Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1862-07-30


furious officer, with an oath.
Let me speak to her" said his tory
guide Il know the child, | believe
Isn't your name Hetty Marvin?' he asked
pleasantly
Z" Yes, sir.
And this man who ran by you few
minutes ago. was your mothers cousin
wasn't hep
" Yes, sir; he was
We'll, we are friends What did he
say to You when he came alongg'
He-he told me-that he was flving
for his life
:" Just so, Hetty that was very true
hope he won't have to fly far Where
was he going TO try to hide You see. |
could help him nicely, if only knew his
plans
Now IIctty was not whit deceived by
this smooth speech But she was willine
to tell as much Of the truth as would con
sist with his safety, and she wisely iuiged
that her frankness would serve her kinS-
man better than her silence SO she an
swcred her questioner candidly: Ny
cousin said that he was going down this
way 70 the river where he had a boat
and he wanted me 10 tell the men that
We're chasing him, that he had gone the
other way to catch the mail wagon
Why didn't you do as he bid YOU
then, when asked where he had gone =?
Numbered the officer, fiercely
" could not tell lie, sir, was the
fearful answer
Hettv, again began the smooth
tongued tory, ''you are a nice child Ev-
erybody SHOWS yon are a child of truth.
What did your cousin say when you told
him you couldn' tell false God p
L" He said he shouldn't think I'd betrav
him to his death.
And then you promised him that YOU
wouldn't tell which way he went, if you
was killed fer it
q Yes, sir
That was a brave speech; and so,
suppose, he thanked you for it and ran
down the road rs quickly as possible p
"a promised not to tell where he went
sir?''
oh yes, forgot Well tell us his
last words, and we won't trouble you any
more
:" His last words were, It's my only
chance, child, and I'll get down as you
say. And overcome by the fright, and
the sense Of her kinsman danger should
they rightfully interprc. the language
which she had reported, she sobbed aloud
and hid her face from sight.
Her tormentors did not stay anv longer
to so0the or question her. They had rot,
as they supposed, the information which
they wanted, AMI pushed rapidly on doHn
to the river. Now, the Governor, had lr
ranged a signal with his boatlaen. that a
white cloth by day, or a light in the night
DISPLAYED from the attic window Of bis
hiding place, which was ust visible Il the
mouth OF the creek, sbou q inform them
if he were in trouble, and put them upon the
alert to help him As soon therefore as
he started from his cousin the siLnal
fioated from the window to warn them
And when they saw the pursuing party
dash madly toward the river, and recorni-
zel the British uniform of the leader,
they pulled swiftly ont to sea. The horse
men reached the shore only in season to
see the boat. with the two men IN it, near
ly out Of sight, and supposing their des-
tined prey lad escaped relir, -.ished the
pursuit
Meanwhile, the hunted victim lay safe
and quiet. where the simple shrewdncss
of his little cousin had hidden him, until
the time came for her to return to
the house for supper Then he bade her
20 as usual to her home telling her to ask
her mother to place the signallamp, as
soon as it grew dark, in the window for
the boatmen. and TO send him there some
supper, with his valise, which, in the hur-
ry Of departure, he had lefo behind
The signal recalled the boat, which af
ter twilight had ventured in sight of the
shore and the farm house and the Cover
nor quietly made his way to the river in
safety.-When he joined his father in a
secure home, he named his infant daugh-
ter, which had been born in his absence,
"Hetty Marvin, that he might be daily
reminded of the little cousin whose truth
and shrewdness had saved his life