und
was that of hammering. The gallows was being erected.

And at that awful sound hope fled from the girl's heart. All night she
had waited, hoping, believing, that something would come to prevent
the execution. Now she felt that all was over. Clifford must die.

Calmness settled upon her. For with absolute despair came a peace--a
numbness that left her insensible to anything save the fact that she
must be brave for Clifford's sake--that he was alone, and she of all
his kindred was there to give him comfort. So Peggy prepared for the
ordeal before her.

The execution was to take place at nine o'clock. Long before that hour
the people from the countryside gathered. A great concourse of
farmers, and citizens from the near-by farms and villages, all
conversant with the details of the affair, came to see the unfortunate
victim.

Peggy saw none of them as she went with leaden feet to the
guard-house. No one said her nay as she took her position by the door.
The guards glanced at her compassionately, awed by the whiteness of
her face, and the awful calmness of her manner. The cousins had come
to be well known in the camp, and there was not a soldier who did not
commiserate the youth's fate.

How fast the moments go when one is expecting a dread event! It seemed
that it could not be time when the drums beat assembly, and the
soldiers filed into place. A squadron of dragoons and a battalion of
soldiers formed in a hollow square. Within their ranks was a cart in
which the prisoner was to be taken to the place of execution. The
bitterness of death fell upon her as she watched for Clifford's
coming. She must be brave. Of all his kindred she alone was there to
bid him a last farewell. That was all of which Peggy was conscious.
She did not know that the military band had taken its position in the
procession, and that the entire Jersey line was forming as for parade.

A stir at the door betokened the coming of the prisoner. The door
opened, and two guards appeared. Behind them, with a guard on either
side, came the unfortunate young man who was to pay the penalty of
another's crime. He was very white, but composed. As the morning
sunlight fell upon him he looked so young, so handsome in his scarlet
uniform, that a murmur of pity rose, and spread among the people. A
mist dimmed the youth's eyes as he caught sight of the little figure
standing by the door. He spoke to one of the guards, then stepped
quickly to her side, stoope