The Washington times., 1902-06-08
CHAPTER VIII.
IN WHICH l AN Ridden TO ENTER A FOR
Ridden HOUSE.

400 you're stationed with US now.
my friend?" asked Acton a cou-
~ pie of days later, as We sat in
Lieutenant Curtis quarters in
the upper story of Colonel Livingstone's
house.
/ told him that he was right for, on
presenting the communicative chiefs
note to the colonel, the latter had
shaken me cordially by the hand, and
told me that no one could be more
pleased than he over the result. 1t
turned out that when he read Putnam's
note, while l was Undergoing my first
examination in the guardhcuse, he felt
that something was wrong; and real
izing that Washington often had agents
at work whom no Gle else knew, he had
called me to him. judged for himself and
done what he could to help me along.
1t goes without saying that Arnold's
treason was as unknown to him as to
everyone else; and. as l learned now.
if | had told him the whole story he
would not have thought of believing it.
Then l had been placed On his staff as
an aide, to do what might come within
my power while awaited further orders
from General Washington. And l had
locked up the only two men had made
friends with during my short sojourn
at the fort. They appeared-each in his
own way-glad TO have me with them
again, the one boisterous and full of
regard for a man who. however uncon-
sciously, had been the means of saving
him from possible death; the other calm,
cool, serious, and reserved, a gentleman
tc his finger tips. Curtis. indeed, haunt
ed me a little by a strange twist which
his face had now and again of looking
familiar, as If l had known him long
ago in a past age, when he wore other
garments. Nay. twas more than the
face. The voice, the little mannerisms
that a man will always carry about him.
would all now and then bring this pc
culiar prior existence to my mind.
Yet it was all intangible and curious
so strangely SO that l almost of ne
cessity tried to learn something of his
life ard antecedents. Here again was
bafied. Not oLe-not soul in that reg
iment-knew aught of him back of
couple of years, when he had Joined with
a lieutenants commission and been
placed under Capt. Jacob Barnes. who
commanded a company OF Livingstones
foot. Distinguished service had raised
him to the coloners staff.
Acton, whom / Immediately came to
look on as a friend-a friend who has
remained the came through thirty-odd
years-told me what little / could learn
of Robert Curtis. He himself was the
son of an old jamestown Colony family,
and had drifted into Livingstones regi-
ment through a Captain Henry, whose
lieutenant he now was. And IL appeared
that Curtis had little to do with anyone
but this one Southern officer. According
to John, Curtis had no lack of money,
but spent little or nothing. The frank
fellow, after their acquaintance became
established, had asked his friend con-
corning his own family. and had been
cut short by Curtis gloomy face and his
answer that he had none.
They made a strange pair, these two.
Yet. perhaps by their very opposites
they were drawn together. My dropping
IN with them was all Acton's doing.
Curtis should never have known other
wise, for he did his best to avoid meet
ing anyone except Acton. Twas the
latter who took me to his heart at once,
and so / saw Curtis and became SO
strangely fascinated by the peculiarly
familiar look and manner he seemed to
have that. perforce. he had to tolerate |
ne. and in q few days ] came to the |
habit of being with these two men |
whenever we were off duty.
In such a camp, lifelong friendships |
and enmities are quickly made, and the |
existence of our American officers of /
those days, filled always with work, was
relieved by the social life of little
ciiques and groups. Such an one was |
now taken into. and before long we
three had agreed. among ourselves, that
whenever occasion arose for special
duty on the part of any one OF US, that
one would. If possible, secure the other
two 10 help him carry through the af-
fair.
The especially important case In point
was the capture OF a certain man called
Captain Hazeltine. had overheard some
thing OF him that morning in the guard
house. and learned now that the man had
become a sort of mania with Curtis. The
latter had distinguished himself on sew
eral occasions in carrying out special
work and a direct order had now come
from the commander-i7-chief for Lieu
tenant Curtis TO watch. and, II possible,
take his man. ! learned, too, that he
was thought to be a spy Of Clinton's-a
Tory working with the English, in other
words; but that he had passed for a
short time as private agent of Wash
ington, coming well recommended from