Evening star., 1897-05-01

Hes vanished, SIR
Somebody wild have to be court-mar'
1T isn't my mems fault, If it please
you, colonel"
mo; you oughtn't to be blamed for wha,
happened in the guard house: there's tha'
blessed meeting In the Irish line, and the
dinner, where the youngsters lost their
heads"
= ITS remarkable SIR" said the other.
II don't understand it. But 1t isn't my
matter It's Sir Henry's. But here is your
prisoner reaching my grounds
Hes gone SIR" the sergeant repeated.
. $50 1t seems; know. 1 know. he's gone.
But I'm dragged into the matter
" ..Well. find Elm. Go over the ground
again. do You hear I don't believe any
thing like this ever happened in an English
regiment"
geant's gruff voice 81 only can account
for 1t in Sergeant Timms being excited by
the noises outside. There have been MANY
arrests, sir"
"Weli, Tlmms will have a chance to e1-
plain to the proper authorities. Now do
your best"
s.Tm afraid he's gone too far, sir. You
know there are many houses in New York
that would like nothing better than to
hide a REBEL
Nothing In the world better" said the
colonel.
GOOD night, SIT.
coed night to you, sergeant, and bet
ter luck"
.'I hope for IT, SIR
His steps sounded and the door opened
ard closed. The candles still burned in
the outer room, for the light entered
through the chinks of the closet door. And
then I heard the scratching of quill: he
was writing, and suddenly I thought who
he might be- remembered the exact sit
Now, in all this account, the sudden
ness of the adventure must explain the
daze in which I had been. Even had
been dropped down in a place knew bet
ter than New York, these events would
have been enough to confuse me;
and I was not particularly familiar with
New York. 1 had passed the summer of
IA there. remembered the location of
certain streets, and among many other
features remembered the Van Halls
manor on its hill. The place became as
clear as If 1 saw 1t in the light. This was
Col. Van Halls manor; that was, indeed,
no other than the tory colonel himself.
1 need not explain who he was to you.
You will know the man Who put his
great estates at the kings service. be-
cause he believed that no good. nothing
but disaster, would come of our success.
He was honest and brave and strong, and
commanded, with the rank of colonel. a
troop which had been enlisted for the king.
I had fallen into his house; and he was
sitttrg out therc-beyond the door-writ-
ing
Then, as stood there in that dark hole
like cornered fox. 1 remembered where
the shop of Hosea Pringie stood-Pringle,
the cobbler, who was a spy in our service.
1t was down a turn at the hills foot. II 1
could reach there, Pringle would hide me.
That was one of the houses the sergeant
had referred to: one of the spies they not
SO much as suspected. This much was
plain. II Pringle should be IN, he woul1
find means Of sending ME across the river.
My heart beat Till could hear its thump-
ing. as I thought of my position then: as
I saw how near, and yet how far, l was
from that Jail. l must get out of this
house Unobserved, not only for my own
sake, but, as well, because could not 1ead
to Pringle's; the discovery that the honest
fellow was spy would lead him to his
execution.
Yet even with this suddenly presented
chance. the situation was not much hap
pier. The great Col. Van Hals-after Col.
de Lancy. one of the richest and stanch-
est New York tories-was outside that
door. My exultatIon suddenly died; the
chance was, indeed. SO small a one. And
then, l thought of my father; l thought
Of Peggy-the one girl In all the world who
ever was worth while. They all seemed
very far away that moment. If they took
me. they now wouldn't take my parole
Y hich, after all, I was thankful not to
have given.
Ard time passed. and the quill still
scratched on. to stop at last: 1t must have
been after two hours. was cramped and
stiff. Then 1 heard him rising. He might
have turned to the closet, suddenly recoI-
lected: but he didn't. The light In the
chihks Aickered. and. as heard his steps,
the door shut. and the outer room was
dark.
Then yod may believe watched-watched
till thought should venture 1t, when I
threw back nay closet door.
was startled by noting the Hight through
the keyhole. Some one was behind that
outer door then, and suddenly the door
was thrown wide and tall Aslre stood
there. holding the candle high above his
head. :.
who's theref" Colonel Ven Ha,s asked.
Z Standing there hopelessly revealed, my
plans ali awry.s T. saw on, the tabIs q
pistol. which + sraeched almost distinctive
II: twas aaaf-pye<ervation. and then. AZ
he locked hiA arraxsneHt I said, ~ n
held the position: ee
ri regret my lack OF courtesy 10 q een.
tlaman Of youx poeitlOn n this cniony-
this state meaE-Aut must ank yoa 70
come in. cloea the door-$o 1T dawn. or
olse.-s and ! meant q ALL VII shoot
you down, Colonel Van HAS,