The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-16
THE LOT OF DEATH.
Tale Of Our First General Chief Fairfax
1Eiddleton-A True Story.

carriage
"A room for my mistress.
Meg hustled, calling old Simon and
the stable boy, and looking out in the
black night and curtsying, when there
entered the mistress, her cloak held
over her face. and followed by maid,
plainly an English girl.
What was the name? Meg asked OF
the position. who said; mo matter
Miss and at the same time made eyes
at her. who gave him a Seornful glance,
as she had finer men than he oSling
her.
The lady was from Philadelphia, of
course Meg guessed.
Was the room satisfactory? she ask
ed, curtsying. What could she do
menu Nothing.
The lady hesitated; although she was
no longer young, yet she certainly was
the most beautiful lady, Meg declared,
she ever had seen. lust like a duch-
ess, as if Meg ever had seen duchess
Where are military prisoners in
Lancaster kept?"
mostly on parole, mem, about the
town, eXceptin' Captain Asgill, poor
gentleman"
Eyes, know. want to be directed
to his quarters"
AIeg's eyes looked her surprise.
Perhaps her ladyship was rela-
tion?"
Don't talk. please" said Meg's
duchess, with a suppressed sob.
But Begin your pardon, mem, I
on't'believe you can without a pass, "
said Meg. I'm sorry, mem"
The lady was looking away. tremb-
ling, Meg thought.
Get me a guide Now hurry, please"
When the duchess faced Meg some
thing in her eyes made Meg feel like
sobbing herself.
A boy was found with a lantern, and
the lady, her cloak again hiding her
face, started out. leaving Meg curious,
and telling it over to the loungers who
already had gathered in the taproom.
ITS queer-aiu't it? No tellin' -
An idea occurred. "She couldn't be-"
Was she good looking"
Eyes, and shat naughty"
From Philadelphia"
eve can't make out from them ser
wants. They're that
A tall man had entered, closely nuf-
/ fed, too.
MY good girl. a room, a quill, and
some paper"
Meg curtsied. Old Simon hustled.
Would the gentleman come this way?
Another gentleman followed, very dis
tinguished looking, also in a military
coat.
I'VE have three horses. Have your
men look to them" said this latter to
the bowling and scraping landlord. And
then he turned TO follow Meg. who
stood, curtsying at the hall door with
a candle, waiting to show the visitors
the room.
AS they went out one habftue of the
Independence nudged another.
It's he! Didn't ye see? It's he by
/ the everlastin'; it's he"
The speaker was an old. nervous
man, and his excitement increased.
Who did We make it out to be,
( Brown"
/ The Ginral, g I'm sinner"
"Why, man, it's Ginr'l Washington.
I What's he dom here? What does it
mean? 1 s'posed he was in Newburg."
At the moment Landlord Simon re-
I turned. his lips eager with the news.
"Gen'lmin, he began impressively,
! ''Ginrl Washington is under this roof.
That was hinl-that was
At the moment the second Of the two
visitors returned.
The gentleman is to be disturbed
by no one, do you understand, land
lord?" he said with an air of one in the
habit Of authority.
4 ''Yis. sir-yis," said Simon. 'I've
1 been too old to fight mysef-but I'm
/ But this gentleman, plainly an aide
4 de-camp, was gone hurriedly into the
1 night The great man, if it We're he,
was alone in the room above. Meg re-
! turned, her eyes dancing in her excite
memt-
! Yes, General Washington 1t was. no
, other No other indeed could be like
him. There could be no mistake The
4 excitement passed on. Old soldiers
/ limped in.-armless, legless, from many
I battlefelds. Was it he indeed? The
/ Generali How neatly he had trapped
! his proud lordship at Yorktown How
/ he had given them the slip at Trenton.
I What a rage he was in at Monmouth
and now it was over. There was fight
( ing SILL but they had been fairly.
( whipped by the great man who was
! here at the Independence Arms. And
/ what was he here for in Lancaster, to
/ be sure? Everybody supposed he was
| in NeWburg. Meg listened, finding in
/ the chatter of these disabled soldiers
! that even she was not noticed. She
! didn't care particularly. 1t was such
( a fine thing for the Independence to
/ have the great man under its roof. He
/ didn't go to the other tavern anyway.
yankee doodle" hummed Meg. The
1 air was new then.
/ So absorbed was the girl that She
/ did not notice at first that the mySteri-
! Gus lady visitors maid stood ait the
/ tap room bar.
Miss! Miss" said the red-cheeked
maid with haughtiness of great person
ages servants. Miss. will you pay at
I tention. My mistress wants to see
I you
Eyes" said Meg, Fastening, all her
! curiosity returning about that first
At the lady's door she hesitaited.
! The lady was sobbing. her face in
! her hands.
Mem" she began. a lump in her
! throat, Menu
The lady looked up miserably. and
! beautifully, Meg thought.
I want my bill. girl, and the car
! riage ordered"
/ Meg curtsied.
I But. mem, mayn't I bring a cup Of
/ tea, or some wine?"
/ Surely the lady should have some
/ thing to eat.
We'll, you might bring some tea"
! the lady began. And see that the
/ men and horses are fed, and told to
/ be ready as soon as they possibly can. ;"
Meg could not resist saying as she
/ curtsier again:
It's this. mem, that we're bit up
/ set at she Independence because such
/ great folks have come down on US.
! so that you, mem, must excuse us II
were slow"
'oh, you bave heard me, girl said
! the lady. DO 60.
Begin your pardon, men," said
( Meg, and insisting on making her
point and astounding the lady"
"It's no less than Gin'ral Washing