Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-08-05

bands heart toward her, which chilled her
pretty persuasions.
Fanny he said at last, 81 if you in.
sist on sitting up with me, get me some
paper and an inkstand from our cham
ber"
There was no resisting this request,
which he made like command to pick
up her key basket, and he must again
have checked her, for she exclaimed,
oh! | forgot; | beg your pardon" and
left the room.
The moment she was gone, heard him
rattle the keys. He put one or more of them
into his pocket. | heard, too, click, as
If he were engaged in cooking his revol-
yer. Then he remar liked, aloud: THE
store-room has no window nave him
safe. He must stay there until morning.
If brave man, he will keep quiet. Only
a coward would take advantage Of her."
He pulled out his watch. "Hafpast
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.
Here is paper and ink" she said.
"Now go to bed, darling"
"No, love; | will sit up here" and she
took her place upon the sofa.
Meantime no words can adequately
depict the discomforts of my situation.
| knew perfectly well that the Colonel
knew where | was, and that in good time
he was going to dispose of me. | quite
agreed with him that gratitude to Mrs.
Lewis required me to keep still. | also
knew that whatever plan he might be lay
ing for my capture, was to be done in
such way as TO spare his wife as much
as possible. | thought that for her sake |
had better let him work il his own way.
| only trusted | should be able to prove
to the Provost Marshal that | was Major
Dangerfield, and mot the secret agent |
was supposed to be- Meantime my phys
ical sutferings were almost unbearsble.
In the empty Saratoga trunk my position
was ineXpressibly 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.
My plan was to wait till she was out of
the way, and then place myself at the
disposal of her husband
Meantime a solemn silence seemed to
settle on the house and all the neighbor-
hood My nerves had become so eX-
L
myself from uttering involuntary cries.
Hour after hour | heard the deep cathe-
dral bell. Had it not been for the hope
entertained, in common with the Colonel,
of saving Fanny's feelings from a shock,
and her wifehood from suspicion, should
have come forth at once, and have made
an end Of my misery. Sometimes. as all
around me seemed 50 still fancied that
the married pair had quilted the sitting
room. But | felt that if | tried to leave
the house, watched as | knew il to be, my
capture on her oor-step would cOmpro-
mise her loyalty.
Time moved like eternity. At last the
morning market wagons began moving,
the dawn came peeping into my retreat.
There was another violent pull at the
street door bell. | heard the Colonel
rouse himself to answer 1t. | heard
Fanny start up to her feet, while a coarse
voice called out loudly in the passage,
what up by peep of day, Colonel?"
Eyes; | had report to write up.
Claypole has lett everything in disorder"
q thought I'd let you know, Colonel,
that that spy we were talking OF last
night is in the hands of the Marshal. |
was mistaken about his beng seen about
this place. The police got on the track
of him last evening, and took him at
that nest of secession, Mrs. Charles
Garey's."
AS the street door closed upon this
visitor, l heard Fanny give suppressed
sob.
Then he was not--him y said her hus.
band, careless of grammar at that SUI
preme moment of reconciliation.
No, no." she cried He said he was
n ,,nDr ,,ricpppr who had iulnnpI off the
train
Poor little Fanny! brave little Fan y
said her husband, and | guessed, though
| could not see, how he was comforting
her " Let this be lesson to you not to
play with treason. Henceforward leave
it alone severely. You must be one with
me, dear wife and such things are not
allowable in our position, Now 60 and
call Bridget, and tell her to get breakfast.
| must get to the Office early. And,
Fanny" he added, "tell her to slip
down the alley the first thing, and tell
! Williams, who owns the dray that when
| he has harnessed up his horse for his days
! work | wish him 70 back up to our side
| door | am determined to get rid OF
everything that belongs to my sister
| Fanny. III send her trunk away I'll
! clear the house of treason and secession.
| Tell Bridget that ! say so. 1t may be a
| warning to her, love"
In half an hour Bridget announced the
| dray.
"Send in my orderly said the
/ Colonel, land see if you can see anything
/ around the corner, of the policeman
As Bridget was executing this order,
! the Colonel entered the store-rOom, and
| closad the snrinp lock of the trunk lid.