Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-05-31
CHAPTER XIV.
THE SEQUENCE OF EYENrs

THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.
Whether our meeting would prove for
good OF evil fortune the future alone would
tell, but certain it was there was nothing
remarkable in the fact of our coming to.
gether. Twas but natural that the girl had
flown straight from Clinton to where she
might expect to find her brother, and, as the
report of his escape had been true, she there
found him. Her freedom from arrest had
been due to- the same cause or causes that
had allowed me to retain my own liberty on
that memorable Sabbath; namely, the lack
of military precaution at headquarters on
that day and the suddenness and unlocked
for nature of the episode. Once under the
roof of a Quaker relative, she and her broth
er had been quickly disguised and passed
through the lines as father and son, finding
refuge in the house on the shores of Turtle
bay, and they had thus far eluded capture
by retreating by day to the concealed quar-
tiers before described.
From there .Ames had proceeded to
Stryker (another link in the chain of secret
patriots). hoping through him to find the
means of getting to the Jersey shore OF
above the lines at Kingsbridge; but partly
through the fact that all points of possible
escape were doubly guarded, and partly
through the adventure caused by my going
to the Dove, he could obtain no help from
the innkeeper. However, as he had further
protected his sister by starting Lovingly
companion, the trooper, on false scent to
the northward, and had ended the days of
the tory blackegt himself, his errand could
hardly be considered fruitless.
The only remarkable point in the &c.
quence of events that had brought us all to-
gether was that should have met "Rex''
in the nick of time and had him made known
to me.
There was nothing in his present appear
ance by which could have connected him
with the scorched youth l had encountered
at the fire. He was now clean shaved, and,
with the CRIME of smoke washed from his
face, his singed hair replaced by white
wig, and his entire change of costume, he
was an aged Quaker if one peered not too
closely at the lines which had been laid upon
his features.
The details of their escape and recital of
my own adventures were given as we re-
called ourselves with hasty meal in room
beneath the attic. Though solid shutters
were over the windows, they were further
protected from any CLEAN of light straying
outward by hanging of sheets nailed to
the casing. This closeness made the heat
sitting, but physical discomfort was small
matter, and was almost forgotten as ]
listened in turn to the news from the city
as it was given by our host.
Like band of plotting freebooters in
masquerade we must have appeared as we
sat ut the small table with its single candle,
talking in whispers, the girl and her broth
ar fhaty. IL
the strong ints of the picture, while the
cast was i family corrected by smile, sat
opposite u 1 more than sufficient foil to
my proportions.
My host never laughed, but his smile was
passport to favor, making his natural eX-
preston sour by contrast or as though he
was acting part when his face was in re-
pose. Of the little band of those who re-
manned in New York, and were under
handed though active in their devotion to
the cause, l saw not one but who was an
adept in his ability to mimic or portray a.
character totally at variance with the one
God had given him. Peter Burt was not
the least of these, for, though he looked like
a graveyard, he was the reverse by nature.
This worthy was typesetter in the office
"a Wiz AAoeoAiouS AsiNihsSou, lut OlllCldl
er to the king, and was the riglrt-hand man
to that blatant tory. His position and his
undoubted education made his real senti-
ments unsupported, and, while by day he
damned the rebels and seemed to lack COM
mon compassion for those who by chance
fell prisoners or were even suspected of
treason, by night he was doing all in his
power to get information to Washington or
giving a helping hand to refugees or those
in distress. Late in life heard that Riving-
ton himself was in full accord with Burt,
and used his post to the confusion of the
kings interest, but know naught of the
truth of it.
The matter that reused my greatest inter
est was the news Tor lack of it, of Scammell.
As garner of information Burt was in the
thick of it, and was nightly mystified
when told that Scammell had recovered suf-
iiciently to move from his quarters at the
Kings Arms and had disappeared, leaving
no trace behind, though the search made for
him was but trife less keen than that
made for US.
Has he started his lure for mel" 1
asked myself, but dropped the subject as
listened to the explanation of his move.
ut comes about through remark made
by Mistress Gertrude" said Burt, indicat-