Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-22
CHAPTER V.
1.-THE devil sits in his easy chair,
Slipping his sulphur tea;


On the staff of General Putnam
Aaron Burr was relieved from the vo-
luminous correspondence that hao
proved so irksome while in the family
of the chief. Here ne
found leisure to devote several hours
each day to the study Of the military
profession, at the same time that his
duties in the field were sufficiently ac-
tive to enable him to turn to practical
account the lessons he had learned In
the closet. Here, too, he enjoyed a
season of comparative repose from the
long struggle with calumny that dark
ened his career from early manhood 10
the grave Honored by the warm
friendship and unbounded confidence
of his hero chief, even envy shrunk
from the exhibition Of its spleen, and
cautious malice paused In the prose-
cution Of its dark designs. But the
venom of the viper remained, though
its power to wound was suspended.
Sleepless eyes were upon him. His
acts were stored away in retentive
memories, to be drawn out and dis
torted by practiced ingenuity, when the
motives that governed and the circum-
stances that justified them had become
dim and obscure by the lapse OF time.
Whether he was at that day aware OF
the persevering hate that dogged MS
steps, no one ever knew. Throughout
Gull
exposure Of his own wounds, and, like
the Spartan youth who permitted the
fox, concealed beneath his garments,
to gnaw out his vitals, he drew over
each fostering sore a mantle, which hid
1t alike from the plying gaze or
friends and the triumphant glance OF
enemies. In the many trials through
which he passed, no opponent ever had
the satisfaction of seeing him writhe
or hearing him groan. During the hrst
years Of the Revolution, his time and
thoughts were so fully and so absorb
ingly occupied that 1t is probable he
was unsuspicious Of any malign inf1u-
ences working for his destruction.
Those influences were never at rest.
In the very midst of the momentous
events that crowded the arena toward
the close of 1776, new plans were
formed and new conspiracies were
Matched.
The disastrous affair of the 9th Of
August was over, and the Americans,
hemmed in, in the city and island OF
New York, were daily expecting an at
tack The month of September had
set in cold and dreary, and the leaden
sky accorded we'll with the cherries
city it overhung. In the obscurity or
twilight, two men were silently NOV
ing along the Broad Way" (as 1t was
then called) of the City Of New York.
Early as the hour was, the regulations
rendered necessary by the presence OF
an army expecting an assault, together
with the unreasonable severity of the
weather, kept the good people of Goth
am within doors, and scarcely sound
was heard along the almost deserted
street, save the occasional tramp OF a
patrol Of soldiers, or the clatter OF
horses hoofs, as some aid or orderly
dashed along with orders for the diff
ferent posts. Our pedestrians walked
rapidly on, hardly interchanging syl-
liable, until they arrived at hotel of
some pretensions. and were ushered
into an apartment prepared In antici-
patton Of their coming. One Of them
was a tall man of forty or forty five
years of age, rather spare made, but
muscular and wiry. His forehead was
broad and massive, eyes dark gray,
mouth large, and lips firmly compress
ed. There was an air of power about
the whole appearance of the man. You
felt that you were In the presence of
to dare, and a hand to execute, what
ever his interest or his ambition might
prompt The other was Alexander
Hamilton. Directing some bottles of
wine to be brought, the elderly of the
two dismissed the obsequious host, and
both of them drew chairs to the fire
that was burning in comfortable con-
trast to the chilly dampness without
Hamilton was the first to speak.
We'll, Billings" he inquired, what
news do you bring?"
Bad enough, Captain Hamilton; the
girl is dead"
Dead" exclaimed Hamilton, start
ing to his feet, and grasping the arm OF
l. nj with nnnUnlSiUn force
Dead! Is this true for, mark me
man, it would be safer to put your head
in the hungry lions mouth, than tc
trifle with me on such a subject"
II have not been i'm the habit" re-
piled the other, his hand slowly steal
ing beneath the folds Of his vest, as il
there was something there to which
his grasp was accustomed. and which
he desired to clutch, more from habit
than from a belief that 1t would be
necessary to use tt have not beer
i'm the habit of calculating very nicely
what might be safe or unsafe, in my
dealings with the world. nor am
much addicted to answering rude ques-
arm"
This is folly" muttered Hamilton
releasing his hold. 81 mean you M
bodily injury. That pistol in your bos
ON would be a poor protection if
did"
May be so; and l have certainly M
wish to put it to the test, though i
has never failed me heretofore, and
have no fears that it will fail me here
after"
Hamilton resumed his seat in 81
lence. Large drops of perspiratio
gathered upon his brow, his lip culver
ed, and his whole frame was conVulse'
by terrible emotions. The fierce strug
gle endured for more than minute
and his voice was choked and husky
as he asked -
Did you say Adelaide Clifton wa
dead? The young. the beautiful, IN