The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-11-02
rcopyr,sht. 1857, BY the Author.1

though November, it was warmis
Indian summer evening, while he gloat
ed over the letter, regarding me eve
aud anon III the dim light Of the Ian
tern that stood on the counter. He wa
dealer in women's gewgaws and es
teemed as good an American as any maj
in New York. I had heard, indeed, s.
much to this effect that now was un
easy to think perhaps had but put m,
neck in the moose. Had not the genera
been mistaken in the man? Why did h
pause SO long? I moved nervously, Will
before the window passed some peopl
returning from the play at the Theate
Royal on John street.
The royalist handles had refltted tina
little red theater, closed by congress
with view to improving the public
morals and plays had been writ for i
by Major John Andre I shuddered al
I thought Of him, for it was not SO lont
since the scene at Tappan, and, for al
| had experienced in the last few days
causing me to regret my mission, my
Boftness hardened at that name As il
happened, as if to emphasize the thought
| link boy passed just then before Mis-
| tress Susannah dc Lancey and Majol
Williams Of the artillery, who had beer
Andre intimate.
My vis-a.vis noted my uneasiness Out
! of his cunning eyes.
"There DO spies and Spies" said he.
"But you, sir, surprise me. There lay
every reason why you should return tt
| the cause, and yet you risk your mech
apparently as merrily as a boy after q
| birds nest"
Eth, yes" said I, gathering heart al
his voice. "And propose to have the
bird tonight at IL when he walks in
the garden back from Burns. "
| "Does he walk then in the garden?'
said he, peering at me.
Eyes, an uneasy Conscience
"Ah, has he that?''
"If he have not, my friend, pro
pose to make him uneasy, should you
have your boat ut the foot of the lane
exact at II. loosed part Of the paling
ut the end Of the garden, and there he
hind the boards, which he now Can
| wrench off in /. trice, liz Jem Hawkins.
Yop know him%'
"And you, scrgeant?' said he curl.
onsly and looking about lest the walls
had ears.
II, master, will stroll out OF the
tavern as debonairas you please. shall
knock our traitor over the head. Jern
will break through the paling. and to,
gether VIC will carry him to your bout. -
Should you be stopped?'
'Humph! We have but to say we are
sailors from the Anne Marie taking a
drunken comrade aboard. Once in the
boat we shall pull for Hobock, where
Major Harry expects us. J"
thought exultantly of this point in
! the programme, 80 we'll outlined, could
I it be- carried out For it meant my res
toratiou to the old esteem among my
comrades. who now must be holding me
tho most dastslrdly deserter.
You have u. glib tongue" my
sropkeeper said doubtfully when had
ended.
1T has. persuaded Sir Henry. my old
friends, and their brovet brigadier trail
tor Arnold" boosted. Now it wants
but your boat. -
He reached forw ard, as If with sud.
don enthusiasm out Of keeping with the
former suspicion.
''You risk death and so do I, should
we be seen together. Ths boatman shall
BIO there at II"
was sure Of him now, this person
no one suspected, but who was one Of
those agents by whom Washington was
kept conversant with occurrences in
New York. I relied implicitly on the
other man, Hawkins, who was a hostler
ut Fraunces' tavern for he had proved
his honesty by seeing that my letter
had reached the general, telling him
exactly who had been implicated with
Arnold in that dannable plot, aud now
oil. that was left of tho mission was to
catch the traitor.
This was my fifth evening in guise
Of American deserter and kings man,
and ii. said, should not pass without
my putting my hands on him for whose
wretohod avarice Andre had suffered.
Yet. as strobe about tho street cor
uer past ona Of Mayor Matthew's watch,
sickened of the attempt for the hun
dredth time I thought Of how much
they had left me to do, how great a
sacrifice of good name already had
rnatln, and how little wit l, indeed, had
to redeem it.
Before tho ruins of Trinity church,
standing ont sepulchrally in tho darkest
November night, went in to sit on
one of the benches that had been built
there at General Pattison's suggestion,
shortly after the great fire, for the Brit
iSh policy WAS to gain favor by making
the town life agreeable for those who
could be caught by pleasure.
There in tne dark ran over tho
whole unpromising phases of the enter
prise-how five days before my COM
mandant, Major Lee, had summoned
mo to tell me that the general had ask
nd him for man who would dare risk
everything to gain information Of how
the Arnold plot ran and Of those impli-
Gated, one who would even dare kidnap
the traitor in the very enjoyment of his
safety. The man who SO dared must ap-
pear to desert from Tappan, This was
asking much-my honor among my
comrades and the risk Of spy's death
from the British, and yet, young fool of
% that was accepted.
I can see that low room now in the
De Witt house in Tappan, the generals
anxious face Major Harry's bold eyes.
I turned my mare through the picket
line and gave her free head when the
patrol challenged, dashing over the
moist roads, for, as bad luck would have
1t; the rain plotted out the ruts, leaving
the mares footprints patent to pursus
ers, for the farrier put the same mark
on the left forward shoe Of all Major
Lees horses.
For . moment, I Asaiexe, they hest.
tated dumfcunded that 20 faithful q
soldier as I should suddenly initiate
Arnold. In all the disaffection there
never had been o desertion from that
corps. Who can be trusteda I could fan
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