New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-10-07

istening-spying? Had she fallen so
low as that? Was it not her duty
to make some movement which
should betray her presence to those
men; should apprise them that they
were being overheard? Yes, clearly,
it was her duty. She, an Ellery, had
been bred to know that. Yet she
made no movement. They began to
boast to each other, always in their
subdued voices, that the humiliation
of Lafayette's army would mean the
crushing of the American cause. It
was too weak to stand such blow
as that. The French would be
affrighted; there would be no more
of their aid forthcoming, and with
out it where would Mr.. Washington
be? On his knees before King
George.
= They finished their supper and
arose from the table. Jane could
\hear them tramping about the room.
moving chairs and buckling belts,
evidently preparing for departure.
She had gathered that they were to
ride eastward and join Bessemer to
report the result of their recon
noissance. The attack was to be
made that night. The door opened
and closed. They were gone.
She arose, lighted her candle, and
looked at her watch. A quarter of
eight. Slowly she dressed. Mrs.
Ellery's shores were plainly audible
from the next room. She opened her
door and peered into the hall. It was
deserted. A torch over the stairway
and another at the farther end were
it's only lights. She walked to the
head of the stairs and began the
descent. They ended in a corridor
below. She passed along this to the
rear of the house. The way was dark,
but she had been over it before, for
the carriage had driven through the
inn-yard to the stable and she and her
aunt had alighted there, entering by
the back way.
She gathered her skirts about her
and went down the corridor steps.
The stable was only a short distance
from the house.. One of it's double
doors stood open. A lantern hung
within. She made her way to the
traveIlng-carriage and took from
under the back seat hooded cloak,
which she threw about her. Then
she took look at her horses, like the
southern woman she was. There
were the carriage-horses-st
sturdy, little overfed, turning calm,
questioning eyes upon her. There
was her aunt's Black Nan, once the
fastest horse in all the country
round, but grown too old. There was
her own Beetle, sleek coated, fiery
eyed, long limbed, turning a knowing
gaze upon her. Upon the nails close
to hand were neatly placed his ac-
coutrements.
She took down the saddle and bride
and the other paraphernalia. No one
knew better than Jane how to saddle
horse, nor would it be the first time
she had ridden sideways on mans
saddle. 1t was easy to summon back
tom-boy tricks.
The wind shook the stable, ratified
the windows, knocked impatiently at
the closed half of the door, futtered
the straw in the forward stalls, flick
cred the lanterns light. Out into the
wind and suffering rain went Jane
and the horse. She had led him
through the stable-yard, out through
the carelessly open gate. It was good
weather to be in the house, not
weather to tempt idle loungers out
doors.
1t was a most unseemly thing for a
young woman, unattended, to dash
up at half-after twelve o'clock at
| night to a sentry guarding the out
post of camp, and demand to be
taken to his commanding general;
or, if not to Gen. Lafayette himself
then to Col. Jocelyn, of the Continen'
tai forces. When at last she was face
to face with Col. Jocelyn, he listened
gravely to what she had to say anc
FASTENED to headquarters. The sleep
ing camp was hurried into wakeful
ness. Her tale was believed.
Col. Jocelyn urged her to allow him
to send an escort back with her, but
Jane declined. Yet the riding back
was harder than the coming. She
| and Beetle had no enthusiasm to sus