Motion Picture Story Magazine (Aug 1912-Jan 1913)

62 THE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE had grown to the borderland of womanhood as a gentle, care-free girl. Suddenly the war switched down on placid Mississippi, and Agnes, her form swelling with love for her State, became fired with a man's daring. Twice she had penetrated the Union lines at Shiloh, and brought back invaluable information for the Army of Tennessee. An invisible something seemed to hover over the invading army and thwart its moves to cut the railroads, or to penetrate deeper into the Southland, even before they were started. At last, stung to anger, the innocent-appearing girl was tracked, and the leak discovered. Thus a price came to be set on her head. Agnes rode into the forest. Miles back of her the drawn-out wail of a locomotive whistle seemed to bid her a warning farewell. In an hour she had caught up with the Confederate column and pushed quickly by the marching men. A mile or so in advance she came upon a scouting party under command of that daredevil officer, Captain Hunt, who, Dame Rumor whispered, had not ' l a new mistress held : the first foe in the field," would have bent all his fiery energy to the conquest of the little Corinthian girl. But their encounter was as one warrior meets another, and, with a few hurried words from her saddle, she passed on toward the Union lines. An hour afterward, she was led under guard into the tent of General Prentiss. That officer, as much the scholar and thinker as the trained soldier, on listening to her opening words, ordered his staff to withdraw. "Have no fear," he said to the apparently frightened and embarrassed girl; "I am extremely interested in your plan to capture the female spy, Agnes Lane. ' ' "Oh, sir!" she faltered, with face shielded by the wide hat-brim, ' ' what can you think of me ? But I hate her passionately — at times, and — and the officer that " Her voice trailed off into nothingness. "She loves, you love," finished the general. " It 's the old story. ' ' ' ' At first I thought I dare not take the reward, ' ' she went on, ' * but when I saw that she was heartless and cruel, and — and a cat, I made up my mind to come to you." "And you have done very well," he said, reaching into his army-chest and setting on the table a little bag which gave out chinks and squatted like a fat toad before her eyes. The girl eyed it wistfully. "Is it very much ? ' ' she asked. "It is gold," said the tempter slowly, "and a fortune when converted into rebel money. ' ' The girl sighed, and stretched out her hand appealingly toward it. Then, at the sound of a distant shot, her downcast eyes widened and sparkled. An officer thrust into the tent. ' ' Outposts attacked, ' ' he said ; ' ' rebels are reported gathering in numbers." General Prentiss sprang up, and caught the instant's gleam in the girl's eyes. "There is deviltry here," he shouted. "Push back your hat and show me your face." But she shrank away from him. "Needs must," he said, and grasped her slender wrists in powerful hands. She flattened her head against his chest. A spirited volley, coming nearer, rang out from the covert. Suddenly her head was forced back, and her face, with its deep gray eyes and flushed oval, stood framed in the rumpled cavalier's hat, before him. The division commander gave her one searching look of triumph, then dropped her wrists and dashed from his tent. Agnes heard him shout: "Guard that woman, ' ' evidently to the sentry outside. With that, a bedlam of confusion seemed to break out from everywhere. Mounted officers rode furiously by, hoarse commands were given, and the air was thick with the dust and scuffle of men forming ranks. In an instant she had shed her riding-habit, and stood a slender lieutenant in blue before the general's mirror. Her hat was cast aside, and