The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-01-04

II Il
which Anne returned that anX-
ious fall-a Virginia whose
~ heart beat with the north,
where Howe was weaving his famous
cord to cncirclc the throat of the mon
stcr rebellion. Pastoral life had ended
abruptly; the golden age had become
one of iron. "And all the women that
were wise hearted did spin with their
hands"
GLADDEN. Hall suffered with the rcst
Colonel TillotSon was much AWAY on
affairs of the committee OF safety or at
Williamsburg comforting with his cX-
crllcncy Governor Henry, and the
looms which wovc at all turned out
cloth for Continental uniforms. Across
the plant rows, where the negroes hocd
Groam, the overSccr, with cowhide un-
der his arm and his old Fontcnoy bell
mouth tower musket strapped OH his
back, still walked his horse, with fer
ret eyes under his broad brimmcd hat.
But there was little leaf raised, and the
wharfs at the foot OF the lawn were
overSrown with weeds.
inside the great house there were the
same candle lighted dining room, the
high backed chairs, the tall, cumbrous
clock, tho portraits, the polished side.
board rejecting the slender stcmmcd
glasses. But the meals were silent.
Anne's trouble hung over the house
hold in shadow that was not Tighten
ed by the presence of vastcr ones near
at hand. She had sorrowcd with that
fostering sorrow that is self accusatory.
N l,nt f,,
Of her part in that Philadelphia scene,
believed her to have done heroic
thing was like an added death to her.
For Il time she had fed for refuge to
her old passion for the cause. But the
effort failed
One day early In the new year, when
the world was busted with delicate
frost like seed pearl, Colonel Tilotson
brought to GLADDEN. Hall the news of
how 1.-The old fox of Mount Vernon" by
willy double across the icy Delaware,
had taken the IIessians at Trenton.
Anne heard 1T apathctically. To her
despair, victory and defeat spelled the
same.
When tho door closed upon her, the
colonel looked at his wife silently.
aHu Sic SllIl DellcNpS III nlm.
"As she believes IN u.s." replied the
lady softly. Colonel" she said kcenly,
you have heard news"
AYE" lie answered after pause,
II have. a reply came to Mr. uenry's
confidential inquiries today There is
no doubt that Armand is the same
prisoner who escaped from the Ouch
ess of Gordon off Amboy last August"
"Thank Godw breathed Mrs. Tillot.
son fcrvently. II am glad. can't help
It."
"Anne had better not know. Twill
do her no possible good"
Colonel" said the lady dccislvcly,
'in this I must have my way. am
going to tell her just as fast as can"
She rose. laid aside her knitting, took
up candle and left him standing dubi.
ously before the fire.
The light came back to Anne like ths
spring SUM- The great horror was gone,
and i'm spite Of the wars gloom Glad.
den Hall grew more cheerful again.
She dcvoured the columns of the Ga.
zettes and read eagerly letters which
came to Henry from abroad.
These told her how the Reprlsal,
lodging the British sloops of war, had
landed benjamin Franklin safely at
Nantes, of his meeting there with Beau
marchais and OF his reception I'm Paris
at the little hotel IN the Rue yicillc tu
Temple, where mercantile sign OF
NR0dcriquc IIortalcZ IL CO." hid n pleas
ant conspiracy whose object was the
furnishing of war supplies to the Amer
ican colonlsts, and whose silent pnrt
hcrs were Il prime minister and king.
somewhere, she thought, there i'm his
own land perhaps Armand was safe,
not believing in her, but free and un-
condemned.
The sound OF war came nearer when
moves heet sailcdintO the Chesapeake
ana when Henry, summoned i'm haste
from Hanover, called out the militia.
She watched them march through VIII
liamsburg, sixty-four companies strong.
but the fleet and the army 1t carried
sailed ON to beat back Washington Mt
Brandywine. to enter philadelphia and
turn the grave town into an orgy OF
Tory rejoicing.
80 the months passed i'm alternate
nope ana despair. Spring unfurled,
summer dropped It's blooms. autumn
singed glebe and copse, snow fell and
purified the earth stains. And at last
Virginia knew that Burgoyne had been
entrapped In the northern forests; that
Philadelphia had been evacuated; that
tho cord which was to encircle the
.uroat or the rebellion had snapped;
.hat Franco had; recognized independ-
ehce ana made treaty. of alliance with
the United States.