Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-06-10

anu computations IN his head, and
made the visible signs Of his espionage
in the presence of his prince, oil might
have been well. He had gained the
interior of the city and its free range !;
he had made plans of all important
things he wished to communicate, and
he was apprehended and searched.
with those neatly drawn plans, upon
his person.
| Poor Otho! So young and so fair.
with wife and three children praying
for him, and waiting in the Father.
land. and thus to die He shed no
tears; he gave voice to no complaints;
he was sure his comrades would keep
his memory green; that his prince
would bless him for what he had tried
to do, and that his dearly loved ones
would see consolation in the thought
that he had given his life to his coun-
try.
On the day after tomorrow he Was
to die. He was not to be shot, like
a soldier, nor behsaded, as kings and
noblemen had been; he was to suffer
the ignominy Of hanging. TIE thought
gave him keenest torture.
That dismal day drew to a close and
at eventide, when the attendant came
with his food he made one last earnest
appeal for writing materials, that he
might write brief letter to his wife.
But such grant would be violation
of prison law; it could not be done;
Then he closed his lips. resolved not
to speak again save to the Heavenly
Father.
The night passed, and another dark
dismal day. Another evening came
and another night shut down over the
great prison-Otho's last night of
earth as the few grew grim marks on
his dungeon wall told him.
At eleven o'clock he threw himself
upon his hard straw pallet and tried
to sleep. He heard the solemn bells
strike the midnight hour, and few
moments later the warder of that cor
ridor opened the little wicket in his
door and looked in upon him.
| Had our prisoner been on the out
side Of his cell at that particular time
he would have seen a movement on
the part of the sentinel strange and
unusual. This sentinel had softly and
noiselessly followed the warder to that
door, mad stood very near while he
looked in at the wicket, and then,
when he had started on Cor the next
cell, he leaped upon him as cat
would strike his prey. A single blow
OF sand bag upon the warders head
felled him to the granite pavement as
though a lightning bolt had smitten
him. On the next instant the senti-
mel was upon his knees-those knees
upon the fallen mans breast-with a
folded napkin, in which was broad,
fiat, fine sponge, pressed tightly over
the mouth and nostrils. A brief
space so, then the guardsman took
from his breast pocket small flask
and renewed the chloroform in the
sponge.
Otho Macmillan had heard the
opening of the wicket, and had seen
the face that had peered in upon him.
He had again closed his eyes, when
he heard dull, heavy Mud, as though
a ponderous body had fallen;upon the
the adamantine floor. The sound was
so unusual-so strange and unaccount-
able-that he was startled-not with
fear, but with a nameless, shapeless
spectre of the Unseen. He arose and
bent his ear attentively.
| Ere long he heard the light clatter
of key as it was inserted into the
lock of his door, and presently the
door was opened and man came in
"A man habited in the uniform of the
National Guard.
"-sA 7" whispered the guardsman,
Speak not, but do as | bid you.
Throw off that ragged blouse. .>acre!
will You obey? Bah it is friend
Now act, and quickly -
What !-yoW Mar"
"Will you stop your tongue and
obey. We will talk by and by
Without another word the prisoner
pulled of his blouse and threw it aside
At the same time the guardsman strip
ped of his uniform, threw off waist.
belt and baldric, with the sword; then
the coat with its gaudy facings; then
, the pants, the CATERS and the shoes
and he babe the other to get himsel
into them with all possible dispatch
which was done.
And yet the guardsman stood il
. full uniform. as before He had com,
doubly clad, even to the hat and al