Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-06-25

treason or disaiection. He is n federal Off
GER"
~ beg your pardon, madam, l said TAX
ing my hat; 81 will go away at once
"No, no, " she cried, wildly running to the
window as the bell rang. cts too late
hear my husband. That's him on horseback
with his orderly. He has only been in Bal
timore few hours, and Fanny was sent away
South before he came. Go in there-quck ~
she added, as a mans footsteps sounded in
the hall
She opened an inner door, and entered a
sort of large closet or storeroom. 1t had no
window, but was lighted by kind of fancy
lattice-work at the top of the partition that
divided it from the sittingroom. Besides
tho door through which entered it had two
others. softly tried them both, and found
them fastened. The place was a sort of anteroom
now used as a store closet. 1t had shelves in it.
and trunks and packing cases, broken articles
of furniture linen laid up in lavender, and
ladies' dresses hung on pegs It was lighted
by glimmer of gas from the sitting-room.
My darling Fanny" said a voice and l
heard kisses-kissos as natural as if the man
had been Southerner, and nota blood-thirsty
Yank, whom was bound to hate, to injure,
and despise.
"Why, what's the matter love 2" l heard
him say to her. Have you had chill 2
You look-I don't know how you look. What
is it, my sweet FAM
Nothing. What could il be - she an
swered; but knew, from the tremble in her
voice, that she was unused to deceiving her
colonel think too that he probably per
ceiyed that something lay concealed under
her nothing" for he did not press her to
say more. He sat down. and think he drew
her toward him.
This is comfortable" he said. "This is
home. This is better than campaigning.
have had worrying day. Claypole" q
judged that was his predecessor "has left
everything in disorder in his department, and
that business of Fanny's has annoyed me be-
yond measure. 1t lays me open to suspi-
cion, and have had local politicians at me
about it all day. How Fanny could have
been so indiscreet, so unmndful of what was
due to my position! She seems to have been
forever doing something that hovered to say
the least of it, upon the verge of treason.
hope, my Fanny, you have had nothing to do
with her proceedings"
NO no, indeed :" cried his wife, vehe-
mently, with an accent of sincerity. Il have
always been so very careful, because"
Here she came to a sudden pause. | suppose
the recollection that she had Major Danger
field of the Confederate service hidden in her
hhoit NAO9tNf bibht IlthhhLNlN uHOil lltI.
She added in a lower tone, and with differ
ent accent Il would not compromise you for
the world"
Il wish Fanny had had the same consider
alton. General s. told me he was very
sorry to have to send her through the lines,
but that it had been absolutely necessary. A
little more and she would have got herself into
the Old Capitol Prison. The Union polti-
clans of this place have keen scent for dis
affection. 1t seems policeman has been de-
tailed for sometime past to watch this house
and they had a string Of charges as long as
my arm against her Dear dear if women
only would stick fast to women's work. and
leave rebellion and politics alone!'
II don't think Fanny meant any harm, "
said the wife, timidly. "She used to send
things TO the prisoners, but then that was al
lowed. She used to get lots of letters but
l don't know that she did anything worse
That is she did not tell yOu all she did"
said the colonel "Wel so far am Obliged
to her, for if half hear is true, she was
stepped in petty treason. Most of it was
foolish nonsense-no good to the cause she
wanted to serve. Her imprudence has made
my own position here very delicate one. l
have written to the commanders Of all the
prisons lot to forward to her any letters that
may pass through their hands, and if any do
hiIlNt 9uu hhu btlttI buTn lutul htiuONt
reading them unless you know the handwrit-
ing"
Here came loud ring at the front door
The colonel and his wife moved Immediately
apart, and a man came into the room.
Good evening, colonel. Good evening
madam. l called to tell you, colonel, that
there is n dangerous character at large in
Baltimore rebel agent on secret service
and the provost-marshal has given strict or
ders to secure him. II they catch him they
will hang him-sure. He has been travelling
as a spy all through our Northern cities. and
is now on his way back to the South with i'm
portant papers aud information. 1t was
thought he might have come here to inquire
about Miss Fanny. Has any such person
been bere, Mrs Lewis 2"
"No, sir" said the inexperienced equivo-
Gator, with a tremble in her tone.
Have you had no stranger here this even
ing p persisted the visitor.
The answer was inaudble.
"One word with you aside, colonel he
said, as he rose to go, drawing Colonel Lewis
outside the parlor door into the passage. 81
don't want to be disagreeable to Mrs. Lewis,
but (between ourselves) the policeman on
this beat says he saw a man answering the
description come in this evening at your
front door. tell you because you would not
like domiciliary visit from the provost mar
shall"
"Thank you, thank you. But l am sure
you are mistaken. Mrs. Lewis is a lady of
unspotted loyalty If there be anything
wrong it is the servants who are concerned"
Colonel Lewis, said the visitor in a stage
whisper, II don't like to destroy your conf
dence in Mrs. Lewis, but the gas was lighted
in your parlor before the blinds were down,
and he saw him with Mrs. Lewis standing on
the hearth-rug. hope you'll find it all as
right as you expect, I'm sure"
The colonel walked to the front door with
his visitor, and then came back into the sit
ting-room. l knew that he was thinking,
There is no way of exit from this room but
by the door | came in by or the closet. She
has the man in there"
"These local politicians are both low bred
and impertinent," " he said as he came back
to her, "There would not be a man with a
good coat on his back at large in Baltimore,
If all their denunciations were listened to.
Fanny, he thinks i'll of you. He thinks you
would compromise your husband. He says
there is a policeman watching our front door"
"Oh, Arthur" cried poor Fanny, II love
you SO dearly, indeed do, and perhaps you
will not believe me Oh, why did Did he
say they would be sure to hang that man,
that spy, if they arrested him ?"
Eyes, and most justly. A spy deserves no
mercy"
"Oh but, Arthur, think of Andre"
"Well, Andre had no right to complain. 1t
was the fate of war 1t was the stern duty of
Washington"
Eyes, dear, everybody says so but, Ar
thur, have never been able to lore Washing
ington since l read that story. And the men
who gave him up-all women hate them"
This is childishness, my dear wife. Would
you rather have had West Point taken by the
British, Arnold triumphant and rewarded,
Washington condemned as the traitor?'
mo, no, of course not, she sobbed. "Oh,
Arthur, when was a child our cat had four
yellow kittens. They lived under the porch
and were very wild But one of them trust
ed me, and was holding it in my arms one
day when our hired man came TO me, all
bloody, with his axe in his hand my mother
had said they must be killed, and he had cut
of the heads of the other three kittens, and 1
gave him mine-I let him take it. wake up