Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1912-09-12
A Message
], Wss Sent by General Washing
ton and Stopped on the Way
ey CENEVlE\E GOODMAN

at Fort Lee, on the opposite side OF
the Hudson from New York. but the
stronghold was given M, and Wash
| ington's next permanent stopping
place was at Morristown. Before leav-
| Ing the river the commander In chief
desired to communicate with General
Lee-the same Ice who afterward
| proved a traitor to the colonlst cause
and. sending for young private sol.
| der who had done some scouting for
| him, gave him the message, written
| on tissue paper and rolled into a ball
the size of small pill Herbert Bur
| rage. the messenger. proposed to so
dressed as an ordinary farmers boy,
these precautions being necessary be-
cause he would need to pass over de-
batable ground, and the Tories were
active In behalf Of the British cause.
Burrage's route took him through
Elizabethtown. now called Elizabeth
and then but a small village Unfor-
! tunatcly or fortunately. as the case
might be. he had sweetheart there.
| Her father was an arrant Tory, and
| Burrage felt that II would be very
risky for him to stop on the way for
n kiss from his girl. But when It IL
question with lover between his
girl and danger danger Is sure TO win.
| Burrage on passing the Erskinc farm,
near the town. loitcrcd near tn he
saw Molly go to the spring house.
| Then. lodging behind trees and fences.
he went there himself
why Herbert" she exclaimed. as
tonishcd ut the sudden appnritiOn.
What are you doing herer
flush, I'm carrying n message
from General Washington to General
Lee"
The girl palcd when men carry
messages between armies In war time
not In uniform aren't they liable to
be hanged II caught she asked
trembling.
well. in the first place many Of our
men have no uniform and this IL not
exactly within the encmy's lines. |
am chiefly concerned for the message
! have taken a great risk In coming
here TO see you. for II your father
knew my errand he would hold me-
and II he could get hand on the mes
sage 1t would 20 TO General Howe In
stead Of General Lee"
If Herbert Burrage had been an old
or soldier he would have known bet
ter than to remain In spring house.
where he could be easily cornercd
The woman In such affairs usually
keeps her wits about her better thnn
the man Molly realized the danger
and kept her eye on n little window
| through which she could see the farm.
house, short distance away. But
even she did not think far enough
ahead. for when she saw her father
coming It was too late for her lover
| to beat retreat before being seen.
| Seeing her start up Herbert started
too. and on discovering her father he
resumed his wits sufficiently to dis
| pose OF the message He took 1t out
| Of his waistcoat pocket and put It In
| Molly's ear. Then he waited FOR the
| blow to fall
The door Of the spring house had
| When Mr.. Erskinc saw Herbert Bur
rage, whom he knew to be bis daugh-
| ter's lover, he greeted him not unkind-
! ly but with surprise.
81 thought you had enlisted" he
said to Herbert
| 80 | did"
"Then why these citizens clothcs|
Herbert made no reply-indeed. there
| was nothing to say.
at is evident" said Erskine. that
| you are on some business for the army.
must take you in. Go to the house.
| II you make any resistance there arc
| those within call who viii shoot you
| down on my request"
Herbert. who, loath to injure Molly's
| father. having transferred his message.
made no resistance. At the house he
| was locked In room by himself. and
presently several Tory neighbors came
In and searched him. Not finding any
thing, they were tempted to let him
| go; but, being convinced that II he had
no written message he at least had
verbal one, they decided to hold him.
The season was late autumn. but the
snow had not yet fallen In that region
The moon was full. and Herbert from
the window Of his prison room could
see far and wide. He knew Molly must
have been searched to determine II be
had not transferred his message to her
| and wondered IL It had been found.
What was his relief and JOY 60 see
horse issue from the barn and by the
moonlight Il rider on it's back and that
that rider was girl. Molly He knew
her errand- She possessed the message
and was going 10 carry II 10 General
Lee
The next morning Molly was discoy-
cred 10 be missing Her father saw
through the matter. divinlng that Bur.
rage had carried message and that Il
had been transferred 90 Molly. who
had carried II 10 its destination. lie
called his Tory friends together. and
they discussed the situation. I, seem.
Ell that nothing was 10 u done but 10
hold the prisoner TIL her return. As
for following her. she had doubtless
too good a start
When Molly returned aud admitted
that she had carried the message from
Eliza bethioWn. % what point she
would not say after conference
among the Tories q; was decided that
rather than have " known that they