The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-27

Eyes, your excellency."
"Wel, well. mani Speak up. IT'S doubt
less something of Importance that causes
you TO call me now"
Il think it is, your excellency. Here is
messenger from Boston and Newport"
"Ah, 1 see him now. Well. sir, what
is it,"
l handed him the dispatches taken from
the dead soldier. AS he glanced over the
papers. he rang bell. and babe the order
ly who appeared to search out and bring
to him Lord Howe.
And. orderly" he added.
Yes, your excellency."
Speak to the general cautiously. and
bring him away without attracting atten-
ton"
| Yes, your excellency."
Nothing further was said until Lord
| Howe appeared.
Howe had been superseded in the COM
mand of the American forces of the British
army by Clinton, and for that reason alone
he bore the present commander no very
| good will But. beside this. he knew per-
fectly well that he was an able officer. He
was anxious, therefore, to be recalled to
England TO avoid associations as an inferi-
| VI Will OtlllOu III tic any NhAA5
| that made his rivals position more difficult
only gave him the greater satisfaction.
MY lord said Sir Henry. Mr.. -"
Merton" 1 prompted
Mr.. Merton, here. has just arrived with
news that a French fleet is lying in New
port harbor waiting to cooperate with the
| rebels!"
Lord Howe had just come from a dance.
| and was very warm. He wiped his forehead
and then replied calmly:
| Its the same as news of several
days ago. Sir Henry. What strength have
they?"
1 stepped forward to prevent questions
coming to me. and said:
Il have further newsl"
What, still more?" cried Sir Henry
This seems enough for one night.'
Major Andre has been taken to Tappan
and he is to be tried there as a spy i'm
mediately.
What is the sentiment as to the result?"
asked Howe.
THAT he will be hung" l answered.
'"Then will L hang every solitary Ameri-
can in New York, whether loyal or REBEL"
cried Sir Henry stamping his foot while
tears of vexation came into his eyes. do
you at once take measures"
Pardon me, Sir Henry" interrupted
Lord Howe, coldly; will you permit me TO
take some steps in this natter"
by all means L wash my hands of it,
Mr.. Merton" said Howe. turning to me.
Eyes, sir"
Remain in the house for an hour. If you
receive no instructions within that time.
call here at s O'Clock each morning until
you do. Is that correct, Sir Henry?" he
asked.
Clinton was evidently terribly affected by
the news of Andres sentence, and could
not turn his mind to anything else. He
said with an effort:
| Mr.. Merton, you have not eaten, prob
ably. Go IN and join the ball and eat to
your satisfaction. My lord, am too strick-
en- with grief to join my guests. Will you
take these gentlemen in and make my ex-
cuses?'
Lord Howe turned, and, at my attempt
ing to apologize because of our costumes,
he bade Cameron have us brushed I'D. and
insisted upon my putting on a coat and
waistcoat of Sir Henrys, the one faced
with red, the other of white satin Acton
was a sight when he was ready. He was
always a handsome, great fellow; but
dressed in these colors he would be noticed
anywhere and with the combined express
sion of absolute ignorance of the situation
and his usual careless fearlessness he
would have brought me to laughter, if L
had not had great fear of what he might
do.
So we left the study through the door by
which Clinton had entered and found our
Il he ~,
liant scene that had yet met my Puritan
eyes. have no doubt the court at Windsor
or Whitehall was finer, but had heard for
more than a year that Clinton held here a
magnificent court of his own, which We'd.
so our reports told, with the Kings
In the great ballroom the lights of hun
dreds of candles. hanging from the ceilings
in groups, and all about the walls, lit up
and reflected in the polished floor hun
dred gay red uniforms, with here
and there blue or black German officers
dress, and the white and pink and blue
silks of women whose fair shoulders and
necks held as high heads and as beautiful
faces as could imagine.
Some danced gracefully a minuet. or the
waltz. Others sat about in beautiful ma
hogany furniture, and still others stood in
groups, talking ana Laughing as II no war,
nor misery, nor any suffering troops were
on the surface Of the earth, to say nothing
.of all this at their very door. 1 could not
understand it. After all, twas besieged
town, and the frightful smallpox was rag
ing all about them. and still could see one
beauty after another flirting with her fan
and her bright eyes with some tall Brit
Usher, and gossiping of the scandal of the
hour as the fiddlers drew out the slow
measures of a waltz.
Up to such a group now came, and
Lord Howe. with no very good grace, ac-
costed an old woman, with wrinkled cheeks
and a scrawny neck, yet bedecked in silks
and satins, and with towering headdress
that made her bob about like a decrepit
peacock.
permit me to present Mr. Merton, who has
just arrived"
The old lady looked at me through her
lorgnettes with vicious squint:
MIR. Merton" said she. What Merton ?
Anything to do with the Mertons of Sa-
lem?"
THE same family, ma'am," said 1. truth
fully enough, yet / could not see what
business il might perchance be of hers.
"A bad lot" she continued, taking down
her new-fangled eye-glass; traitors TO