Willmar tribune., 1899-07-05
CHAPTER. vi.
A FAIR PROSPECT.

Left alone with Belden, that worthy
looked me over slowly, and then holding out
his hand, said
'On my soul, Lounsbury, you had best
shrive yourself! To tell the truth, I'm
nightly afraid of that fellow, who is no less
the brute called him because offered to
cry quits. He would be invincible with q
rapier, only he holds the light weapon with
too light hand. He is all points and t:icks,
and, unless you disarm him, it looks to 60
hard with you. You will never get by biz
guard"
Thanks said I, laughing, and taking bin
hand. ''pve trick or two, myself. What
does the general want with me now?"
Il have but a fraction of the matter, and
know my place too we'll to talk of it. LIE,
us step out; but, man, you'll never appear
at headquarters in such rig! You would
be barred at the door!"
lis but the service of a razor and 4
shift of clothes need, and will soon have
Will you bear me company to my lodgings?
He agreed to this, and we set out down
thte Bowery Lane to the Fields, past tht
provost prison (now the Hall of Records
City Hall Park) and poorhouse, and &C
along the Broadway, chatting like two old
friends as we walked
Twas a strange coincidence, thought
when l found my companion was attached
to the Sprite, having been on board even al
the time was telling false tale of myself
in her cabin, he having been laid up below
through wound received in duel while
in Philadelphia. A jolly, light-hearted dis
sipated boy he was, but as rampant wor
SHIPPER OF royalty as has fallen to my lot ia
meet.
He could tell me nothing of Mrs. Badely
and her ward, Gertrude King (the latter to
ward whom I had an instructive leaning)
save that they had long ago left the schoon.
er and were in sumptuous quarters on Queen
street. Scammell's passion for the young
lady was no secret to him, and he made q
coarse joke at the expense of both, fol-
which could have wrung his neck.
But all were alike in those days, it seemed
to me, and not once did hear woman re-
spectfully spoken Of, though the maHgners
OF the sex professed a readiness to lie down
and be trodden on when in the presence Of
the least of the ladies of fashion. Such q
fulsome aping of fine manners on the streets
and off; such back-bending and courtesy.
ing, froth, and hypocrisy; such affectation in
speech and attitude; such utter prostra-
tlon before the god of mode and folly as was
Lracticed by these puppets of the king in
this small copy of the court, never before OF
since has it been the fortune of man to see.
Insincerity, heartlessness, and an absurd
sensitiveness regarding so-called points oi
honor ruled the day. And these were the
spirits who were expected to subdue the
hardy yeomanry Of America!
But this is neither here nor there.
Well shorn, with a decent ribbon for my
queue, a suit but a shade orftwo the worse
for wear, and a sword at my thigh for eff.
feet, we set off for our destination, Beldeu
having washed his dirty face and generally
sgoomed himself. "
z At this time Clinton's headquarters waa
%cn the Broadway, at No l, and opposite the
Bowling Green, being the same DWELLING
wherein Washington had established him.
self while the: patriot troops occupied the
city. L = HtSsHf4Ns tafs J ssSS rss5s,. :
s Twas strange to me that the British com.
smander should have hit upon this house, not
only because of it's association, but from the
fact that it was, with some few mansions
to the north, cut off from the rest Of the
city by the broad swath of ruin caused by
the great fire of September, l776. ~. 7 >s&. B
This confagration had started (God
\ knows how! near the w Whitehall, and !, under
the tanning Of q strong wind, had burned
northwest, crossing the Broadway below
Trinity church, and from there laying low
every thing clear to the Hudson and north.
ward to nigh the city limits. Trinity went
with the rest, but BY some mercy Sc. Paul'a
wac spared, as well sas King college CCo
lumbia college,, the fire stopping just shor,
ofs Robinson street (now Park Place., nn
which stood the latter. s5@zss=.
0 No attempt had been made to rebuild 81
even clear the ruins, and now twas q dan.
gerous neighborh as the offscourings 81
! the camp had taken possession Of the whole
area, and Ksilizing old walls, beams, and
sails, haa tstab blished colony of violence
8 md Yfltn, which vent tlss name 81 Can.
yastown