Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-01-29

30 far as any attempt to rescue her
father was concerned, and very scanti-
ly informed as to his situation.
Any prisoner was in peril. SO much
she knew. And this knowledge was
presently made doubly sure by the
atrociOus murder of Captain Joshua
Hubby, an American officer who was
taken from the military prison in New
York by party of soldiers under the
infamous Lippincott and hanged as an
act of vengeance for the death of one
White, a plundering guerrilla.
Lippincott placarded the body with
the line, up Goes Huddy For Philip
White" words.-which were soon on
every lip and were excellently calcu-
lated to haunt the minds of those
whose loved ones lay in danger.
Marjory knew of only one man who
could advise or help her in this emer-
gency. and that was Captain Asgill,
but what had become of him2 No
word had come to Marjory from him.
Those whom she could ask, with any
hope of news, had heard that he had
left the city, whittier and upon what
errapd 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 faith2 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repealed that Asgill had had any hand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 a day In May there came to
her a British soldier in tattered gar
ments bearing a 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 Hast.
~ crowd all my facts into these
opening lines" he wrote, because 1
know not how long a time 1 have be-
fore the secret messenger who will
bear this comes to me. When he
! comes he cannot wait 1t will be
tap at the window, and must cease.
81 came to you that evening to say
goodby, being ordered upon a mission
of some danger, which in fact led to
my capture.
81 had loved you from the first, but
did not mean to speak SO soon, My
heart overmastered me. Would you
have listened? 1 know not and never
can know in this world.
! 81 beg of you to think of me as a
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
pincott to be tried as a murderer for
the death Of Captain Hubby; that Sir
Henry Clinton refused the demand;
that General Washington thereupon
summoned a council of officers, by
whom it was decided that a 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 1t is better for your fathers sake
that yours should not be Joined with
1t.
II have therefore refrained 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 l 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 cohrse for the
to pursue.
81 have small influence with Sir
Henry Clinton" he continued, "but
much with Sir Guy Carleton, who will
succeed him. In fact, l have acted
for some time under private instruc-
lions from Sir Guy, an old time friend
of my father, Sir Charles Asgill.
"At need, show him these lines. /
would send some words to him upon
| my own account If 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 long time motion
less.
Then she arose and went about an
odd task, putting a small supply of
food into a little satchel, 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
J 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