Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-11-19

confidential and said:
Every fortress has its secrets, AID
why not ours? OF what use for me to
be here except to guard those secrets?
| We have prisoners who will be set at
| liberty when years of reflection have
taught them the penalties of disloy-
atty, but there is one who will never
go out except to her grave
''Do you mean that you have a wo-
| man locked up there?" / asked.
eyes, once beautiful woman. 1t is
so long since that have forgotten, but
| / believe she was arrested at Barcelona
For year or two she claimed to be
Spanish woman. but after the torture
she confessed"
Confessed to what?"
owe must ever be on the watch for
France" he replied. They were build
ing forts at Barcelona and she had the
| plans of them. She was French spy.
1t is years and years, but still she is
not so very old-not so bad locking.
| She has been here for many years, and
| here she will remain tin death comes
i to release her. Ha! Why should 1t
not be so? If woman spies then she
| must be treated as spy"
"But she must have been missed
! inquired for by the French?' said.
"Of course" laughed the officer-"of
course. That was years ago, however.
Who could tell what became Of her?
When a spy is arrested the government
| doesn't publish a hand bill to let the
| whole world know. Do you un6er-
stand?"
The officer had impibed thrae or four
pints Of wine, and yet when our talk
was finished he slanted mis- cap over
| his ear and made toisrahle bee-liue
| for his quarters at the fortress. Before
| leaving the inn he invited me to call on
him next day at the fortress, and even
set the hour. l was in l. opes my visit
would bring me furthe" information
about the female prisoner, but N this
was disappointed. The captain led me
| through the barracks. casually men-
! toned that some prisoners were in the
| cells below, and in making the trip
around l really saw nothing of interest.
1 He got rid of me as o)n az he could
| politely do SO, and it struck me that he
regretted the informati,. given me ever
| the dinner. Scattered all about Tie
fortress were big blocks of stone which
! had been quarried near at hand and
| from the crest Of the hill a good view
| of the country could be had for miles
around. AS I left the gates I passed
around the walls to the north side 10
! loaf about for awhile. There was no
gate On that side, and the only win
| dows were far above my head. AS to
| whether any citizen was allowed there
| | had not asked The guard at the gate
certainly saw which way went, but he
raised no objections Selecting large
block of stone about thirty feet from
| the wall I sat down, lignted cigar and
| looked off down the valley. A quarter
of an hour had gone by when l both
! heard and felt a tapping and scratch
| ing at the stone. l at first sprang to
my feet, thinking the block was about
to tip, but a moment later knelt down
with my ear to its surface. The noise
came more distinctly now, ard presently
| slid off the stone and seized a stick
and began digging at the base. soon
found rock mingled with the dirt. but
in short time opened little rift or
gully under the edge Of the block, and
had my face within SIX inches Of It
when voice said in Spanish:
"Senor can see you, and see that
you are a citizen. Fer the sake of God
give me your pity and assistancc!"
who is there?" asked in reply"
"You will not betray me?"
mo. How came you beneath the
stone?"
Il am a woman. senior. and have
been imprisoned here for years. have
dug through the wall, but this block
has stopped me-
After look around to be sure that
was not observed l entered into a con-
versation with her which lasted for
quarter of an hour. She told me that
she was the French woman accused Of
being a spy. She had been ten years
digging through the wall of the fortress
and excavating the tunnel beyond it.
1 gave her my name and nationality
and promised her aid that night, and
| had just reached my feet when 1 caught
sight Of a soldier peering at me from
the corner CT the wall. Relighting my
cigar, l roamed about over the blocks
with affected carelessness, and it was an
hour later before l descended the hill.
If the soldier had been sent to spy on
me he had come a minute too late.
! l made for the hotel and sat down
too think things over. / was about
well of my hurt and ready to move on.
and after seriously considering the
matter I determined to aid the woman