The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-27

ambush, and strike at midnight. They
pretend friendship while plotting ones
destruction. l was born to make war
upon their tribe-war to the DEATH"
Rhetz made no protracted stay in
such warm company. We did not him
der his escape, and presently had the
advantage of his back.
81 should like to see the Calhoun
face" said 1, when Rhetz lays out his
discoveries"
You observe how they try me-" cried
the General, passionately, gazing after
the disappearing Rhetz. You will
witness it! But by the heavens above
us! I'll uphold the law!"
And now" continued sthe General,
when Rhetz was quite gone away,
Having been so vigorously free with
the envoy, 1 must at once write Cal
houn letter and say it all over again.
I would have talked this to Calhoun
first of all. We're l accurately the gem
tleman of honor; but then he should
not have stirred me with his spy"
The Generals letter declaratory of
the duplcity of Calhoun was written
and went to the Vice President the
next day. 1t repeated his words to
Rhetz so far as they were personal to
Calhoun, and made a deal of commo
ton, l warrant you. The missive ex-
ploded in the very heart of Secession
like a hand-grenade.
The General and / had turned now;
we aimed to be home before dark,
and your mid winter day is not the
longest of the year. The sun was still
an hour over the Western trees, how
ever, when we found ourselves in the
| Presidents Square. Supper would only
come with shutdown, since we still ad-
hered to our Tennessee customs.
Having moments to spare, we rested
ourselves upon a bench which owned
| mir frna af re- nc
the more willing, for we were in close
view from Pegs windows, and / half
hoped the sight of the General would
lure her out to us. 1 was pining for
look into her face, and to hear the
voice of her, sweet as the full note of
a harp.
do you know" remarked my COM
panion Il never walk in this square
but think on the day when the Brit
| ish burned the White House. They
halted in this very park and told off
| the squad of incendiaries and sent them
across Mrs. Madison was about to
give a dinner, and was fair driven
from the BILE by the bayonets of the
| English. l would I'd been here" he
| concluded; "Id have made it for those
visitors another New Orleans. The lady
should have had her dinner if I'd been
! here"
1.-THE English are good soldiers" 1
urged, paying little heed to him, for
my eyes were rowing after some f1ut-
ter of Pegs skirts.
'They are marvellously puissant," he
retorted, "when they number two for
one of the enemy" The Generals an
tipathy for the English was so great
| he could never do them justice. II
| carry some record of their gallantry
| myself he continued as he took off
| his nat and parted the bristling hair
xEh tho rnnpb welt of q h0r- a oh
proved a refusal to blacken English
! boots in the storm-torn years of the
Revolution, when the General was a
| boy of u. THAT fixed my opinion of
| the English" he said, as he replaced
his hat And can you believe it, that
scar burned like fire the day at New
Orleans. Also, it has felt better ever
since"
Say what you will of the British"
! I insisted-I was turned obstinate now,
seeing no sign of Peg-'they make stub
born soldiers. Note what they did with
| Napoleon"
1T was not the English" respond
ed the General, with heat, "who de-
feated Napoleon; it was Paris. He
should have done with Paris what the
| Russian did with Moscow-burned it,
sir; burned it to the ground, and
thrown himself for his support upon
the country. So 1 should have done
| ana my country would nave sustained
| me-"
The General had been a partisan of
| the Corsican a score of years before;
! in the energy of his present defense,
! he arose from the seat and started
| again for home. 1 more slowly fol-
lowed, still hoping the possible ap-
pearance of Peg.
AS the General rounded clump of
bushes set near the path, he paused
abruptly.
whats this!" he exclaimed. The
look of defiance for everything English
which still made hard his face, chang
ed to one of tenderness and regard
whats this!" he repeated.
There lay a little negro child, well
coated and warm, sound and fast
asleep for all the frost. The General
thought no more on Napoleon, the Eng
lish, the treachery of Paris, or the
disaster of Waterloo. He stopped and
gathered up the sleeping pickaninny in
| his arms.
He is Augustus little boy he said
| HE has tired himself with play Au-
gustus should have better watch of
the child such weather as this I'll
put a flea in his careless ear to that
effect"
Loaded with the small burden of the
sleeping boy, the General led the way
across the grounds
Now when ] had ceased to hope for
her, a hight foot on the sod told me
| how Peg was at hand. 1 verify be-
| lieve the perverse witch to have been
| behind a tree, or hidden of a shrub
and not a score of yards from us dur
| ing our whole halt in the square. I
would have accosted her, but she brush
ed by with curt bending of the head
and not a word, and Joined the Cen
| eral where that chieftain marched
ahead with the pickaninny. My heart
sank, and l fell still farther to the rear.
more lonely than before Peg came.
J 1t was ten minutes later, and when
! Peg, leaving the General, was on the
| turn of setting forth for her own house
l was in my workshop, idle at my
| desk, thoughtful with no thoughts, and
! my heart inexpressibly sad.
AS Peg would have crossed my door.
! her glance swept the interior of the
room With that, she came to full
| stop. I looked up with an eagerness
to hear her speak; and thinking. too,
| that now she would come in, and we
| two be the old kind friends again.
/ But instead of kindness, my glance
| gave me her face, cloudy and threaten
| ing. Also, there were lamps of danger
! lighted in her eyes. What new crime
had l done? 1t was clear 1 stood
guilty of some baseness; 1 read that
1 much in Pegs frown, and the last poor
| spark of my hope pinched out. Never
| again, whatever the temptation, would
| l condemn a husband to his wife.
! Peg swept into the room while gaz-
ed on her without speaking. If for no
| reason save one of politeness, 1 should
| have greeted her; but my manners