The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-06-26


sivcly. heard keys .jingling in her key
basket as she moved across the floor.
mo, Fanny said her husband, stop
ping her; 81 may want something from
the cellaret Leave me your keys
you will kill yourself with hard work.
Let lis both go, love-"
''No, no." said the colonel. $50 your
self: you have headache
NO, Arthur she answered. IF you
sit up, l will stay too"
at is no use, Fanny
'.Still, will stay here
''If I am going to sit up" said the
colonel, II want my slippers"
Let me get them, she cried eagerly.
''sSit down.
NO, I'll get them myself. They are
in the closet, | know. Is it locked? No,
| see that it is not; the key is i'll the door,. =
He laid his hand upon the door handle
of my place of confinement. For half a
moment he hesitated to turn it. | heard
Fanny sob. | think she caught him by
the arm.
LET me go, Fanny" he said, impa-
ticntly. Il n'usi. You had better go
away"
lie threw the door wide open. The
gas-light streamed in from the sitting
room. She rallied all her strength. and
came III after him.
Nothing met their eyes but the dresses,
the shelver, the rows of pickles and pre-
serves, the broken furniture, the trunks,
the linen in lavender. But standing OPP
posite the door, with its hinges toward
them, they may lave seen a large Sara
toga trunk, marked on the side, in big
white letters, Miss Fanny Lewis Its
lid was not quite closed, the hasp having
caught upon the rim.
The colonel drew back. Poor Fanny
perhaps fancied | had mysteriously dis
appeared.
They took the slippers from the floor,
and went into the sitting room. There l
heard her coaXing him to so to bed; but
there seemed some hardening Of her hus
bands heart toward her, which chilled
her pretty persuasions.
Fanny he said at last, IF you insist
OH sitting up with me, get me some paper
and an inkstand from your chamber.
There was no resisting this request,
which he made like command. She
must have again made y movement to
pick up her key basket, and he must
again have checked her, for she ex-
claimed, oh. | forgot; | beg your par
don, and left the room.
The moment she was gone heard him
rattle the keys. He put one or more Of
them into his pocket. l heard, too, 4
click, as if he We're engaged in cooking
his revolver. Then he remarked, aloud {:
The store-room has no window. | have
him safe. He must stay there until
morning. If brave man he will keep
quiet. Only coward would take advan-
tagc Of her..
He pulled out his watch. "llalf past
twelve he said as Fanny came back
again. What agony she may have felt
as she left me without protection, and her
husband exposed to my attack if | were
armed.
''lIerc is paper and ink, she said.
Nov 90 to bed. darling.'
''No, love: will sit up here" and she
took her place upon the sofa.
Meantime no words can adequately de-
pict the discomforts Of my situation.
knew pei fectly well that the colonel knew
where | was, and that i'll good time he
was going to dispose Of me. Iquite agreed
with him that gratitude to Mrs. Lewis
required me to keep still. also knew
that whatever plan he might be laying
for my capture, was to be done i'll such 4
way as to spare his wife as much as pos
sible | thought that for her sake had
better let him work it his own way.
only trusted should he able to prove to
the provost marshal that | was Maj or
Dangerlield. and not the secret agent
was supposed to be. Meantime my phys
ical SuiferinGs were almost unbearable.
In the empty Saratoga trunk my position
was incxpressbly cramped and painful.
| was perfectly conscious that the slight
est noise | made would be heard by the
husband and wife in the sitting room.
and | was unwilling to disturb any hope
the latter might entertain that | was
gone Ny plan was to wait till she was
out of the way, and then place myself at
the disposal of her husband
Meantime q solemn silence seemed to
settle on the house and all the neighbor-
hood My nerves had become SO excited
that could with difficulty keep myself
from uttering involuntary cries. Hour
Had it not been for the hope entertained,
III common with the colonel, ni saving
Fanny'; feelings from shock, and heI
wiiehood from suspicion. | should have
come forth at once, and have made an
end of my misery. Sometimes, as all
around me seemed so still, iancied that
the married pair had quilted the sitting,
room. But felt that if | tried to leave
the house, watched as | knew it to be,
hnr Il 81
promise her loyalty.
Time moved like eternity. At last the
morning market wagons began moving
the dawn came pecping into my retreat
There was another violent pun ut the
street door h@H. l heard the colone
roi:,e himself to answer it. | heart
Fanny start to her feet, while COURSE
voice called out loudly in the passage:
What! up by peep of day, colonel?'
''Yes: had report to write up. Clay
pole has left everything in disorder
Il thought Id let you know, colonel
that that spy we We're talking of las
night is in the hands Of the marshal.
was mistaken about his being seen ahcu
this place. The police So, on the tracl
of him last evening, aud took him at tina
nest of secession. Mrs. Charles Garey's.
As the street door closed upon this Wis
itor, heard Fanny give suppressed sob
Then he was not-him p said he
husband, careless of grammar at that SIT
preme moment of reconciliation.
..\n M - She cried Gle said he wa!