Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-02-05

NENH
somewhat pale, and, if the truth must be
told, a little surly
And sou we're stirring 50 early, Thank
full" he said; ''twould have been but
decent to haze hidden gOdspeed to the
guests. especially the baron, who seemed
much concerned at your absence"
Miss Thankful blushed slightly, but an
swersd with savage celebrity, And since
when is it necessary that l should dance
Attendance upon every foreign jack in the
box that may lie at hOuse?"
He has shown great courtesy to you,
mistress, and is a gentleman"
"Courtcsy, indeedn' said Mistress
Thankful.
He has not presumed'" said Mr.. Bios
SOM Suddenly, bringing his cold gray eyes
to hear upon his daughters.
"No, no." said Thankful hurriedly,
flaming u bright scarlet; ''but-nOthiDg.
But what have you there: a letter."
"Ay-frOm the captain, l warrant, "
saii Mr.. Blossom. handing her a three
coruere,l hit Of paper, '"twaS left here by
d camp follower. Thankful" he con-
tinued, with a meaning glance. 'yOu will
heed my counsel in season. The captain
is not meet tor s0ch as YOU"
Thankful Suddenly grew pale and cou-
temptuvuS again ~ she snatched the letter
from MS hand, When his retiring foot
steps were lost On the stairs she Tegained
her color, and opeued the letter. 1t was
slovenly written, g~rieyOusly misspelled,
and read as follows:
SWEETHEART: 4 %tyranOns Act, be-
gotten IN Envy and Jealousie, keeps me
here q prisoner. Last night l was Basely
arrested by SeTvile Hands for that Free
dom Of Thought aud Expression for which
/ have already Sacrificed so much-aye all
that Man bath but love and Honour. But
the End is near. When for the Mantle
mace of Power the Liberties Of the Peoples
are subdued by Martial Supremacy and
the Dictates OF Ambition the State is Lost.
/ lie in Vile Bondage here in Morristown
under charge OF DiSrespeck-me that a
twelyemOnth past left a home and Res
peCtable Connexions to serve my Country.
Believe me still your own love, albeit in
the Power OF Tyrants and condemned it
may be to the scafold.
The Messenger Is Trustworthy and will
speed safely to me such as you may deliver
unto him. The Proyender sanktiied by
your Hands and made precious by yr. love
was wres'ed from me by Servil Hands, and
the Eggs. Sweetheart, were somewhat
Added. The Bacon is, methinks, by this
time on the Table Of the Communicated
Such is Tyranny and Ambition. Sweet
heart, farewell for the present.
ALLAN"
Mistress Thankful read this composition
once, twice, and then tore it up. Then,
rejecting that IL was the first letter of her
lovers that she had not kept, she tried to
put together again the torn fragments, but
vaiuly; and then in a pet, new to her,
cast them from the window.
During the rest Of the day
she was considerably dlstraite, and even
manifested more temper than she was wOnt
TO do; and later. when her father rode
away OU mis- daily visit To MorristOwn, she
felt strangely relieved. BY noon the snow
ceased, or rather turned into a driving sleet
that again IN turn gave Nay 10 rain. By
this time she became absorbed IL her
household duties--in which she was usu-
ally s~killtul--and ia her own thoughts that
to-day had n novelty in their meaning. In
the midst OF this, At abOut dark, her room
being in the rear at the house, she was PEI
haps unmlndful OF the tramOling OF horses
withOGt or the sound OF voices in the hall
below. Neither was uncommon at that
time. Although protected by the Cont
mental arm from forage or the rudeness Of
sOldiery, the Blossom farm lad always
been a halting place for passing troopers,
cOmmiSsary teamsters and accommodating
officers. Gen. Sullivan and Col. Hamilton
had watered their horses at its broad sub
stantial wsyside trough and sat in the
shade Of its porch. Miss Thankful was
only awakened from her day dream by the
entrance Of the negro farm hand, Cesar.
"Fo' God, Missy Thankful, them sogers
Is g'wine into camp in the road, | reckon,
for they's jest making theysevs free afo'
the house, aud they's an officer in the COM
pany room with his spurs cooked on the
table, readin' a book"
A quick flame leaped into Thankful's
cheek, and her pretty brOws knit them
selves over darkeninc eyes. She arose
from her work no longer the moody girl,
hut an indignant goddess, and, pushing
the servant aside, swept down the stairs
and threw open the door.
An officer sitting by the fire i'm an e,usy,
~lOunging attitude that justified the serv-
ants criticism, arose Instantly with an air
of evident embarrasSm ent and surprise that
was, however, rs quickly dominated and
controlled by a gentleman's breeding.
~ beg your pardon" he said, with a
deep inclination OF his handsome head,
but | had no idea that there was any
member OF this household at hoLe.-at
least, a lady" He hssitated a moment,
catching in the rising OF her brown fringed
lids 3 sudden revelation of her beauty and
partly losing his composure. 81 am Maj.
Van Zandt; | have the honor of address.
sing"-
Thankful Blossom" said Thankful a
little proudly, divining, with a woman's
swift instinct, the cause Of the msior's
hesitation. Bot her triumph was checked
by a new embarrassment visible in the face
of the officer at the mention of her name.
Thankful Blossom" replied the officer
quickly. ''You are, then, the daughter Of
Abner Blossom
Certainly" said Thankful, turning
her mqnirlng eyes upOn hIuI. He will
be here betimes. He HIS n only to
Morristown." In "a new lear that had
taken possession Of her, her Questioning
eyes asked, Has he not?'
The officer, answering her eyes rather
than her lips, came toward her gravely.
HE will not return to-day, Mistress
Thankful, nor PERHAPS even tomorrow.
He ia D~F!sDnST.'
Thankful opened her brown eyes agrees
sively on the major. "A prisoneC--fOT
what?'
For aiding and giving comfort to the
enemy, and for harhoring SPIES" replied
the major with military CurtaeSs.
Mistress ThankIui'S cheek flushed
sIightly at the last sentence; a recollection
of the scene on the porch and the baron's
stolen kiss flashed across her, and for a
moment she looked Is guilty rs il the man
before her had been a witness to the deed.
He saw it, and misiuterpreted her con-
fusion.
"Belike, then" said Mistress Thankful,
slightly rising her voice and standing
EMAA