The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-11-14

Then you are not serving under you
straight name"
"No, | once had-knew a servant Of
that name"
Later in the evening the Count de Ro
chambesu's aid brought message TO tn,
sergeant in command. II was to tn,
effect that any requests OF Frsncoi
Duplsn, consistent with the execution o
the sentence, were TO be granted. Food
writing materials, companions for tn,
night, the choice of the comrades wht
were to execute the sentence-any
wishes he might have were to be strictly
carried out. Duplan at first said he had
none, but suddenly, with an air Of great
earnestness, and quite timidly, he asked
il comrade might be detailed to escor
from the village and home again, on,
whom he would like to see.
"And who is this one?"
Mistress Prudence Strong"
The aid looked at Duplsn curiously
for an instant.
"And why do you wish TO see Mistres,
Prudence on such night as this?" h,
asked.
"Did the Count de Rochambeau in
struct you that must give the reasoni
for any wish / might desire granted?'
was Duplan's answer.
The aid smiled significantly, but Dup
Ian did not see that.
"Let it be then as he Wishes" said the
aid to the sergeant.
A soldier was detailed to 60 up into
the village and escort Mistress Prudence
to the camp. "Persdventure she vii
not come" he said to his comrades as he
buttoned his great coat about him; "anC
yet l think she will. Have you moi
seen her at the oven when Duplau and
the rest of us were baking bread2 Die
she not visit us one evening with some
of the other maids and bring US cider
and applest"
AS the soldier passed the guard house,
Duplan called him. 81 pray you" said
the prisoner, "not to reveal to Mistress
Prudence my trouble. 1t is my last re-
quest to you, comrade."
Half an hour later the soldier return.
ed. The flicker of the lantern that he
carried revealed, as they passed the sen.
try, a slender female form enwrapped
from head to foot with q cloak. She
preceded her escort few steps. The
snow was beginning to fall. Some OF
flakes fell upon the tresses of her hair
that escaped from the top of her hood
where it encircled the face. She was
shown the guard house. Duplan, stand
ing, received her, waving his hand
slightly, as il to warn her against any
undue emotion. The guard, with a
delicacy for which Duplan subsequently
thanked him, turned his back to them,
and paced slowly before the door. He
heard voices, he did not hear, nor try TO-
what was said. He heard sobs, also. Al
the end of half an hour Duplan said
distinctly: "Now, 60. You will come
to see me in the morning at the oven
will you notT And then the guard
knew he had not told her what his sen.
tence was, and that she did not know
that she never woul1 hear him speah
again. As she quilted the guardhouss
he put some papers that be took from
his breast into her hand.
"Will you go with me to the wal
Office" she said to her escort, "and wait
there until I have seen Mr.. Trumbull'
Then when We get to my fathers house
my father will make for you hot punch
III warrant. Yes, I know, the punch
will be all ready, because Mr. Rudd
our minister, is in the kitchen this even
ing with father, and they always take {
warm one when they are together"
The snow, as they passed the highway
began to fall 30 thickly that even the
light of the lantern was dimmed, but al
this Mistress Prudence laughed, and the
comrade who was acting as her escor
thought her an extremely fearless girl
aud wonderfully handsome withal. rh,
walk to the war Office was q short one
Within ten minutes they were at tn,
door.
"Halt!" said the sentinel, and h,
was 30 muffied up that it was the tone
rather than the articulation that checked
Mistress Prudence, who would otherwise
have opened the door and gone in unan
nounced.
ooh no! 1t is you, is it, mistress
and what do you here on such night a.
this?" the sentinel said, after peerinl
into the maiden's face.
81 would see Mr.. Trumbull; truly
desire overmuch to speak to him. vii
you admit met"
The sentinel tapped on the door. i
was opened. A rudy glow burst from
within, and by 1t two dispatch bearer
could be seen sitting on the counter-fol
before the war the Office was countr,
shop-driving their spurs into the wood
work as their legs dangled foot or NOR,
from the floor. (The marks of the spur
of these and other messengers are to b,
seen in the woodwork even to this day.
Mistress Prudence and her escort passet
into this room. The dispatch bearer.
who were evidently in the midst o
some rollicking story, and were plainl,
feeling the merrier for the mulled eide
they had taken, eyed the female igur
curiously at first, but when she tire,
her cloak and hood of, and they saw tn
large gray eyes, now seeming very darI
Dy the freight, and that her feature
were exceedingly fair and her name
gracious, they thought for certain tina
they were in the presence of one of tn
governors daughters and became a
once greatly courteous. One took he
cloak and shook the snow from il an,
then put it before the fire. The otbe
opened the door to the room in the res
where he knew the governor was passiD
an hour with the Count de Rochambeau
Thus announced, Mistress Prudenc
came into the governors presence. II
sat at his oaken desk, but seemed for tn
moment to be more occupied over
certain discussion that he was havin
with Rochambeau than with his paper
The French nobleman stood easily befor
the fireplace, the flames from the burr
ing logs furnishing the gilt of his seal
bard. The governor arose and the coun
bowed. Beth were exceedingly tall, an
Mistress Prudence seemed by contras
woefully small, but not less fearless tina
the men she confronted.
"Why, Mistress Prudence, what hs
brought you here? Do you cone fror
your worthy father, the esquireT
Ahem!" This Is the slightest an
yet most suggestive of tones from th