Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-10-11

left his home in England that he might
win fame for himself In a few shor
months and return with a great name
to his native land. His i'll success
against the American army, and his
utter inability to cope with n mind
like my commander In chiefs, had In
creased this dissatisfied, ~querulous,
complaining side OF his character, and
he had now become thoroughly dis
| gusted with the whole war. Such had
been the gossip OF this commander of
the British forces in America which
had reached the ears Of all of us out
in Connecticut. Everywhere his troops
would win battles according to Euro
pean methods, and hen be forced to
retreat, losing more men in the retreat
than the Americans had In the fight.
! This was anything but encouraging;
and the general showed his chronic
pettishness i'm his egry action. He
showed 1t now, as he Stid sharply;
We'll, Cameron, are you there =.
"Yes, your eXcelleR-v."
well, well, mani! Speak up! IT'S
doubtless something of Importance that
causes you to call me now
Il think it is, you ex~cellency. Here
is a messenger from Boston and New
port"
"Ah, 1 see him now. Well, sir, what
| is it?"
handed him the dispatches taken
| from the dead soldier. AS he glanced
over the papers he rang a bell, and
babe the orderly h appeared TO
search out and bring TO him Lord
Howe.
And, orderly" he added.
Yes, you eXcellency."
Speak to the general cautiously,
and bring him away without attracting
attention"
"Yns your eyccIlency."
Nothing further was said until Lord
Howe appeared.
Howe had been superseded In the
command of the American forces Of the
British army by Clinton, and for that
reason alone he bore the present COM
mander no very good will. But, be-
side this, he knew perfectly well that
he was the ADLER officer. He was
anxious, therefore, to be recalled to
England to avoid association as an in
feriOr with Clinton. In the meantime,
| anything that made his rivals position
| more difficult only gave him the great
CT satisfaction. .
MY lord" said Sir Henry. Mr."
Merton" l prompted.
MIR. Merton, here, has just arrived
with news that n French fleet is lying
in Newport harbOr waiting to cooper
ate with the rebels"
Lord Howe had just come from a
dance, and was very warm. He wiped
his forehead and then replied calmly:
"'Tis the same as our news of sew
eral days ago, Sir Henry. What
strength nave they"
| stepped forward to prevent ques-
lions coming to me, and said;
IL have further news!"
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
n spy Immediately"
What is the sentiment as to the
result" asked Howe.
THAT he will be hung" l answered.
Then l will hang every solitary
American 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 o permit
me to take some steps I'm this NATTER"
by all means. l wash my hands Of
it,
Mr.. Merton" said Howe, turning to
me.
yes. sir
Remain in the house for an hour. IF
you receive no instructions within hat
time, call here at 8 o'clock each morn
lIlS uillll N'h wv 10 Nh'N N'iA'NNb Sii
Henry?' he asked.
Clinton was evidently terribly affect
ed by the news of Andres sentence.
| and could not turn his mind to any
thing else. He said with an effort:
Mr.. Merton, you nave not eaten,
probably. Go i'm and join the ball and
eat to your satisfaction. My lord, |
am too stricken with grief to join my
guests. win you take these gentlemen
i'm and make my ~eXcusc?'
! Lord Howe turned. and, at my at
tempting to apologize because of Il
costumes, he bade Cameron have us
| brushed up, and insisted upon my put
ting on a coat and wuistcoat of Sir
| Henry's. the one faced with red, the
other Of white satin. Acton was a sight
when he was ready. He was always n
| handsome great fellow; but dressed in
these colors he would ne noticed any
where. and with the combined express
sion Of absolute ignorance of the situa-
ton and his usual careless feariessAess
he would have brought me to laughter,
If / had not had a great fear of what
he might do.
So we left the study through the door
by which Clinton had entered, and
found ourselves the mex moment in
the most brilliant scene that had yet
met my Puritan eyes. | have no doubt
the court at Windsor, or Whitehall, vas
finer, but | had heard for more than a
year that Clinton held here a magnifi-
cent court Of his own which We'd, so
| our reports told, even with the kings.
In the great ball room the lights Of
hundreds Of candles, hanging from the
| ceilings in groups, and all about the
walls. lit up and reflected in the poll
ishel floor n hundred or more gay red
uniforms, with here and there a 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 beauti-
full m~lhogany furniture, and still 9TH
els stood in groups talking and laugh
ing as If no war. nor misery, nor any
suffering troops were On the face of the
earth, to say nothing Of all this at their
very door. / could not understand 1t.
After all. ( was a besieged town, and
the frightful smallpox was raging all
about them, and still / could sec one
beauty after another flirting with her
fan and her bright yes with some tall
Britisher, and gossiping of the scandal
of the hour as the hddlers drew out the
slow measures of a waltz.
Up to such a group we now came, and
Lord Howe, with no very good grace,
accosted an old woman, with wrinkled
checks and a sCrawny neck, yet be-
decked in silks and satins, and with a
towering head dress that made her hob
about like a decr"pit peacock.
Madam De Lancy," said he, bowling
low, permit me To present Mr.. Merton,
who has just arrived"
The old lady looked at me through
her lorgnettes with a vicious squint:
Mr.. Merton" said She. What Mer-
ton? Anything to do with the Mer-
tons of Salem?"
THE same family, ma'am," said /,
%truthfully enough, yet | could not see
what business it might perchance be
OF hers.
"A bad lot" she continued, taking