The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-02-11
NAe Albanl} A}r9i5tcr,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., AppRENTIcE.
by JOHN COOPER VAIL.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER l..
At the period of our story, ther
stood In the vicinity of thc village o
Brunswick, a log house of rather iarc
dimensions, and built in a manner TIA
proved that It's proprietor went in NOR
for comfort than for appearance as re
garded his DWELLING
The proprietor of the house followed
the double calling of a blacksmith and :
farmer He was hale old man of abou
sixty, and his family was composed solely
of his wife, Dorothy, and his daughter
Mary, a beautiful girl just budding
into womanhood.
In his youth, farmer Jonas Hutton
had advocated Quaker principles of peace
but in his old age his sympathies were
secretly enlisted in the cause of King
George. His conduct, however, had
been SO cIreumspeet-he appearing to
maintain strict neutrality as regarded
both the British and American cause,
that, though suspicious were rife of his
extending aid to the former, he had thus
far escaped actual proof.
The only person hired about his prem
ises was tall unsainly- youth of about
twenty years of age, and who served as Il
helper to the smithy when occasionally a
ncighbor wished horse shod or his wag-
on wheel tired. His name was Malachi
Doolittle, and he hailed from the Bay
State, from which he had wandered to
his present station some three years be-
fore, binding himself to Squire Hutton
ill he was one and twenty.
As matter of course, he had been in
love for long time with the fair form
and blue eyes of his masters daughter
Mary, though she had always treated his
case so coolly, that any one but genuine
Yankee wooer would have left the field
in despair. No girl can bear to have it
said that her lover is an object of ridi-
culc, and Mary was we'll aware that Nal
achi-the name by which her father ap-
prentice was generally addressed was
the sport of all the girls in the ncighbor-
hood
He was a fine advocate of the Ameri-
can cause, and when his boss was not by.
and he could gam list ner's ear, he
would express his admiration for Wash
inston in the highest terms.
1t was in the latter part of December,
and close upon dusk, when young man.
atured in the uniform of an ensign in the
Continental army, and mounted on a pow
erful gray horse, rode up to Squire Hut
ton 5 smithy, and requested that his ami
NAL might be shod Immediately.
'.Frlend, thou seemest to be in some
what of a hurry" was Squire Huttons
reply, glancing at the stranger ''aud as
Malachi is busy foddcrins the cattle, and
[ have promised to have neishbor Park
ers wheel tired in half an hour, per-
haps thee had better apply at the next
shop, which thee will find about a mile
and a half further on the straight way to
Brunswick and-"
ca plague ueighbor Parker aud his
wagon Wheel said the young man i'm
patiently. "As you have stated, how
ever, am in a hurry, and bear import
ant dispatches to Washington, whom
is on his way to attack our
enemies at Princeton. May heaven ia
vor the right cause -
"Amen," said the smith, earnestly.
''But rs l have informed thee before, it
will be impossible to attend to the shoe
ing of this beast to night 1t is nearly
dark, and [ seldom protract neightors
after rightfall."
The stranger mused a moment and
then muttered to himself: ''It is not pos
ziblc that | can have been nisinform-
ed; !" drew paper from his pocket and
handed it to Squire Hutton.
''N hat is this ?" he exclaimed.
Something that it would be not po-
lite to let every one peruse in these
lines ; but have heard that you was
'taunch man in the cause of King
Ieorge, and l can trust you. The ext
5encles OF my case will not admit of de-
ay. My horse must be shod, and must
DC within the British camp at Trenton
" to-morrow morning" +,
The old smith with an air Of surprise,
viped his glasses to pcrusc the document,
Ind by the last fading light of day re-
ognized the well-known signature of
ord Corvallis
He instantly graspod the stranger by
he hand, and said that for the cause OF
ling George he would neglect every ;;
ther job of worksin the shop. ! !
"But thee will have roug gh ride of it, {.
lend ; the roads are in bad condition,
nd the wind viii blow cold and bitter in :
~ face | observe, the whole of thy :
,urney." !,
The stranger remarked that he had :
armed to laugh at such adventures in
lie camp of a soldier.
AYE, friend, but the night will be !,
ack as pitch an hour later; and if thy !
EAST be not surc-footed, thee will scarce
reach Trenton by sunrise However, 6
will see that thou art well prepared for :
y journey. A good cup of tea, equal 7
that the foolish rebels wasted in Bos- :.
n harbor, made by my wife Dorothy, .
I'd few warm buiscuit prepared by my :,
lughter Mary, will refresh thee greatly, = =
evious to thy long eide. ),
Thanks, kind sir, for thy hospitality .
d be assured that it win be remem-
red to our commander-in chief. My
lslness is urgent, for if reach Trenton
sunrise the plan now bear about my ot
rson will place the rebel army wholly "
our power" :"
"Sayest thou so ?' said the smith rub trl
ng his hands joyfully; "then we have Il
time to lose. Halo, Malachi. All. " "
re !, thou art Run up to the house and y
IL DOrOtHr that sr,1v q