Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-01

marching forward from Williams; burg. On the twenty eighth the town was thrown into panic. The front; column of the approaching eDmies' had been sighted. Orderhes dashed hither and thither; the lines of sol, diery were put in motion; the man ming of the works was strengthened. The besiegers came; the British aban- doned their outer works and huddled within the intrenchments; the siege had begun.
 During all the worry and excite nent of these troublous times Besse- mer did not neglect Jane nor fail to look after her comfort as well as he could. It was no secret among those high enough up to know that, had Cornwallis followed the advice of his colonel of dragons, he would have made bold dash out of York town ere the allied forces had a chance to pen him up. Even now Bes-' semer begged his commander to make the attempt, and so far prevailed as to win from him permission to make the first essay.
 Returning from the conference with his chief, he stopped to see Jane and took her into his confidence suff- ciently to tell her something of the enterprise he had on foot.
 'If we succeed, sweetheart" he said, If we get out of this hole where we are held like mice in turn the tables upon these allies and bring the war to speedy close; then I shall, shall not, claim the fulfill ment of your promise and carry you back to England with me as my wife"
 "Col. Bessemer,' said Jane, who tried more than once to interrupt him, ''I thank you for the confidence you have reposed in me this after, noon, but feel that I have been most remiss in receiving it without first acqusinting you with something which, when you learn of it, may cause you no longer to desire me for your wife"
 Bessemer leaned forward. "You mean-'.' he said.
 Then, with voice which faltered not a little under the growing anger in his eyes, she acquainted him with her ride to warn Lafayette's army. Bessemer's brow darkened; his lips compressed. Pushing back his chair, he walked to the window. "And so," he said, turning to her at last, "you thought to serve 8 double purpose by your treachery? To save the partisans of your lover, and to forge means of making me repent the wish to make you my wife? You have miscalculated in the last. You shall marry me. Had time, did not other matters press, we would be welded tonight; but as it is, the delay will not be for long, and will take care that my wife shall be loyal"
 He strode from the room. Jane sat for. a moment, trembling under the lash of his anger and not. less under the misconstruotion he had putt upon the motive of her confession; then she moved towards the window. It looked out upon an October sun set. To the north and west crimson curtain had been dropped, and against this curtain was clearly the figure of Col. Bessemer as he rode towards the river. A neAVy log ndu W3dPPed Cno uGLIo town and its environments in a chill embrace when, next morning, the British rode out from their quarters. It was not yet four o'clock, and the sun had not thought of rising; nor was there a streak of dawn. The troops rode silently, for their mission must be performed quietly or not at all It>was, in truth, to capture some new batteries on the French side which had only been completed the day before and were supposed to be poorly guarded. If the effort were successful, it was proposed to throw the whole weight of the British army against the weakened point and cut through road of escape.
 Bessemer and his legion were in the lead, for it was his plan and he was to take the brunt of it's execu tion. He and his men went forward gallantly; they swarmed upon the batteries: they captured them but, ere the rest of the British force could come up, the alarm had been sounded along the French and American lines; guards rushed to the relief of the.