicer of rank , who was frantically waving a white handkerchief , and the other was an attendant- 1 rum peter . The ollicer commanding fhe parade at once left his post , and saluted the new comer .

The latter reigned in his punting steed , ami exclaimed . " Thank God , I am not too late ! Captain , order yonr men io discharge their muskets in the air ! " This command having been given and obeyed , he

continued-"His Royal Highness has graciously reprieved fhe prisoner , and commands lhat every attention is to be paid to him—I beg ( he lady ' s pardon—I should have said paid to her . " "Paid to her , Alajor Wolfe , what lady ? " stammered Ihe bewildered ollicer .

"It means , Captain Power , that y . uir laic prisoner is . Mistress Constance Wharton , who I ' or some time pasl has been masquerading under the name and in the attire of her brolher , Harold Wharloii . The fair rebel has been emiilal ing t he example of Joan of Are , by bearing arms against the English forces . The whole story has a medieval lone about if . Hut see ! the reaction has been loo much for her . She faints , poor girl !"

In a moment , the speaker —the future victor of Quebec—dismounted , arrd was just in time to catch the lad y in his arms as slit lapsed into a death-like swoon . Calling for fhe aid of several female onlookers , he tenderly conveyed the unconscious girl lo flic guard house .

The reader will remember lhat Constance was greatl y disturbed b y the communications of Hagar the gipsy , and by the strange dream that followed . In the morning , she decided upon a daring course of action , namely , lo don male attire and personate her brother . As wc have previousl y explained , the young lady was tall and gracefully formed . From childhood she had revelled in ouldoir sports and

pastimes . She was a tearless horsewoman , and could handle a gnu . p istol and foil wilh grace ancl skill . She . in company with her brother , had attended many a masked bill habited as a cavalier , and her sex had never once been siisneeled . She was nat urall y a creature of great imagination , and her heart was lilled with romantic notions , Her brothei' at that lime was . staying wilh friends in I ' ar-distunt

Love And Loyalty.

Cornwall , but had written to say ( hat his visit was abont to terminate . Here arose a dilcmna . How was she fo prevent his returning home Y She could easily explain by letter her own sudden departure from Camber . veil . 'Twas easy to fabricate a story that she had received and accepted an invitation io visit some relations in thc North .

Such duplicity was open to grave question , but she thought that it , would be for her brother ' s ultimate advantage . The gipsy ' s warning and her vivid dream had aroused in her heart some latent superstition . She felt convinced that could Harold lie prevented from joining thc Jacobite cause , thai all would be well . As to what her lover would think of her escapade , concerned her not at all .

However , ere many weeks passed , the Fates played into her hands . Two letter's arrived b y Ihe same post , one from her brother , arrd the other' from Reginald Staunton . Ihey both contained grave news , Harold had been thrown from his horse and had sustained injuries , but happily not of a dangerous nature . However , his doctor had told him that some time must elapse before he would be able to leave

Cornwall . The oilier communication bore the tidings that her lover had been stricken down with fever in Edinburgh . 'Twas written by a friend who hinted thai all chance of Staunton ' s participation in the great enterprise was fny fhe present at- an end , but the writer had bcen requested io express a hope that Harold would join Seymour , Somerville and Alarston , and I ' or which purpose , a letter of explanation to those o-cnflemeii was enclosed .

iler kind heart was greatly concerned with the disasters that had overtaken those she loved so well , yet her bosom glowed with the thought thai she could now make preparations for her adventure without hindrance . In due iime she left Camber House , taking with her- several suits of her brother ' s apparel . She resembled him very much iu figure and features , llefore leaving , she left instructions

with the housekeeper that all letter's either for her , or her brother , were fo be forwarded to her at an address she would give later on . On arrival in the city , she . sought out the three friends , arid her first adventure with them was related in the opening chapter of this story . They subsequently sailed from the Pool to Whitehaven , and joined Prince Charles ' s forces without molestation or incident worth

recording . Thanks to her courage , firre physique arrd manly ___ at tributes , she bore the fatigues of the long journey and camp life well . No one suspected thai she was other than Harold Wharton . She had had letters forwarded lo her from her brother and lover , and she was pleased to hear that both invalids were progressing satisfactorily . We have now to explain how it was ( hat at ( lie last moment her sex was discovered , and her life saved .

It will be remembered thai Constance and the corporal on their way lo fhe guard-house passed Hagar the gipsy . 'Twas then the idea look possession of our heroine , I hat if she could only Communicate with the mysterious woman , a way might be found for her to escape from her captors . Thc glamour of her romance had passed away . Her three faithful friends were dead , aud so apparently was the 'Cause '

for which she had risked so much to support . Life was dear to her , and yet at first with a strange inconsistency she shrunk from throwing herself upon the Duke ' s mercy , b y acknowledging to him that she was a woman . She had with her llagar ' s token , and iu her brief colloquy with the good-natured corporal , she had entreated him to convey it wilh all speed to the gipsy . To this the corporal agreed .

After' her interview with the Duke , her fears conjured up ( he possibilit y ( hat llugur might not be lound , and in a moment of natural weakness she wrote a letter to him , intimating that she was a woman . She gave the missive to the friendly sergeant lo deliver , who performed the duly , but b y some unaccountable means if never reached the hands id' flic Duke . Thai night Constance and

the gipsy met . The room where she was in durance was lighted b y a casement too small to permit of an escape , yet it afforded ready means of converse . The surprise of Hagar was great , as she had rro idea that Constance had been personating Harold Wharton . As wc have seen . Ihe well-meaning gipsy had tried to induce Alarston to prevent ( he supposed Harold from participating in the ill-starred retreat .

( oiisi . inre suggested lo Hagar that when Ihc camp was at rest , means should be taken to remove a few stone tiles from the roof of the temporary guard-i m and thus enable her tn seek safely in ' ( li ght-. The soldiers iu the oiiler-guard room would , after the fatigues of the day , be loo tired lo keep strict watch , and thc sentry on duly might be cither bribed ov overpowered .

'lhe gipsy listened attentivel y to the lady and promised that everything should be curried out as she wished . She did Ihis io pacify Constance , but her own plan of action was al once to seek the Duke and explain to him the whole plain fads . It was not io bc supposed that he , a soldier and a prince , would allow a young and

beaut il ill woman to be sacrificed . This project the gipsy was , as wc have related , enabled happily lo carry out . She had , however , a great difficulty in getting speech with His Highness ( ill the eleventh hour . It was only b y invent ing a story that she had important secrets to communicate concerning his personal safet y thai she atlast obtained an audience .

The Prince al once sent Alajor Wolfe , one of his aides-de-camp , wilh the reprieve . Subsequently a coiiiniiiuicalioii was sent by the Duke to Constance informing her lhat if she promised at once lo leave lhe lirilish Isles that no steps would be taken to punish her for her connection with the rebellion .

The lady gladly consented to ( his . and with the assistance of the gipsy , who obtained for her a change of raiment , she travelled ( o Edinburgh , where ( o Iter juv she found her lover almost well .