Willmar tribune., 1899-07-26

is there anything mcre?" "
"Yes, your ekceliency, there is more I.
shall need pass. Some Of my men arewith-
out the Ines
'Very good!" he returned, sitting down
and pulling paper toward him, on which he
wrote rapidly; then pushing the writing
away, he began talking with the feather Of
the quill betwixt his teeth.
'Here is your pass" said he, laying his
hand over the paper and looking hard at
me, "and there is your gold. There is more
to. come. No vioence-no brute violence.
What would you do if necessity demanded
your sinking the ship? If-if-if-"
The pen in his mouth gave his voice thu
character of snarl; his eyes flashed, and
he bent forward. eagerly. 1 caught q
glimpse of the villainy of this man, and
without winking promptly replied:
''Save myself, your honor!"
As though smitten by a rcvulson of feel
ing, he started back and exclaimed:
mo! no! Not that Great God! not
quite SO quick! What tool you are! Is
there no other way? Let me think; let it
rest as it is until YOU report.-Ah! what is
the meaning of this?"
The last remark was drawn from him by
a noise of controversy in the hall without,
the sudden opening of the door, and the en-
try of Il female unannounced. She was
yelled, but before the door had fairly closed
behind her, with graceful move of her arm
she uncovered her face, and I involuntarily
came to my feet as l recognized the young
girl whose beauty had struck me as was
about leaving the Sprite.
Her eyes were rcd from weeping, and, in
deed, the tears on her cheeks were as appar-
{INof oSv,lr l.
as we'll as on her plain though elegant cos
tune. Over her white brow and from under
the back of her head covering there strayed
few locks of hair, which some might have
called red, but red they were not, being the
richest of auburn, and of such nature that
the damp of the air had curled them into
mass Of crisp waves.
If tears were on her cheeks, there were
none in her voice as she advanced before tho,
Englishman. AS she came to within pace
OF him she halted, and demanded in low,
firm tone, which for all it's frmness was
sweet:
Sir Henry Clinton, where is my brother?"
Clinton dropped his eyes, while u heavy
frown contracted his smooth forehead. For
an instant he appeared about to give way to
temper, but finally unpuckered his brows
and replied easily, as though patronizlng
petulant child:
my dear Miss Gertrude, you must ask
your aunt
"Call your Mrs. Badely no aunt of mine,
Sir Henry. She may be my guardian, but
| none of her blood flows in my veins. Be
| that as it may, sir, she has but this moment
referred me to you. My brother has been
gone week. You have promised each day
that should see him the next. Sir Henry,
where is my brother?"
| The decidedly defiant tone of the ldst de-
nand made me wonder at the audacty of
| the speaker, but instead of arousing the tenn
! per of the man to whom it was addressed, it
| made him rather draw into himself, though
not without an effort at sef-control. Again
| he arose and paced the floor behind his desk,
but finally stopping in his walk, took a long
breath as if he had arrived at detcrmina-
| ton, and suddenly turning to me, said:
"Capt. Lounsbury, the plan I mentioned
will remain in abeyance.-.AIy dear Ger
trude," he continued, addressing the girl, II
have been trying to save you from pain, but,
as you will have the truth, I will give it to
you. Your brother has been discovered act
ing in the interests of the enemy. His Of
fense was clear, and he has acknowledged it,
He was arrested one week ago this day. He
was tried fairly, convicted, and sentenced to
he hanged as spy. Yesterday he perished
in the fire at Cruger's Wharf before the SEN
tence could be executed" ->.- -
Now at these words guessed this was the
girl whom l had been expected to lzidnap
and make way with, and my first impulse,
quickly controlled, was to blurt out the fact
Of her own danger. It had become plain,
however, that Clinton could not screw his
courage to going the length of even indi-
rectly taking her life, much as he wished for
some reason to be rid of her. 1t was strong
ly forced on me that he was being used as
cat ts-paw by the woman who was known to
powerfully influence his actions, even to the
extent of altering the plans of campaign.
AS he finished his statement, knew he had
told the girl an untruth, or he had been lying
to me, as he had informed me that the
brother was about to be hanged, no mention
having been made Of his death by fire. In
stantly there came to mind my encounter
with the scorched patriot, and instinctive-
ly strung the two together.
I expected to witness the collapse of the
girl as the British general completed his
sentence, but there came nothing of the sort
Instead, she stood tall and graceful, with.ips
apart and eyes widely strained Her color
faded triae, but after breath or two she
answered stoutly:
"Gen. Clinton. that is false! My brother
held no communication with anyone beyond
the lines at Kingsbridge.. You have overshot
your mark. twas l, sir, who informed Gen.
Washington of your intended movement
into the Jerseys, but my poor brother has
been doomed because he is in possession of
facts which would compromise Sir Henry
Clinton were they known abroad. I, too,
know them. Work your will on me, girl
Il care not; but if you injure hair of the
head of Beverly, all England shall know how
Mr.. Henry Clinton obtained his knighthood,
together with other matters which would
make interesting reading. 1.-TWO years be-
fore, Gen. Clinton had challenged Lord
George German, of the British ministry.
In fear of his life, German promised Clin-
ton a title and the command of the army in
America if he would withdraw the chal-
lenge. Clinton did so, obtained leave of ab-
sence from America, went to London and
was knighted by the king. Returning, he
succeeded Gen. Howe, who resigned short
ly before the evacuation of Philadelphia
The affair caused great scandal at the time
BY his appearance, here is doubtless one of
your familiars," she went on, indicating me
by a fine look of intense scorn. "Order him
to apprehend and make way with Gertrude
Kings who, by the help of God, has been, is
now, and always will be, devoted to her own
land and it's liberties!" =
As she uttered these words she was sub
lime. Her figure swayed slightly, her eyes
sparkled, and her voice rang like bell.
There was no effect of bravado, but it was
apparent that with her there had come
crisis, and she had thrown off her mask,
either: because 1t was no longer of use or