The Red Cloud chief., 1879-10-16

loye he imputed. IL i. not 20 herr, n.
Mr.. Trumbull well knows"
"You are = brave maid sad the
Count De Rrchamheau, and YOU .hail
have YOU ~i.h. Now lei me- have the
! paper"
With this Mistrrss Prudence rushed
from the room. the Governor and Count
staring AZ each other in amaEcmsni-
Presently she returned. booking dcfnur.,
sly and wondrous pretty.
IL have put The papers ~here They ar'
safe. .ir. To-morTuw when ] -s Mr..
Duplan and h. tells M that h. i relsv-
81 from durcss and Disgrace, ! vii place
them in your hand.
The Count flushed. He tai his lip,
and At length said Then Mi.s Pru-
dcnce dare not a. trust to my honorS"
"Ye-. yes," she said, going 90 him
/ prctiily. Z" hut m.ihink- ] viii punish
you for YOUR impertinence, ..r. You
seek the paper greatly, and YOU must
restrain Your curiosity over the night n
4 punishment for the question yVu put
ID me. Nevertheless ! will partially re-
quite yDu. and with thai, -he put her
face up Ia hi, - that when h. h-ni over
she ki.-ed him on his forehead. Then
the Count lat NJ the Governor dcsk
and wrote an order parioning Francois
Duplan. or rather di>mi~-ing the charge
Of deSeTtion A. unfounds,i. thereby qui-
citing hi- conscience regarding IN" per
empinry order II death Ia de~srt-rS and
gratifying hI- wishes. Give this" he
said. 'to Your Escort, and charge him
io deliver il "a the Sergeant on his ~
turn tn tn" camp
When she went away neither the
Governor nor the Count proposed {"
make any search for the papers. The
dispatch bearers, in response Ia the
Governors inquiry, >aid that the maid
ca went up among the r~aft"r>.
tomrade Jacques showed Mistress
Prudence Ia her fathers door by the
light IL his lantern. and nothing 10th
went in. The mistress herself mixed
him a punch Of tremendous strength,
which he drank in her honor. Then
Squire Strong insisted on another, and
the minister suggested that they drink
Ia the cause. - that by the time com-
rade jacques Wa ready Ia Ga back la
IN. amp he must have had more than
a pint Of Mcdford rum 20 warm him.
The cold night air from without and the
heated rum from within sent hi- brain
at once into a whirl. and an hour after
the sentinel took him Ia his tent in a
state Of the widest intoXication, in
which he constantly SANG the praises If
Mistress Prudence. They found On him
AT noon the next day the Count de Ro-
chambeau'- remission of the sentence If
death.
Al sunrise the Sergeant and six weep
inc comrades, drawn by lot, led Duplan
through the snow. across the highway.
nearly opposite the old mill. He knclt
in the snow on the bank, and begged
them 10 stand not than five PAGES
away. He calmly repeated a prayer,
and then turning Ia his comrades said
in a clear voice, "Aim for my heart"
and dropped the handkerchief. He fell
over in the snow dead. and bv noon was
buried where he fell. His comrades
took from "A stone wall a dozen or more
powders and placed them in "A pile over
the grave. THE little heap may be
seen To- this day.
Al noon, a. the sun came out, Mistress
Prudence appeared AT the oven on the
green. She asked for Mr.. Duplan, and
the Frenchmen smiled and pointed Ia
the earth. Even then she did not under
stand. Looking across the common she
SAW the Count De Rochambeau entering
the War Office, and to him she al once
went.
Where i Mr.. Duplan?"
In his grave, Mistress Prudence"
She palcd, hut did not faint. She
stood like a rock. She saw that the
Count de R~ochambeau was not testing.
The Count himSen looked sadly at her,
and was about To tell her IF the drunken
jacques, made drunk 10y the MISTRESS
own attentions, but she stopped him.
"Iou are a murderer" she said.
You have killed a brave and innocent
man without cause. You have killed
me. You triflcd with me last night.
You care for women only 10 play with
their feelings. | hate YOU and all yours.
Oh, why did y"u Kill him, sir? He was
4 good man and a noble man. Oh, you
are all servants IF Satan. War. l.
this war? Then | hate it. Better had
there been no war. Yes. better have
been slaves IF the throne. But | tell
YOU. sir. YOU will never know whom Won
murdered. If the constant Thought
that YOU may have killed one equally
gentle with Yourself may I've a punish
mcnt | hope that it will cver rankle in
your breast. | have concealed the pa
per>. He asked me Ia keep them for
ever in ease he was not released. They
are safely hidden. You will not find
them unless You pull the Governors Of
fee down. Perhaps not then, and
it will not come down while Won are
alive"
Then she tainted: and an hour
after they carried her home in "A de-
lirium.
In the spring. when the snow was
gone. they found a flower or two plant
ed around the powders over Duplan'S
grave. No one ever saw any person
plant them. hut every one knew that
Mistress Prudence had been there. Be
fore the mex spring she WAS laid away
in the old cemetery. near the Trumbull
tomb (you NAV see the slab over the
grave Ia this dayl. and she never re-
vealed the mystery. Search was often
made for the papers without success.
but there i no one who has heard the
story who does not believe they are hid
den in the War Office.
Ii Is said that the Count de Rocham-
beau subsequently learned who Francois
Duplan was, and that ne was of gentle
blood.-Ner York Sun.
Four Hours in the Dark.