Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-07-28


 great leathern chair, thinking, half aloud:
 ''Um! if Pete has come over, I'll risk 1t tonight, without waiting for that nameless adviser she trusts so implicit ly. If this calm holds, the river will freeze; and then"
 Brisk chatter of hoofs onJ the stones without broughttthe thinkerito his feet, with the exclamation:
 "At last, anklheaven!''
 But as he waited expectant for Car roll Meredith's entrance, the door banged, a slow, theavy step crossed the hall, and stout, ruddy-faced Irish woman, with neat band of grizzled hair low over her forehead, entered the room. , "Where is he, Marry" he.queried, i'm patiently.
 He's rid afr, sor,"! thet woman an swered, ''afther lavin'IthisI note for the masther."
 "Was that not he?''
 "At tn dhoor? Shnre itNwas wan av thim blue-coats, bad luck Ito 'eml He fetched this: 'Wid dispatch from hid quarthers,' he,sid. I'd like, to crack hEs hid-quarthers, be tn same tokenl"
 With, an angry toss of herJ head, she laid the note on the table. It was an official envelope, printed in the corner, Headquarters department of Mary land, adjutant office. Official business, and directed toCarroll Mere dith, Esq, in prim, clerical, hand
 Mckee stared hard at the missive, taking it uptmore than once, as though his curiositytwould forceihim to open It. Could 1t bel an arrestPRhe wondered. His friend made frequent trips to "the Ferry" but his ordinaryg huntsman's life left them presumably without sus- picion. Besides, were itAan arrest, it would eomeIin very different manner. A warning, iperhaps? Yet Meredith had no friends among the ifederals-had avoided the officers, and ieven lectured Mckee roundly for his courtesies to Mai. Bond for sake of passes. Anyway, no warning could come from that office. What could it mean2 Again he took up the envelope, handling it as though it burned him, then holding it close to the ruddy blaze, onlySto find it densely opaque.
 "Who brought itS NIary?" he asked of the servant, still lingering by the table "An orderly?"
 ''Virry, sorl A tdacint-shpoken lad eno', barrin' tn blueS' she answered, in an accent that long Nresidence nor long devotion to the MeEedith family had been potent to conquer. "Ho,sid it was immayjit; and sid I'dt hand ut to th' masther in three winksav 8 pigs eyel I wudn't be afther lfttin' tn likes O thim know whither hetwor in or mo-"
 "You are right, Mary. Prudence can do no harm these days. Of course Car roll only goes, hunting. but"
 ''Is itHtthat? Shure its tn bad shot he's grown, thin, fur whin he takes tn longestIthrip tn bag'comes in tn impti- est. But where he goes, an whin, is his own bisiness, an mono av tn blue diviIs ma+ther." The woman spoke hotly and honestly, though there was keen twinkle in her eye.as she finished.
 Every well, Mary" the man an- swered, docking keenly at her. "Pn give him the letter as soon as he re- turns" And, as the servant closed the door, Mckee resumed his restless walk, with manya glance at the suspicious nissive.
 It wasa full hour after nightfall when Carroll Meredith clattered up, dis mounted and entered his own fcozy apartment.
 Hello, Williei U-ugh! but lit is bit ter cold" was his greeting, asE he threw off coat and gloves and stood with his back to the,fre.
 ''I should have thought ayou would ride faster" was the reply.\ Here's a! letter for you"
 Plaster! Selim and I did the thirty, miles in an hour less than usual" Mere! dith answered, taking the letter care: lessly. "It was broad day before old Pete padded into the creek; said the river was full of transports passing up!t Wonder if they can be massing for a a move this weather" E
 "Were the creeks freezing2" the other asked, anxiously. Carroll, if the river freezes, how can we ever get her across?" N
 Upper route-Harper's-a cross on the ice," Meredith returned, prompt ly. B
 Mot if they're massing above Wash ington. Besides, hang it, she's obstinate as burro about that cursed anonymous meddler. But for him I'd have had her across that night
 His information was strictly cor rect" his friend replied. 6
 Read your letter." Mckee retorted, abruptly; and the host read, slowly:
 hdJ. DOuu DeSS JO nanO MT. Car roll Meredith the inclosed, just received from Wheeling, with request for imme- diate delivery Uml polite enough; but Pm getting into good company fastl Notes from-headquarte
 ''Read the inclosed, Carroll; it may be important"
 Beyond doubt," the other chaffed back, as he slowly slipped the inclosure from its unsealed envelope It. bore only his name and number, covering a large, stiff sheet of plain paper scrawled over in careless writing, wide-lined and ragged. Doubtless, Willie, Gen. Bald win presents his compliments to MT. Carroll Meredith, and requests his views upon prison discipline. You know he is off on an inspection. Damned if this isn't puEzler. It might be written in Chinese. Here, see if you can translate it. don't remember the writing, even."
 Meredith tossed the sheet to his friend,