Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-07-17

pressed by the grace Of his manner and the
saddened expression that tempered his man :, :.
ly face.
'sThat ] cannot say, except that IL was
purely private matter that brought mo,
with which neither you nor your army had n
anything TO do"
SThen why sneak here secretly at nightr'
"Because you made that method my only
possible way Of getting here
"I suppose yolelknow what that means for
your Tell me, are you a patriot2
emo" he said sadly. II do not sympathize
with you In rebellion against our King !
am royalist-a Tory, you call us--but
have been man of peace ever since this war
begun"
Then up rose Gen. Putnam, setting free
the mighty tempest Of his wrath. His pas
sion was terrible, and 1t seemed as though
even in his fury he might strike down this
man there. With oaths and imprecations he
cursed him and all like him, until at length
| the prisoner said
"Sir, you are to do with me as you Will,
| but you are too brave man to insult me-
al Will do nothing more but hang you:
| Hanged you shall be at sunrise tomorrow"
changed! For what?"
| GAS a British spy found In my camp, ana
unable to explain his presence there"
Here Whitney said a few words in a low
| tone to the general.
Eyes, yes. That is so. See here. There
was some one with you. Some of my men
| giving you information. There's the traitor |
] want He gave you some message. Tell
me who 1t was and I'll spare your lie, and |
hang him before the whole army"
The prisoners head dropped till his chin |
| fell upon his bosom. But he said nothing.
"Come, be quick about it," roared Put
| nam.
al have done no wrong. / am not guilty.
But cannot tell you what you ask"
"Take him away. Whitney, see that my
orders are carried out Hang him at sunrise"
"Sir," pleaded the prisoner, "ycu are
: making a terrible mistake. Suspend your
sentence for two days. Let me appeal to
, Washington, and you viii find have done
: no wrong"
Putnan's only answer was to eject tho
man with vigorous thrusts into the custody
! of the soldiers without
At sunrise of the next morning, while the
= | air was warm with first breath of spring,
4 they led this prisoner forth to the gallows.
!; Putnam himself was there, and commanded
. the condemned one TO mount the ladder, full
- twenty rounds
"Now jump, you spyr' roarcd the old
warrior.
"No. Gen. Putnam, am innocent Of the
crime, but will pray heaven TO forgive you
y, and to receive my spirit"
With drawn sword Putnam, raging win
~ anger, commanded the soldiers to pull the
~ ladder from under the condemned, and
>, when they, impressed by the manly sorrow
ful bearing ofthe man, hesitated, the old sol
dier rushed toward them with his ssword. 80
they executed him.
At noon of that day Mistress Mary returned
from her visit at tho parsonage, and with
he sented herself TO Putnam.
no no ''l have come, sir, for you to redeem 20 III
~ | promise.o
Ill "My promise, missy, what was it?'
AZ "pfd you not say that if ! found lad t.
take your message within their lines youc
grant my request 2?
:. In truth did,
no "Well. / have fulfilled my part"
VI "When, missy Y
'" I" Last night
"And who was the Lad ~
Fsha CatI dpmmFpl
ii "And YOU met him slyly, that you nigh
take all the credit of this thing yourself?''
JUS "No; but because you would have 1ee
arc furious had you seen him, for he Is royalisl
You perceive, general, that thus punInSe
eu him for abiding by the king, by ing hi,
or take a message whose SSRty@ss pa did n,
IN know into their i,ssg and yS now l. / viii viii r r
in "arn sYd,II M win yotr favor"
a brave girl missy, and, by Il
Ssp.Sr Towers, your little trick deserves rewaI
,,a ,o What is it you want?'
var "rhat you givea permit to Robert Loci
,a, wood 10 pass in and out of your lines
-, pleasure. lie will not betray you, genera
. =" He will make me happy by coming
or, Here Major Whitney, with grave ia
am am spoke Mistress Mary, call upon Us IN
she half hour; at this moment the general
Sno busy.
,ni' ,an She looked at him wonderingly, for III
ieyi was an unusual request, but she went ava
II - ---"What is the matter, Whitney? p
p'ah "Sir, did you hear the name y
= " "lt escaped me-"
, Lth- "Robert Lockwpr'"
hen s.XIhat as
was ..oeneral, you hanged Robert Lockwot
r"- this morning as a spy, when twas her me
,le. sage he had and twas to visit her he came
this secret hecarse OF your command respects
e 10 the royalists' the officer replied.
"My missy's lover?n The rough old &c
pro eral moaned. "IIe seemed brave fello
sent too Whitney. My God, twill kill the girl
the And the old mans passion was as nothing
She the agony which Whitney now saw he 81
pro- fered.
"My little missy my little missy, your
ted nocent mischief has killed your lover
'lng moaned and moaned this over and ov
'htl- again, with piteous wailing "What sh
way / do, Whitney? / loved that girl rs II
'toi, own"
laae "Give her the permit aud keep her in igr
bul rance of what has happened
sne 1t was small comfort, but IT was all Il
inc was possible. Putnam, with infinite tend
pace ness, gave the girl the permit kissing h
th and then rushing from her presence, sh
,ude himself into his little bedroom for an hol
IN When he emerged he was quiotod. but
me never spoke Of the affair again.
With eIultant heart Mary went ~
uysting place To meet her lover. But
over came not, and when IA few weeks after
ius, army went away, no enemy having attack
Putnam, as he bade her good-by, seemed
are have been stabbed to tho heart by the 81
'uch reproachful look that went from her eyes
him. But she said nothing, and Pntni
lcle- never knew whether she learned wby she
keep wearily waited.
After tho war was over Major Whiti
nave sought the fair maids hand, but she answ
II to ed him gently No, Major Whitney. |
waiting for Robert to come back. II. j.
ONE iH the Ncic York SHR.