The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-17

80, | told her so-but not 'Uhv," re-
spondci Miss Schuyler, with "a wicked
look ia hrr dArk eyes, though had war
raut enough 10 do 90 to serve you for
Keeping q secret from met
And with this parting hot she return
cd ~ Metres Thankful who, with her
face pressed against the window. was look
ing out on the mOonlit slope bcside Che
Whippauy river.
For by orc OF those freaks peculiar to
the American sprnetidc, The weather had
u"an marvcll1us'y changed. Tho ram
hai ccn-od, and the Ground was covered
with nn ieing of ,lcet aud snow, that now
ghitDicd und,r a clear sky aud "A bril-
liant moon. ihe northeast wind that
shook the loose sa-hrs Of the windows hld
transformed otch dripping tree aud shrub
20 icy staiactitc~ that silvered under the
moons coll touch.
" 'Iis "A beautiful sight, ladies'" said
BLUM, hearty, niddle-aged man. joining
Tho group by the window, but God send
the Spring To II. quickly ana spare us any
more such cruel changes. Ny lady moon
looks nnc enough, glttcring in yondcr tree
tops, but doubt MOI she looks down upon
tattcrcd blankets in the camp beyond.
Had We seen the Connecticut tatterrlc-
mallon- file by last night. with arms re-
vcrscd. showing their toeth ut his Excel
lency and yet not daring to bite--had We
watched these fnint-hcart-, these doubling
ThOmascs. ripe for rebellion against his
EXcellcncy, against the cause, but chiefly
against the weather, we would pray for
thaw that would melt the hearts of these
men Us 1t would these stubborn fields
around us Two weeks more of such
weather would raise up not one Allan
Brewster. but dozen such malcontont
puppies ripe for Il drum-Aead court mar
tial."
Yet It's "A fine night, Gen. sullivan"
said Col. Hamilton, sharply nudging the
RIBS OF his superior onicer with his
elbow, " There would be little trouble on
such night, fancy, TO track our ghostly
visitanf.' Both of the ladies' becoming
Interested, and Col. Hamilton having thus
adroily turned the flank of his superior
officer, he went on y on should know
that the camp. aud indeed the whole local
ity here, Is said to he haunted 10y the appa-
rition of n gray-cpated figure. whose face
is muilled ana hidden in his collar, but who
has lhc password pat 70 his lips, and whose
ideniiy hath baficd the scntrics. This
figure. II is said, forasinuCh "a 1t has been
seen just before an assault. an attack, or
some trbulation OF the army, Is believed
10y many 10 be the genius or guardian spirit
Of the cause, and, rs such, has melted sem
tries aud guards to greater vigilance, aud
has to some seemed premonition OF dis
astcr. Before the last outbreak of the
Connecticut militia, Master Graycoat
haunted the outskirts of the weather
beaten and bedraggled camp, and. doubt
not. saw much OF that preparation that
sent that regiment OF flint-heartcd onion
gntherers To hnunt their woes and their
wrongs in the fuce of the q eneral himself"
Here Col. Hamilton. in turn. received
slight nudge from Mistres. Schuyler, and
ended his speech somewhat abruptly.
Mistress Thankful was not unmiudful of
both these illusions to her faithless lover
but only II CONSCIOUSNESS OF modification
and wounded PRIDE was awakened by
them. In fact, during the first tempest of
her Indignation at his arrest, still later at
the arrest of her father. and finally ut the
discovery of his pern1y to her. she had
forgotten that he was her lover; she had
forgotten her previous Tenderness toward
him; and now that her arc aud lndigua-
ton were spent, only sense of numbness
aud vacancy remained All that hat gone
before seemed not something to he re-
GREETED rs her own act, but rather as the
act of another Thankful Blossom. who had
been lost that night in thesnow storm; She
felt she had become within the last twenty
four hours not perhaps another woman.
hut for the nrst time a woman.
Yet It was singular that she felt more con-
fused when, n few moments later, the con-
versation turned upon Major Van Zandt
il was still more singular that she even felt
considerably frightened at that confusion.
Finally she found herself listening with
alternate irritability. shame and curiosity
! to praises Of that gentleman, OF his cour-
! age. his devotion. ana his personal graces
For one wild moment Thankful felt like
throwing herself on the breast Of Mistress
schuyler and confessng her rudrness to
the Major, but n conviction that Mistress
/ schuyler would share that secret with Col.
Hamilton. that Major Van Zaudt might
not like that revelation, ard, oddly enough
associated with this. n feeling of mCon-
/ querahlc initnbility toward that hand
some and gentle young officer, kept her
mouth closed. IL ,sIdes, she said to her
self ought 10 know, II ne is such fine
gentleman rs they say, just how was feel
ing, aud that didn't mean any rulencss
to him, and with this unanswcnble fcmi-
nine logic, poor Thankful. to some extent,
stilled her own honest little heart.
But not fear, entirely; the night was
restless one 10 her; like all impul,ive
natures the season Of reflection aud per-
haps distrust came to her uDon acts that
we've already committed, aud when reason
50 med 10 light the way only t. despair.
She aw the folly Of her intrusion at the
Headquarters, as she thought, only when
IL was too late TO remedy II she saw the
grncclossncss and dscourtesy of her con-
duet to Major Van Zlndt only when DIS
lance and time rendered an apology weak
ana Intellectual think she cried little
10 herself. lying in the strange gloomy
chamber OF the BEAUTIFULLY shopping Mis-
trcss schuyler, the sweet security Of whose
manifest goodness aud kindness She alter