The Red Cloud chief., 1879-10-16
PRUDENCE STGONG'S SECRET.

! Irn" story al revolutionary baS-.
The old Office IN Lebanon, Conn.
at GOV. TrTmhull Wa-hiu%t"n'~ Broth
err Jonathan ha> lately received Il new
ROOF. This means thai the little build
iu@ which sheltered Washington, Itoch-
amhrau and LAFAYETTE. which was she
meeting place of the Council of Safe
~" and the hating place Of the mes
~-n.rr~ who bore important dispatches
between PHILADELPHIA and Boston, l. not
Vet 10 be- torn down. II also means that
ID" mysterious documents which Ms
tres Prudence Strong once Ind there M
defiance IF GOV. Irumhull and the
Count dr E~ochamhcau, will still longer
remain in IL hiding place for. wears
ag,. even before GOV. Trumbull WAS
Gathered t. his fathers, the villagers
sand shat the papers would never
he found until the huildin" was taken
down. aud every ralt"r and cycry GREY
icr between the stones of the larwc Chin
uoy was examined.
/. From the papers ana ~lctrer~ that Judge
lIelard collected. many Of them coming
into MS h1nl~ when settling an estate
uf 'hr husband of one uf Gov. Irum-
bull daughters. from the information
lla, .Ind-r IIrhari gained from the
m,ml,rr~ Of the Trumhull family WHOM
hc knew. and from various other SQUIRE
c~. the Story If the -ccryt Of Prudence
strong 10 i firmly believed would have
been exposed had the Office been torn,
down.
The Count dc U;ochamhcau, with hi
battalion nf allies. In the winter of l,Su
rested In Lebanon. The soldiers pitch
"a their t,n,- and built their hu,> un the
Slope ui a hill. a, the bottom ri which
rau "a stream Of water Ia the mill-pond.
Stream and pond and >lupin- hillside
hll. no, been changed since 10y either
nature or art.
The Count de Rochamhcau sat eating
hi dinner of >~uccota>h and "A juicy piece
of beef one stormy afternoon. He had
Just received a dispatch from Washing
ton which pleased him greatly, and had
sent a messenger Ia notify Gov. Trum-
huh that the Count de- R~nchamhrau
would DO himself the honor Of passing
an hour or - II the evening with the
Governor ~ tn" War Office.
An unusual hustle in the camp attract
FL Rochamhcau'> attention. What
docs thi~ mean? Those fellows are I'M
usually noisy Tonight he said Ia an
Aidr-dc-ramp who dined with him.
If | mistake not. the sentry has cap
turcl a de>crtcr." said the Aid. rising
ami going L. the window. He stood
there pecrium through the glass. which
wt> - imperfect ~ 10 make bio men
look very little and small men seem very
larrc. besides frequently %racin" one
body with fuur or eve six pairs If legs.
at J. A. mi>tru>tcd. sir. They have
caught a dc>crtcr. and. if my eyes do
not deceive me. it l. Francois Duplan. "
No. not he" the Count said, rising.
..Why. he i a gentleman. He can not
conceal that even from You. if he l. a
common soldier. He has the air IF a
grand mystery. and he l. withal exceed
inrlv >crviccable At the oven"
1t i he. nevertheless. strand Won
will pardon me if | recall 10 your mem
orN the order that was issued by the
Count de Rochamhcau when the de>erter
Was captured the other day and for
given"
death n the next sunrise" said the
Count. sinking into his chair.
"ncath At the next SUNRISE" said the
Aid, quietly.
.Mc,hink>. had | known that this
fellow would lac the next. | would have
waited until the next after he. for there
- something about him that passes my
comprehension greatly"
"lau will
NO. viii rot The order WAS civ
rn. II must ice followed. See that | am
not awakened until after the sentence Is
executed
\ coUrt-martial was speedily conven-
ed. and Francois Duplan stood before
II charged with having been captured
by the picketS far bevond bounds and
making a. il Were his intention TO pass
through the north woods, out upon the
Hartford turnpike.
Il can not denv this" he said. ..bui
affirm that it was my intention To re-
turn before roll call and AZ once admit
that had di>obeved the rules"
That l. an apology easily framed
after capture suggested the Judge
Advocate: 5ut if YOU say what u
purpose was in thus going beyond the
lines, If il seems 10 Us good and con
SiStent with your return, it NAV make
the difference between life and death
with you. Francois Duplan."
Alas, | can not tell my purpose. !
can say that 1t wasa good one: that had
ii been accomplished, results of much
concern TO me and to another-yes,
many ofherS-might have come of it
A. ii Is unaccomplished, my purpoSt
would be laughed at and another mad,
an object of ridicule."
THAT must be a singular purpose
indeed. which you would prefer to los,
your life rather than part with"
"If it mus. be SO, then it must.