Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-03-30

Instead, she stood tall and graceful, with lips
apart and eyes widely strained. Her color
faded trihe, but after breath or two she
answered stoutly:
Gen. Clinton. that is false! Ny brother
held no communication with anyone beyond
the lines at kingsbridge. You have overshot
your mark. 1t was /. 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. ], 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 title and the command of the army in
America if he would withdraw the chal-
lenge. Clinton did so, obtained leave of alb
sence from America, went to London and
! was knighted by the king. Returning, he
| succeeded Gen. Howe, who resigned short
| ~ 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
| to apprehend and make way with Gertrude
King, who, by the help of God, has been, is
now, and always will be, devoted to her own
| land and its liberties!"
AS she uttered these words she was sub
| lime. Her figure swayed slightly, her eyes
sparkled, and her voice rang like a 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 it was no longer of use or
] for the purpose of sacrificing herself for her
/ brother. Her great beauty, her youth, her
fearlessness-ay, even the grace of her pose,
| set off by her faultless costume-gave weight
| to the words which on her listeners pro-
duced profound though widely differing
emotions.
| My own first feeling was that of utter in
significance as l marked her great courage
and heard the inspiring eloquence of her last
sentence; my next that, if necessary, |
would risk my life to assist her if my way
| to do so was made plain. My admiration,
| my respect was beyond measure. ] was al
most moved to defy Clinton to his face there
| and then when that party exposed the spirit
in which he had listened.
He had halted and whirled about as she
threw at him the falsity of his statement,
! and as she progressed, his face turned from
white to red and from red to purple. On
her finishing, he hung a moment as though
| to gather the full import of her words, and
then banged his fist on the table as he ex-
claimed:
''You doubly damned rebel wench. You
! spy! How dare you use such language here
and to me? So you have taken advantage of
your housing with My God! what fool
| your aunt has been! Madam" he suddenly
| Numbered, you are under arrest"
Sir she said, cutting him short, eff
| am, / will be released. You have now an
opportunity to confscate my property as
you have my brothers. Doubtless this sum
will also go to enrich your paramour. You
have taken me for child, but am not the
helpless girl you think nae. / know your
| motives. They are money, and fear, and
Mrs. Badely. And now / have but one de-
| mand, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, and one
more statement. Your personal secrets are
safe with me conditionally, and my proper
| ty you are welcome to- as you viii but hold
| it until the right prevails; but this I will
have nova pass beyond your lines at
Kingsbridge. The statement will simply
show the extent of your falsity and the ease
with which it is overcome. My brother"
At that moment the hall door for second
time was thrown open violently by female,
and now it was Mrs. Badely who reentered
There was no affectation about her as she
hurried in and closed it behind her. With
an ash color, and her whole figure trem-
bling, she pointed to the defiant girl and
burst out:
''She is traitor! she is traitor! Let her
| not go hence! o Sir Henry! Sir Henry. he
has escaped! He has been back and-taken
-all-those-"
She got no further, but, tottering slightly,
| gradually sank to the floor in real or pre-
| tended faint.