The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-01-24
THE TWO CAPTAINS,
BY ROM HALL.
ITO the king"
ITO my king"

The toasts. though slightly different,
were uttered simultaneously and a small
glass of RAJ old port was emptied III
honor of each. The scene was the
broad ver,nda of South Carolina
plantation, not fifteen miles from thu
famous city of Charleston; the tima
was the early autumn of 1881; while
the characters were a young captain of
his majesty's artillery, q portion q!
which was guarding the city of Charles
ton, and a young oman in perhaps her
twenty-second year. a famous beauty
was this Miss Phoebe PoindeXter, and u
most captivating picture she made. in
the eyes of the captain of artillery, az
she sat drumming the keys of htI
harpsichord, after replacing the empty
wine glass on the table near her. Tie
latter was a handsome young man, al
parently thirty years of age, with
perfect air of good breeding and evi
IDENTIFY of some graces, for he had just
finished a solo on the flute to the ac
compartment of the young lady.
"The fact is, Miss Phoebe, I hardly
know what | should do with myself
were it not for the possibility Of riding
out here to spend an occasional after
noon with you-or should | say, botE
in gallantry and truth, every after.
noon with you? The town is simply
too dull for a soldier, now that Lord
CORVALLIS has taken the major part OF
our army with him in his chase after
the rebel Greene"
"And what do you think, captain, ar"
his chances of capturing Gen. GreenS?"
Z "Oh, the chances are perfect, M
dear lady. Why, the rebels were absc
lutely routed, according to our dis
patches, at the battle of Guilford Court
House, and so badly demoralized that
they ran from the field like sheep. In
deed thefo was no necessity for our pur-
suit. Greene is starving up there in thu
mountains of North Carolina and will
surrender at discretion in the course Of
week or two. His defeat and reduced
circumstances will be the excuse, bot
the real reason will be British gold. You
remember, of course, our success with
their Gen. Arnold. Well, after a man.
ambition has been killed, he will not
fight in any cause with neither food
nor pay. And that is the dire extrem-
fly to which Greene has been forced by
th, glorious success of his majesty's
arms. My Lord CORVALLIS has turned
no1th and in a month will have defeated
and captured that little boy of French
man, La Fayette With their armies
of the south and Of the center defeated.
he will move next spring upon the only
remaining armies of the rebels, that
under the miscreant Washington. 1t
will be short campaign, battle, a
rout, a pursuit and then peace-;tnd
with peace will come it's delightful
handjnaiden love. And then = then,
Mistress PoindeXter, l shall have the
honor of claiming you for bride, of
selling out my commission and living
the quiet life of an English country
gentleman for, hope, the rest of my
: life
"a charming arrangement of events
for yourself, my dear Capt. Webb! But
1 must say it appears to me as though
Gen. Corvallis movement into Vir-
ginia is more like retreat than the adj
vance of a victorious and conquering
army And as for Gen. Greene, they
say that he is not only harassing Gen.
CORVALLIS at every step of his north
ward movement, but has detached his
cavalry and portion of his riflemen to
reconquer the Carolinas and Georgia.
ION what utter nonsense do these
misguided colonists feed their despair
ing hopes!" answered the captain.
"Why, it would be no more ridiculous
for you to assure me that detachment
of Marion's outlaws were here, sur
rounding this very house, and that |
was in danger of becoming prisoner
to them, as to-what was that?" The
captain jumped hurriedly from his seat
and, grasping the railing of the veran-
ia in fkpnt of him for support, looked
anxiously up and down the road that
ran in trout of the old plantation.
ut seemed to me like the winding
of a horn," said the lady, calmly.
"And, by my faith, / heard the gal
Looping of horses and short command, y
continued the captain, excitedly.
Inside, inside, captain, as your value
your liberty" said the lady; 81 saw a
mounted man in uniform there in the
bushes just now, and know the uni
form WE'LL"
"And the wearer"
Ives, the wearer."
'Then it is detachment of Marion'S
outlaws indeed. Hal will be an agree
able prize for Capt. PicEens. An in
+eresting meeting between two rivals
Il will be. indeed! I must be saved,
madam, or your own loyalty will be put
IN question"
And, pray, what can l dor asked
tie girl drawing herself up to her full
height and looking at the English Off
Ger with scornful and indignant eyes.
you can tell them that there is no
one concealed in your house. lie will
never dare to doubt your word
''Iou would have ne tell lie to save
you me, the woman you pretended to
love ard wish to make your wife q
III is case of s.ty-quicls, they
are approaching on both sides. Tlzay