Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-09-03


wrong But the direction was plain,
"Philip Roland, merchant, Pearl
street. back OF Fraunces' tavern" and
here was the man in his shop. looking
ut me narrowly over the gold rims of
bis spectacles- The Guards band was
playing on the Bowling Green, for,
though November, it was a warmish
Indian summer evening, while he gloat-
cd over the letter. regarding me ever
and anon in the dim light Of the lam
tern that stood on the counter. He was
a dealer in women's gewgaws and es-
teemed as good an American as any man
in New York. / had heard, indeed, SO
much to this effect that now was I'M
easy to think perhaps had but put my
neck in the moose Had not the general
been mistaken in the man? Why did he
pause SO long? moved nervously, while
before the window passed some people
returning from the play at the Theater
Royal ON John street.
The royalist handles had refitted that
little red theater, closed by congress
with a view to improving the public
morals, and plays had been writ for it
by Major John Andre 1 shuddered as
/ thought of him, for it was not so long
since the scene at Tappan, and, for all
j had experienced in the last few days,
causing me to regret my mission, my
softness hardened at that name. As it
happened, as il TO emphasize the thought,
link boy passed just then before Mis-
tress Susannah de Lancey and Major
Williams of the artillery, who had been
Andres intimate.
My vis-a-vis noted my uneasiness out
of his cunning eyes.
'There be spies and SPIES" said he.
But you, sir, surprise me- There lay
every reason why you should return to
the cause. and yet you risk your neck
apparently as merrily as boy after a
birds nest. 4"
"Eh, yes" said 1, gathering heart at
his voice. "And propose TO have the
bird tonight at IL when he walks in
the garden back from Burns"
docs he walk then in the garden?''
said he, peering at me-
"Yes, an uneasy conscience''-
"Ah. has he that?'
"n he have not my friend, pro-
pose to make him uneasy, should you
have your boat at the foot of the lane
exact at IL. loosed part of the palms
at the end of the garden. and there be-
hind the boards, which he now can
wrench off in a trice. is Jem Hawkins
You know him?''
"And you, sergeant2'' said he curl.
ously and looking about lest the wall.
had ears
81, master, will stroll out of the
tavern as debonair as you please. I shall
knock our traitor over the head. Jen
l. 81
,gether we will carry him TO your boat. >
''Should you be stopped?''
''Humphl We have but TO say we ar
sailors from the Anne Marie taking
drunken comrade aboard Once in tn,
boat we shall pull for Hobock. wher,
Major Harry expects us -
/ thought exultantly of this point il
the programme, SO we'll outlined. coult
it be carried out. For it meant my res
toration to the old esteem among my
comrades who now must be holding nat
the most dastardly deserter.
"You have glib tongue" m,
shopkeeper said doubtfully when haC
ended
''It has persuaded Sir Henry, my OLD
friends, and their brevet hrigadier trai
tor Arnold, / boosted "'Now it want
but your beat
He reached forward, as if with sud
den enthusiasm out of keeping with tn
former suspicion.
''You risk death and so do I, shoul,
we be seen together. The boatman shall
be there at H."
was sure of him now, this person
no one suspected, but who was one O
those agents by whom Washington wa
kept conVersant with occurrences il
New York. ] relied implicitly ON tn
other man, Hawkins, who was a hostile
at Fraunces' tavern, for he had proves
his honesty by seeing that my lette
had reached the general, telling hin
exactly who had been implicated wit
Arnold in that damnable plot, and nov
all that was left of the mission was +
catch the traitor.
This was my fifth evening in guis
OF American deserter and kings man
and it. l said, should not pass withou
my putting my hands ON him for who's
wretched avarice Andre had suffered
Yet as / strobe about the street cor
ner past one of Mayor Matthew'S watch
j sickened of the attempt for the hun
,dredth time. 1 thought of how mucl
they had left me to do, how great
sacrifice of good name I already ha'
made, and how little wit /, indeed, ha,
to redeem it
Before the ruins of Trinity church
standing ont sepulchrally in the darkes
November night, went in to sit OF
one Of the benches that had been bull
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 VIII
could be caught by pleasure.
There In the dark / ran over th
whole unpromising phases of the enter
prise-how five days before my com
mandant Major Lee, had summone
me to tell me that the general had ask
ed him for q man who would dare risl
everything to gain information of hov
the Arnold plot ran and of those impli