The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-09-05

turned his face away, but shook his
head.
'Will you beg for me p This to the
Governor, who stood with one hand on
his oaken desk and looking very stern,
as much as to say, 81 like this not at
all."l
81 cannot, Mistress Prudence. -
Il know not what his punishment
may be. 1t is disgrace sufficient to
have been arrested. But 1 have here''
and she suddenly drew from the folds
OF her dress thin packet of papers
that which he gave me tonight, saying
that were he punished l might keep
them forever, were he not l might de-
liver them to the Count de Rocham-
beau. They are of great Importance.
sir, for they not only tell who Francois
Duplan is, but certain other hints of
value"
LET me see them, child, - said the
Count, starting forward.
Not till you promise, and l viii tell
you, furthermore, that on your written
order for his release, 1 Will kiss you as
might my father
Verify" +" said the Count, ''those are
but other words, the meaning of which
is the affirmative answer to the question
l put to you. Then you do love the
soldier ?''
That is impudence, sir. 1 have not
said so. Mayhap in your country wO-
men can do nothing unless the motive
of love is imputed. 1t is not so here, as
Mr.. Trumbell well knows. -
you are a brave maid" said the
Count de ROchambeau, ''and you shall
have your wish. Now let me have the
papers"
With this Mistress Prudence rushed
from the room, the Governor and Count
staring at each other in amaZement.-
Presently she returned, looking demure,
sly and wondrous pretty.
4 have put the papers where they are
safe, sir. Tomorrow when 1 see Mr.
Duplan and he tells me that he is reliev-
ed from dureSs and disgrace, l will
place them in your hands"
The Count flushed. He bit his lips.
and at length said 'Then Mistress
Prudence dare not trust to my honor -
Yes, yes she said going to him
prettily, but methinks / will punish
you for your impertinence, sir. You
seek the papers greatly, and you must
restrain your curiosity over night as a
punishment for the question you put to
me. Nevertheless l will partially re-
quite YOU. - and with that she put her
face up to his, so that when he bent
Then the Count sat at the. Governors 5
desk and wrote an order pardOning
Francois Duplan, or rather diSmiSsing
the charge of desertiOn as unfOunded,
thereby qUieting his conscience regard
ing the peremptory order of death to de-
serters and gratifying his wishes. "Give
this.n he said. Ito your escort. and
charge him to deliver it to the sergeant
on his return to the camp"
When she went away neither the
Governor nor the Count proposed to
make any search for the papers. The
despatch bearers, in response to the
Governors inquiry, said that the maiden
went up among the rafterS.
COmTade Jacques showed Mistress
Prudence to her fathers door by the
/ light of his lantern, and, nothing 10th.
went in. The mistress herself mixed
him punch of tremendous strength,
which he drank in her honor Then
/ Squire Strong insisted on another, and
| the minister suggested that they drink
/ to the cause, so that by the time Com
rade Jacques was ready to go back TO
/ the camp he must have had more than
/ a pint of MedfOTd rum to warm him.
/ The cold night air from without and
/ the heated rum from within sent his
/ brain at once into whirl, and an hour
after the sentinel took him to his tent
/ in state of the widest intOXicatiOu. in
which he constantly sang the praises of
/ Mistress Prudence. They found on him
at noon the next day the Count de ROch-
| ambeau's remission of the sentence of
! death.
At sunrise the sergeant and six weep
ing comrades, drawn by lot, led Duplan
through the snow across the highway,
nearly opposite the old mill. He knelt
/ in the snow on the bank. and begged
them to stand not more than five PAGES
away. lie calmly repeated prayer
and then turning to his comrades said
in a clear voice, "Aim for my heart, =
and dropped the handkerchief. He fel
over in the snow dead, and by noon wa:
buried where he fell. His cOmrade:
took from a stone wall dozen or more
boulders and placed them in a pile owe
the grave THE little heap may b'
seen to this day.
At noon. as the sun came out, Mis-
treSs Prudence appeared at the oven OF
the green. She asked for Mr.. Duplan
and the Frenchmen smiled, and pointed
to the earth. Even then sh0 did no
) understand. Looking across the com
mon she saw tie Count de ROchambea
entering the War Office, and to him sh
} at once went.
; ''Where is Mr.. Duplan p
! ''In his grave. Mistress Prudence.
, She paled, but did not faint. Sh
stood like a rock. She saw that tn
( Count de Rochambeau was not jeSting
The Count himself looked sadly at hel
+ ! and was about to tell her of the drunke
. / Jacques. made drunk by the mistress
, own attentions, but she stopped him.
''You are a murderer" she saiC
/, 'sYou have killed a brave and innOceT
7 ! man without cause. You have kille
me. You trifled with me last night
q You care for women only to play wit
I their feelings. He was a good ma
q and a noble man. Oh you are all sc
: wants of Satan War. Is this war
T Then | hate it. Better had there bee
o no war. Yes, better have been slave
!, of the throne. But | tell you, sir, yC
i will never know whom you murdere
e If the constant thought that you m;
have killed one equally gentle Wi
q Yourself may be a nourishment I hOl
that it will ever rankle in your breas
a Ihave concealed the papers. He ask,
me to keep them forever in case he w
10 not released. They are safely hidde
v You will not find them unless you pI
It the Governors office down. Perha
not then, and it viii not come doy
while you are alive"
Ie Then she tainted, and an hour aft
h they carried her home in delirium.
he In the spring when the snow "
gone, they found a flower or two plant
$. | around the boulders over Duplan's graz
e. No one ever saw any person plant the
- but every one knew that Mistress Pl