Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-03-25

AOP0 VI uS0SS uuN Ae0Au luNI uS 0oU
left the city, whittier and upon what
errand they could not say.
The girls position was utterly
wretched. That hand clasp in the
moonlight had awakened her heart.
but to what end? Would he have de-
clared his love for her? Would he
have pledged his faith? Tender
thoughts Of him would surge up with
in her. and then-his disappearance,
his silence, what could they mean?
Her fathers prophecy rang in her
ears.
1t had been speedily fulfilled, and
the mere suggestion which her soul
repealed that Asgill had had any hand
in that calamity was madness in the
silence of sleepless nights.
Upon day in May there came to
her British soldier in tattered gar
ments bearing letter from Captain
Asgill.
Surprising his situation to be already
known to her, he had made no effort
to prepare her mind. The poor girl
read the words Of tenderness with
which the letter began, and her heart
sank. Then in an instant the fatal
news flashed through her like bullet.
Captain Asgill was under sentence of
death. The words Of love he sent to
her were the first and the last.
II crowd all my facts into these
opening lines," he wrote. because l
know not how long time have be-
fore the secret messenger who will
bear this comes to me. When he
comes he cannot wait. It will be
tap at the window, and must cease.
II came to you that evening to say
goodby, being ordered upon a mission
Of some danger. which In fact led to
my capture.
II had loved you from the first. but
did not mean to speak so soon. My
heart overmastered me. Would you
have listened? know not and never
con know In this world.
Il beg of you to think Of me as
man Of honor. who would have laid at
your feet my name. my hopes. all that
was mine to give. My whole life was
yours then, when counted 1t in years.
as now. when only days remain.
"You will have heard Of the mis-
! chance which has befallen me. You
may even have better information than
| mine, but am told this-that General
Washington demanded Captain Lip
pfncott to be tried as a murderer for
the death Of Captain Hubby: that Sir
Henry Clinton refused the demand:
that General Washington thereupon
summoned q council Of officers, by
whom 1t was decided that British
prisoner of suitable rank should be
chosen by lot to expiate the crime Of
Lippincott, If crime it was.
'The lot fell to me. and rest. there
fore. under sentence Of death. the time
and place unknown to me as yet.
"My name may be much blown
about the country for little while.
and It is better for your fathers sake
that yours should not be Joined with
it.
81 have therefore RETAINED from
communicating with you through open
means allowed to me, not knowing
under whose eyes my words might
fall. but heavens kindness has sent
me this secret means. which I seize
upon with gratitude"
The concluding portion Of the letter
dealt with certain perils which he
fOresaw for herself and her father and
pointed out the proper course for the
to pursue.
II have small influence with Sir
Henry Clinton" he continued. but
much with Sir Guy Carleton. who will
succeed him. In fact. have acted
for some time under private instruc-
tons from Sir Guy. an old time friend
Of my fatl,er. Sir Charles Asgi,l.
\ AT need. show him these lines.
would sen! some words to him upon
my own account II the time sufficed.
but 1t does not
The letter closed with many words
Of love. and Marjory clasped it to her
breast and sat for Il long time motion
less.
Then she arose and went about an
odd task. putting small supply of
food into a little satcl,el. and. with
that in her hand. she left the house.
Upon the second day thereafter she
had come to that quaint old house
with the broad roof and the low caves
at Verplanck's point. upon the Hud-
son. the headquarters of Washington.
Now. at that time the affair Of Cap
tain Asgill was much upon the mind
Of Washington. and when he was in
formed that a young woman sought
him upon some plea connected with
that matter he gave orders that she be
brought before him.
| He was provided with extremely
full and accurate information about
Asgill, and no such name as Marjory
Lynde appeared upon the record.
II she came to plead for Asgill 1t
was likely that she was a spy of Gin.
tons and her plea fraud.
When Marjory was brought into
Washington's presence he was i'm