Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-05-13

,I
CHAPTER XII.
(~0HE tension in Virginia was
grown thin. Again and again
the burly Earl Of Dunmore pro
IL rogued the assembly on the
pretext of popular excitement. The
burgesses submitted with bow, and
the tiddles played in their town houses.
Dunmore thought himself diplomat
and went on winning his Tory favor
ties at the palace. But under the music
was an ominous muttering.
News came Of the kings speech on
the opening Of parliament. The colo
| MES protests were "unwarranted at
tempts to obstruct the commerce Of this
kingdom by unlawful combinations"
and showed "a most daring spirit Of re-
sistance and disobedience to the law"
This procurement was received In
Williamsburg with an intense astonish-
ment
And what meantime, had Henry been
doing?
Restless, eager, he had ridden hither
and thither like sallow shadow-at
courthouses calling the minutemen,
overseeing the election of the commit
tees recommended by the congress, ut
Albertfs porting over lists with Jeffer-
son, uniting north and south in net
work of nerves, laboring, tireless and
convincing.
1t is thing to note, since rebellion
commonly springs from the people
rather than from the quality, that it
was contrary in Virginia. There the
aristocracy was not Tory. There were
few enough, like my Lord Fairfax.
who, born noble, held nobly to their
loyalty. Those who held with the king,
besides the toad eaters, were for the
most part the lower classes, officehold-
ers, tradesmen who looked for sales,
lawyers just over from London. The
stanchest rebels were the great landed
planters. Sedition was in the club room
and the parlor. One must to the tav-
ern bar for toasts to the king.
And so came about this strange
thing: That Williamsburg, the minia-
ture copy Of the court of st. James,
aping the manners Of the royal palace,
Its old church graveyard and college
chapel standing for Westminster abbey
and st. Paul's-that this spot should
prove "the heart of the rebellion" II
this fact alone remained it might well
make the world wonder at the enduring
blindness of the kings ministers and
whether God had not indeed covered
their eyes because he would have 1t so
1t was little George cared for the &c.
lions of the first congress, hating, in.
efectual, or for the petitions Of British
merchants. He had set his jaw. In
vain the Earl of Chatham moved in
the house of lords to withdraw the
troops from Boston. Instead the col
onies received a bill offering pardon tt
repentant rebels, and the patriots OF
Virginia heard with shocked surprise
that this excepted Patrick Henry!
On the day this news was printed in
the Williamsburg Gazette Henry and
Jefferson met at Alberti's and set Out
on horseback for Richmond. There, IL
St Johns church, the new Virgins
convention, mindful of the bloody
threats of the sinister governor, had
elected to meet, and thither had gone
a half Of Williamsburg, leaving Dun
more with his troops at his palace t.
bite his nails in impotent anger.
The 23d of March dawned over Rich
mond's unwonted hustle in q quiverinf
wizard haze Of intense blue, where CLOUD
puffs swan like lazily pluming swans
Anne had arrived the night before q
Goochland and drove in that morning
in the Payne chariot. Spring was up
the earth quick with it. All along tn,
way wild crab apple boughs dronet
with clinging bees, and by the snak'
fence rows Of peach trees had pitched
their tents of bloom.
She met Henry in front Of the IndiaI
Queen inn and walked with him up to
ward the churchyard, now filing witt
q vast throng.
'Tell me-" she questioned eagerly
evil it come today?"
He looked down at her with that rar
smile which seemed to be the highe
part Of him, gliding and transfgurin,
his other self. "What faith you have ii
mel' he said.
IT know" she answered. 81 hay
seen it in your face. No one in Wiz
ginia can do 1t save you-none Of them
L must be the voice before the arm"
1.-THE spark before the explosion" b
muttered, land the train is nearly laid.
His hands moved restlessly.
II have longed- prayed som
new overt act Of Dunmore's that shout,
be spark to powder. But he lies low
And it must come from US. You wer
right when you said that last fall a
Winchester. Boston is trodden on, blu
she lies quiet. The colonies look to us
It is the voice of the south. Of Virginia
that is wanting"
| He stopped. Jefferson was hastin
toward them. He bowed to Anne.
"Have you heard the buzz from Lor
DOM" he asked Henry hurriedly. "Ti
all among the delegates. TITS declare
that our petitions to the king are gra
ciously received, that all the acts wi
be repealed save the admiralty and dc
claratory and that North and Dart
mouth will be replaced"
"Aye," burst Henry fercely. "Ar
other Tory tale! And they will wave
again. Tom, Tom, it must be now Q
never!"
Il He stopped abruptly and strobe acros
the churchyard over the matted Nv
on the shrunken mounds and, threadin
his way between the old slate toni
stones, upright like black lichened col