The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-10-13

gered in Lichfield for several days, hoping
to see and get a word with his beloved,
but to no purpose.
His friend, Miss Seward, advised him to
continue his travels and leave the result
to time. Andre was not indisposed to
follow this counsel, but still fingered for a
day or two. Finally one evening as he was
entering the town after long walk car
riage and pair dashed past him in the
gathering gloom. AS it did so he caught
sight of a sad, fair face at the window,
heard the word farewell" and felt some
thing drop at his feet
1t was rose-Honora's last gift to him.
The carriage went in the direction of
London.
There was now nothing to keep Andre in
tichfeld, and the next day he returned
Tome. 1t was to find things in very sad
way there. His father, his only remaining
parent, had been suddenly stricken down
with fever, and his life was despaired of.
The good man rallied for time, but finally
passed away three days after his sons re-
turn.
This second stroke of fortune was hardly
less terrible than the first, for young Andre
had loved his father very dearly But he
had not much time to devote to grief. With
his fathers affairs to put in order and the
business to attend to he had his hands
quite full. STILL busy as he was and full
as his mind was of other things, the image
of Honora was ever in his thoughts.
Finally, when things were somewhat
Strengthened, he returned to, Lichfield bent
upon forcing an interview with Honora's
father Miss Seward, whose guest he was
advised him against the attempt at present
and pointed out that Mr.. Sneyd had an in
vincible objection to trade, adding:
But time and his undoubted love for his
daughter may overcome that"
The result of the conversation was the
birth of a resolution in Andres mind
which he at once proceeded to carry out
which was to quit trade forever. AT that
time war was raging between England and
her revolted North American provinces,
and he resolved to purchase a commission
and see what active service would do to
cure his melancholy.
He Joined the British army toward the
end of ITS and was shortly afterward
taken prisoner by a party of Indians. Car
ried away into the woods and kept under
close surveillance, he was otherwise treated
with kindness The report got abroad, how
ever, that he was killed, and in the course
of time-for communications were then
very slow-the news reached England.
Honora, to whom the tidings were COM
municated, wept and bemoaned her lovers
sad fate, and it was long before she could
be comforted.
All this time her parents had been i'm
! ploring her to complete their happiness by
consenting to marry Mr.. Edgeworth. They
seemed sincerely DESTROYS of promoting her
happiness, and as her beloved was now in
| the grave she agreed after the elapse of
some months to comply.
The wedding day came in due course. No
one could seem happier than the bride
groom and Mr.. and Mrs. Sneyd when the
ceremony had been performed. Honora,
too, tried to look cheerful, if she could not
feel happy But she retired to her room to
put on her travelling dress with heavy
heart. Upon her dressing table she found
a letter, placed there by one of the serv-
ants. 1t was from Andre and was full of
expressions of love and devotion.
The poor bride summoned up courage
enough to put the letter away, to wipe her
eyes and to 20 down and try to smile as
they drove away amid the plaudits of the
wedding guests. But from that day her
heart was dead within her.
Meanwhile Andre had been promoted to
the rank of major and appointed adjutant
general to Sir Henry Clinton, commander
in chief of the British forces. But every
step he took seemed to be fraught with
fresh disaster.
His position as Clnton's chief confidant
brought Andre into connection with Cen
eral Arnold, who was plotting the betrayal
of West Point-the key of the rebel posi-
tion-to the British. He carried on the
correspondence with Arnold, which was
disguised under color of mercantile
transaction Andre adopted the name of
John Anderson, and Arnold signed him
self Gustavus
When on Sept. 20 the negotiations were
sufficiently advanced Andre proceeded up
the Hudson river in the British sloop Vul-
ture to hold personal interview with Ar
mold In order to avoid treatment as spy
he wore his uniform and professed to be
endeavoring to bring about an arrangement
in respect to the sequestrated property of
an American loyalist. His letter to Arnold
on the subject having been shown by the
latter to Washington, the American com
mander in chief so strongly protested
against an interview between the two that
! ATHOlu was COulpelleu 10 T6SOrG W SeCFeJ
meeting, which took place on the night of
Sept. 81. Arnold then delivered to Andre
full particulars respecting the defenses of
West Point and concerted with him the at
tack which the British were to make with
in few days.
Meanwhile the Vulture had been COM
PEELED by the fire of the American outposts
to drop farther down the river, and when
Andre wished to return on board his boat
men refused to row him back. He was &C
cordingly obliged to spend the day at the
farmhouse of man named Joshua Smith,
who is represented by some as a tool Of
Arnold's and by others as an accomplice.
Such was Andres position now that he
had no alternative but to disguise himself
as civilian, which, as he was now inside
the American lines, brought him within
reach of military law as a spy. He started
early next morning with pass in the name
of Anderson" signed by General Arnold,
under the guidance of Smith, who only left
him when he seemed past all danger. By
o'clock on the morning of Sept. % he was
IN sight of the British lines, when he was
seized by three American cowboys on the
look out for plumber.
Searched for valuables, the compromis-
ing papers were found in his boots He Of
fered the men large reward for his re-
lease; but they, thinking they might get