Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1846-08-21

face numbcd with cold-lt was the great
"Rebcl' Of Valley Forge, who. returning to
camp sooner than his usual hour, was fore
ed by the storm to take refuge in the far
mcr's house. and claim a lite food and an
hours rcpose at his hands.
In a few moments, behold the soldier,
with his cloak thrown off, sitting at the oak
en- table, partaking of the food, spread out
there by the hands of the girl, who now
stands trembling at his shoulder.
And look !! Her hand is extended as if
to grasp him by the arm-her lips move as
if to warn him of his danger. but make no
sound. Why all this silent agony for the
man who sits so calmly there!
One moment ago, as the girl, in prcpar-
ing the hasty supper, opened yondcr closet
door, adjoining the n"Xt room, she heard the
low whispers of her father and the Tories
she heard The dice boz rdtt'e, as they rere
casting lots. uho should StaJ George Wash
ington IN his steep!
And now the words: "Beware, or this
night you die :" trcmblc halfformed from
her lips, when the father comes hastily from
that room and bushes her with a look
"Show the gentleman to his chamber,
Mary .'-(how calmly polite a murderer
can be D--"that chamber at the head ot'thc
stairs, on the left. On the left you mind"
Mary takes the LIGHT, trembling and pale.
She leads the soldi + up the oakcn stairs.
They stand on the landing, in this wing OF
the farm house, composed of W rooms, d-
vided by thick walls from the main body of
the mansion. On one side, the right, is the
door of Mary's chamber: on the other. the
hf. the chamber of the soldicr-to him a
chamber ofdcnth.'
For a moment. Mary stands there trcm-
bling and confused. Washington gazos up
on that pale girl with a look Of SURPRISE
Look She is about to warn him Of his
danger. when. see there her fathers
rough face appears above the head Of the
stairs.
"Marv, show the gentleman into the
chamber on the left. And look We, girl
it's late--you'd better 60 into your own
room and go to sleep"
While the Tory watches them from the
head of the stairs, Washington enters the
chamber on the | #, Mary the chamber on
the right.
An hour passes. Sill the storm beats
on the roof-still the snow drifts on the hills.
Before the five, in the dim old hall of that
farm house. are seven half drunken mrn,
with that tall Tory, Jacob Mannheim sitting
in their midst, the murdercr's knife in his
hand. For the lot had fallen upon him
He is to 90 up stairs and stab the sleeping
man.
Even this halfdrunkcn murderer is pale
at the thought-how the knife trcmblcs in
hi, hand tr,,n11ne ,,,i,,e, tl,o ,tr.,1 ln-
rel. The jccrs of his comrades rouse him
to the work--the light in one hand, the
knife in the other, he goes up the stairs
he listens first at the door Of his daugh-
tors chamber on the right. tn n at the door
of the soldiers chamber on the left. All is
still. Then he places the light on the floor
he enters the chamber on the / tl-hr is
gone q mOmcnt-SllcI.cc .-incrc is ii falnl
groan He comes forth again. PUSHES down
the stairs. and stands there be fore the fire,
with the bloody knife in his hand.
.Loak :" he shrieks, as he ~scattcrs the
red drops over his comrades faces, over the
hearth, into the fire-.Look it is his blood
the traitor Washington y
His comrades gather round him with
vells of joy already. in fancy, they count
the gold which will be paid for this deed
when 10. that stair door opens. and there
without IA wound, without even the stain of
| a drop of blood. stands George Washington
4 asking calmly for his horse,
| "What..' shriekcd the Tory Mannheim
s '!can neither steel nor bullet harm YOU
Are YOU a living man2 Is there no woun.
about your heart ! no blood upon your uni
). form ;"
The apparition drives him mad. II,
+ starts torwurd--hc places his hands trcm
bIingly upon the arms, upon the breast OF
; Washington. Sill no wound. Then 1t
: looks at the bloody knife. still clutchcd il
his right hand, and stands there quiz, rim.
X as with a death Spasm.
While Washington looks on in sil n
wonder, the door is flung open, the Dol
c troopers tromN alley Forge throng the room
with the gallant form and bronzcd visagc q
Captain Williams in their midst. At thi
" moment the clock struck twelve. Then
n horrid thought crashes like a thundcr-boI
ID upon the brain Of the Tory Mannheim. II
scizcs the Righteousness up s,airs---rusIe
I'd into the room of his dought r on the rich
III Some one had Just risen from the bed. b,
N the chamber was vacant. Then towards tn;
5 room ON the lift, with ST ps of lcaden hea,
mess, Look how the light quivers in h
IN hand, lie pauscs at the door; he listens
IL Not a sound-a stiffness like the grave
le Ills blood curdlos in his veins! Gathcrin
T. courage. he pushes open the door. H. el
20 tiers. Towards that bed through whose Gu
ol tains he struck 50 blindly "A moment aye
y Again he pluSes-not Il sDund--a stillne'
II more terrible than the grave. lie filings
e, side the curtains
Ks There, in the full light Of the lamp, he
le Young form but half covered, bathfd in h,
own b~lood--thcre lay his daughter Mary
y All, do Mt look upon the face ofthe fat
n err, as he starts silently back, frozen to ston
IA but in this pause Of horror listens to Il
at mystery of this decd!
- Aftor her father had gone down stain
- an hour ago, Mary stole silently from Il
er chamber on the right. Her soul shaken by
thousand fears. she oprncd the door on I
ne left and brhcldWashinaton sitting by a tab
eS on which were spread a chart and Il bib
M Then, though her existence was wound
in the act, she asked him, in a tone Of cal
DIS pollteness, to take the chamber on the G
positc side. Mary entered the chamber viii
'ed he left.
.n- Can you imagine the agony of that cir
Ills ] AIhl NJ. 10 3.