The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-06-26
sat down, and think lie drew her toward

| Fanny's has annoyed me beyond meas
urc. 1t lays me open to suspicion, and
have had local politicians at me about it
all day. How Fanny could have been 50
indiscreet, so unmndful of what was due
to my position. She seems to have been
forever doing something that lowered,
so say the least of it, upon the verge of
treason. l hope, my Fanny, you have
had nothing to do with her proceedings.
"No, no, indeed cried his wife, yehe-
mently, with an accent of sincerity. II
have always been SO very careful, be-
cause Here she came to sudden
pause. ] suppose the recollection that
she had Major Dangcrtield, Of the Con-
federatc service, hidden i'll her store
closet broke unpleasantly upon her
She added. in 4 lower tone, and with a
different accent, Il would not compro-
mise you for the world
Il wish Fanny had had the same con-
sideration. General S told me he
was very sorry to have to send her
| tltouSil tllC lliltS, Otib tHstt IL DCtH
absolutely necessary. \ little more, and
she would got herself into the Old Capt.
toll Prison. The Union politicians of this
place have keen scent for diSaf1ection.
1t seems policeman has been detailed
some time past to watch this house, and
they had a string of charges as long as
my arm against her. Dear. dear. if
women would only stick fast to womens
work, and leave rebellion and politics
| alone!'
Il don't think Fanny meant any
HARM said the wife, timidly. "She
used to send things to the prisoners, but
then that was allowed. She used to get
lots of letters; but don't know that she
did anything worse"
''That is she did not tell you all she
did said the colonel. "Well, 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. | have written
to the commanders of all the prisons not
| to forward to her any letters that may
pass through their hands, and if any do
| arrive you had better burn them with
out reading them, unless you know the
handwriting.
Here came loud ring at the front
door. The colonel and his wife moved
instantly apart, and a man came into the
| room.
"Good-evening, colonel. Good-even-
ing madam. I called to tell you, colo
mel, that there's a dangerous character
at large in Baltimore rebel agent on
secret service-and the provost-marshal
has given strict orders to secure him. If
they catch him, they will hang him
SIRE. He has been travelling rs Il spy all
! through our Northern cities, and is now
ON his way back to the South with i'm
portant papers and information. 1t was
thought he might have come here to in
quirc about Miss Fanny. Has any such
person been here, Mrs. Lewis"
"No, sir" said the inexperienced
equivocator, with tremblc in her tone.
"lIave you had no stranger here this
evening" persisted the visitor.
The answer was inaudible.
Gone word with you aside, colonel"
he said, as he rose to go, drawing Colo
mel Lewis outside the parlor door into
the passage. 81 don want to be disa-
greeable to Mrs. Lewis, but (this between
ourselves) the policeman on his beat says
he saw man answering the description
come in this evening at your front door.
I tell you because you would not like 4
domiciliary visit from the provost mar
Shall
''Thank you, thank you. But | am
sure you are mistaken. Mrs. Lewis is 4
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, Il don't like to destroy
your confidence in Mrs. Lewis, but the
gas was lighted in your parlor before the
blinds were down, and the policeman
saw him with Mrs. Lewis standing on
the hearth rug. | hope you'll find it all
us right as you expect, I'm sure.
The colonel walked to the front door
with his visitor. and came back into the
sitting-room knew what he was think
ing, There is no way of exit from this
room bat by the door that | came in by
OF the closet. She has the man ii! there.
These local politicians are both low
bred and impertnent, he said. as he
came back to her. There would not be
a man with good coat on his back at
large in Baltimore, if all their denuncia-
lions were listened to. Fanny, he thinks
i'll of you. He thinks you would COM
promise your husband. lie says there is
a policeman watching our front door
''Oh. Arthur" cried poor Fanny Il
love you SO dearly, indeed do. and per-
haps You will not believe me. Oh, why
did Did he say they would be sure to
hang that man, if they arrested him?'
"Yes, and most justly. \ spy deserves
no mercy
ooh. hut, Arthur, think of Andre
sWell. Andre had no right to com
plain 1t was the fate of war. 1t was
the stern duty of Washington.
''Yes, dear, everybody says so; but,
Arthur, | have never been able to lutt
Washington since read that story And
the men who gave him up--all women
always hate Hem.'
This is childishness, my dear wife
Would you rather have had West Point
taken by the British. Arnold triumphant
and rewarded. Washington condemned
Us the traitor''
''No no. Of course not she sobbcd
::Oh, Arthur. when | was child our cat
had four yellow kittens. They livct
under the porch and were very wild. But
one of them trusted me, and used t.
come out to me, and ! was ho.tling il ii
my aTms one day, when our hired maj
came to me, all bloody, with his axe il
his hand; my mother said they must b,
killed. and he had cut of the heads of til,
other three kittens, and gave him min;
I let him take it, | wake Up even nov