Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-11-05

son for her curious conduct, I resolved
to see her again.
But it was not until after the peace
that / had the chance when, hearing
she remained a spinster, / decided to
leave Kentucky, where l had taken up
some land, to see what manner Of wom-
an she had become.
1 must acknowledge in a few years
she had faded, and yet 1 found her
strangely attractive. She appeared en-
barrassed at seeing me.
lyon must detest me above all the
rest of the world, - said she.
II did, " said frankly.
"You did?" asked she.
81 don't now, Mistress Priscilla, for
believe you honestly imagined by
meddling you could keep me a kings
man. In the event it might have been
better. might have been richer. -
Eyes, >" said she. 81 think even was
right, Jack Champe."
II am not accustomed, Mistress Pris.
ella, to women who will take the trou-
BILE you did to set man right, although
it was from the point of honor, a wrong
course, which could not adopt be-
lieve you thought it for my good. "
"There be many women who would
have done so much, said she
But was firmly persuaded there was
and is but one, and, holding this persua-
sion and believing that now she might
have me, although before, when a boy,
l had made violent love to her in Nir
ginia she had Tilted me-beleving that
being a spinster now rather well along
she might not refuse me, although, in
faith, had little enough money, 1 was
persuaded to ask her to marry me.
me, Captain Champe! Are you not
crazy?' said she demurely at this mod
est request of mine
mot l, Mistress Priscilla. / have a
neat enough wit left to know the ma
terial for a good wife. "
ooh, but, captain, I'm so old and
ugly! Why did you not ask me when ]
was young"
Il did when we were both young,
years since, in Virginia "
ooh, forgot" said she.
Il tried then, but you Tilted me. Ha'
you forgot: l supposed woman never
forgot who she jilts.
"Oh, do you captain: Or who
cor who, mistress?"
"Or who she loves. "
ooh, then, said 1, Il might as well
return to Kentucky, for L see the jig is
up
Is it," said she. Il believe 1 even
will go with you, captain.
Are you jesting again, as you did
when a girl i'll Virginia." asked l,
doubling her
''Eh, jesting, Captain Champe, as a
spinster may who catches at perhaps
her last and, indeed, believe, her best
chance"
l confess the outcome of the matter
was most curious, for during those days
when l was tossing on the sea ON the
journey to the Virginia capes l should
have held him as mad as the maddes;
March hare who had told me l should
try to marry this meddling hussy to
gain peace of mind.
But if the ways of God be strange
that way of his which is called wom-
an S is the strangest. If any one W ere
TO blame for this termination of the
affair Of the meddling hussy, surely it
was none other than Major Lee. who
first had suggested TO me an apparently
impossible reason for her conduct when
she had spoiled all my plan for catch-
ing the traitor From regarding the rea-
son all impossible began to question if
after all there might be some ground
for holding it possible. The step from
superstition 10 experiment is not long
one, as Mr. Franklin himself has attest
ed. Yet / must confess l thought l was
only silly, imaginative fool for my
pains till her words showed that,
strange as it may appear, Major Lee
had understood her without ever having
seen her.
Nor in the end, although l have
blamed her in all this account for hay
ing spoiled for me the outcome of a
good adventure, was l so unfortunate
as l had supposed, for if did lose
chance of further distinction as a sol
der through following out the plan
General Washington proposed to me.
learned in the end by this very adventure
that woman who takes enough in
terest in you to NEEDLE with your mat
tiers even TO the point of turning them
all topsy turvy, may make for the very
reason of that interest not so bad a wife.
THE END.
Note.-Lee's memoirs make the date of
Champes mission before Andres execution,
Oct, :, l1SO one Of the inducements offered
Champe, the memoirs state, was that the in.
formation he might obtain might lead to a stay
In the proceedings against Andre. Losing in
his Field Book Of the Revolution" however
gives the date of the sergeant mai or's apparent
desertion as Oct. 4, 1880, and the attempt TO
kldnap Arnold as Nov. S. When, Il years after,
war with France appeared imminent, Wash
ington, remembering Champe's good service,
prepared him commission as captain in the
infantry. But the doughty sergeant major
had died some years previously in Kentucky