Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-02-12

ing out on the moonlit slope beside The
Whippany river.
For, by one of those freaks peculiar TO
the American ~sprinstide, the weather had
again m~aryelously changed. The rain
had ceased, and the ground was covered
with an icing of sleet and snow, that now
slittered under a clear sky and a brilliant
moon. The northeast wind that shook
the loose sashss of the windows had trans
formed each dripping tree and shrub to icy
stalaCtites that silyered under the moons
cold touch.
"'Tis a beautiful sight, ladies'" said a
bluff, hearty, middle aged man, joining
the group by the window. But God send
the spring TO Us quickly, and spare US any
more such cruel changes! My lady moon
looks fine enough, glittering in yonder tree
tops; but l doubt not she looks down
many a poor fellow shivering under his
tattered blankets in the camp beyond
Had We seen the Connecticut tatterdemsl-
ions file by last night, with arms reversed,
showing their teeth at his excellency, and
vet not daring to bite; had ye watched
these faint hearts, these doubling Thomases,
ripe for rebellion against his excellency,
against the cause, but chiefly against the
weather-ye would pray for a thaw that
would melt the hearts of these men as it
would these stubborn fields around Us.
Two weeks more of such weather would
raise up not one Allan Brewster, but o
dozen such m~alcontent puppies ripe for 8
drum head court martial"
yet tits q fine night, Gen. Sullivan"
said Col. Hamilton, sharply nudging the
| ribs of his superior officer with his elbow.
There would be litt'e trouble on such a
night, l fancy, to track our ghostly visi.
tant." Both of the ladies becoming in
! terested, and Col. Hamilton having thus
adroitly turned the flank of his superior
officer, he went on: You should know
that the camp, and indeed the whole local
ity here, is said to be haunted by the ap-
partition of a gray coated figure, whose face
i mufled and hidden in his collar, but
who has the password pat to his lips, and
| whose identity had baffled the sentries.
This figure, it is said, forasmuch as it has
been seen Just before an assault, an attack,
or some tribulation of the army, is believed
by many 10 be the genius or guardian
spirit Of the cause, and, assuch, has melted
sentries and guards 10 greater vigilance,
and has to some seemed a premonitiOn Of
disaster. Before the last outbreak OF the
| Connecticut militia, Master Graycoat
haunted the outskirts OF the weather
beaten and bedraggled camp, and, l doubt
not, saw much of that preparation that
sent that regiment of faint hearted onion
gathers 10 Haunt their wees and their
wr,ugs in the face of the general himself"
| Here Col. Hamilton, in turn, received a
| slight nudge from Mistress Schuyler, and
ended his speech somewhat abruptly.
Mistress Thankful was not uumindful
of both these illusions 20 her ftithlesS
lover, but only a consciousness Of NORTH
cation and wounded pride was awakened
By them. In fact, during the first tenn
pest OF her indignation at his arrest, still
later at the arrest of her father, and finally
at the discoyery of his perfdy 10 her, she
had forgotten that de Vas her lover; she
had forgotten her previous tenderness to-
ward him; aud, now that her fire aud in
| Litigation Were spent, only Il sense OF
numbness aud vacancy remained. All
| that bad gone before seemed not something
10 be regretted as her own act, but rather
as the act of another Thankful Blossom,
who had been lost that night n the snow
| storm; she islt she had become, within the
last twenty-four hours, not perhaps an
other woman, but FOR the first time a We
man.
Yet it Was singular that she felt more
confused when, o few moments later, the
| conversation turned upon Maj Van Zandt,
II wss still more singular that she even felt
considerably frightened at that confusion.
Finally she found herself Listening With
alternate irIitabiliiy, shame and curiosity,
to praises OF that gentleman, Of bis courage,
his devotion and his personal graces. For
one wild moment Thankful felt like throw
ing herself on the breast Of Mistress Schuy-
ler, AID confeSSing her rudeuess to the
msiur; but q conviction that Mistress
SCHUYLER would share that seGiet with
Col Hamilton, that Maj Van Zlndt might
not ike that revelation, and, oddly enough
associated with this, a feeling OF uucon-
uusrable rrritability toward that handsome
| aud geutie young officer, kept her mouth
closed. Besides" she said 10 herself,
he ought to know, ii he's such fine gen
tleman ~ they say, just how | was feeling,
and that | didu't mean any IuGeness to
hm;" and with this uuanswerablG temI-
nine logic poor Thankful TO some extent
| stilled her own honest little heart.
But not, l fear, entirely. The night
was O restless one to her; like all inpulSlve
natures, the season of reflection, and per,
haps distrust, came 10 her upon acts that
were already committed, ard when reason
seemed ~ light the way only TO despair.
She saw the folly Of her intrusion ut the
headquarters, as she thought, only when
il was too late 10 remedy 1t; she saw the
gracelessness and diScourtesy of her con-
duct TO Mai. Van Zandt, only when dis.
lance and time rendered an apology weak
and Intellectual. | think she cried q little
ia berSeli, lying IN the strange, gloomy
chamber OF the healthiul sleeping Mistress
Schuyler, the sweet security ct whose
manifest goodness and kindness she alter
nately hated and enyied; and at last, uR-
able to stand il longer, slipped noiselessly
from her bed, and stood very wrctched and
disconSolate before the window that looked
out upon the slope toward the WhippaGy
river. The moon on the new fallen, irigid
! and untrodden Snow shone brightly. Far
to the left it glittered on the bayouet of a
sentry pacing beside the river bank, and
gave a sense of security 10 the girl that
perhaps strengthened another idea that had
| grown up in her mind. Since ShscOuld not
sleep, why should she not ramble
| about until she could? She had been &C,
customed to roam about the farm in all
weathers and at all times and seasons.
! She recalled to herself the night-a tenn
I ~pestuous one-wheu she had risen in seri-
Gus concern as to the lying in Of her favor
tie Alderney heifer, and how she had
saved the life OF the calf, a weakling, drop
ped apparently from the clouds in the ten
pest, as il lay beside the barn. With this
10 her mind she donned her dress again,
and, with Mistress Schuyler's mantle over
her shoulders, noiselessly crept down the
narrow staircase, passed the sleeping ser
vant on the settee, and, opening the rear
door, in another moment was inhaliDg the
crisp air and tripping down the crisp snow
Of the hillside.
But Mistress Thankful bad overlooked
one difference between her wi farm and
a military ~encampment. She had not pro-
ceeded a deem yards before q figure ap-
p~argBty started out OF the ground beneath
II