The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-09-23


she suddenly drew from the folds of her
dress thin packet of papers" that
he gave me tonight, saying that
were he punished 1 might keep them
forever, were he not i might deliver
them to the Count de Rochambeau.
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 will tell
you, furthermore, that on your written
order for his release, will kiss you as l
might my father"
Verify" said the Count, those are
but other. words, the meaning of which
is the affirmative answer to the question
put to you Then you do love the
soldier Yn
"That is impudence, sir. 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.. Trumbull well knows"
You are 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 Mt each other in amazement.--
Presently she returned, looking, de-
mure, sly and wondrous pretty.
81 have put the papers where they
are safe, sir. Tomorrow when l see
Mr.. Duplan and he tells me that he is
relieved from duress and disgrace, / 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 hon
or pn
I" Yes, yes" she said going to him
prettily, but methinks l will punish
you for your impertinence, sir. You
seek the papers greatly, and you must
restrain your curiosity over night as u
punishment for the question you put to
sene, Nevertheless l will partially requite
Sou," aud with that she put her face up
to his, so that when he bent over she
kissed him on his forehead. Then the
Count sat at the Governors desk and
wrote an order pardoning Francois Du-
plan, or rather dismissing the charge of
desertion as unfounded, thereby quieting
his conscience regarding the peremptory
order of death to deserters and crafty
ing his wishes "Give this" he said,
s. to your escort, and charge him to de-
liver 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 so the Gov
ernor's inquiry, said that the maiden
went up among the rafters.
Comrade Jacques showed Mistress
Prudence to her fathers door by the
light of 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 dunk to
the cause, so that by the time Comrade
Jacques was ready to go back to the
camp he must have had more than
pint of Medford 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 a
state of the widest intoxication, in
which he constantly sang the praises of
Mistress Prudence. They found on him
al, 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.
He calmly repeated prayer, and
then turning to his comrades said in "a
clear voice, Aim for my heart,n and
dropped the handkerchief He fell over
in the snow dead, and by noon was
buried where he fell. His comrades
took from a stone wall dozen or more
boulders and placed them in a pile over
the grave. [The little heap may be seen
m fhie day