Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-03-20

cape possible for him. She heard
| shots on occasion nearer than Peters
burg, in the city streets. What could
they mean? Short, short would be his
,hrift If they caught him. Had they
caught him? Certainly they must. II
hey had not. She realized with
thrill that she had given him an OPP
Dortunity to escape and that he had
refused it. The sending of that dis
patch had been more to him than life.
Traitor, SPY. secret service agent
was there anything that could be said
'or him? At least he was faithful to
his own idea OF duty.
She had met Caroline Milford wait
ing in the lower hall of the telegraph
office. and the two. conveyed by old
Martha, had come home together
Many curious glances had been thrown
at them, but in these great move
ments that were toward, no one mo-
lested them. The younger girl had
seen the agony in her friends face.
She had timidly sought to question
! her, but she had received no answer
Or no satisfaction to her queries. Re-
rusing Caroline's proffered services
when she reached homo, Edith had
gone straight to her own room and
locked the door.
The affair had been irritating be-
yond expression to Mr.. Arrelsford 1t
| had taken him some time to establish
| his innocence and to get his release
| from General Randolphs custody.
Meanwhile, everything that he had
hoped to prevent had happened, TO do
him justice, he really loved Edith Var
ney, and the thought that her actions
and her words had caused his own
undoing and the failure Of his careful
ly laid plans. filled him with bitter
ness, which he vented In increased
animosity toward Thorne.
These were bitter moments to Mrs.
Varney. She had become somewhat
used to her husband being in the
thick of things, but it vas her boy
now that was in the ranks. The noise
of the cannon and the passing troops
threw Howard into a fever of anxiety
which was very bad for him.
And those were dreadful moment,
10 Thorne. What had he done? II ,
had risked everything. was ready to
pay everything, would. indeed, be
forced to do so in the end, and yet he
had not done that which ne had in.
tended. Had he been false to his duty
and TO his country when he refused
to send that telegram, being given the
opportunity? He could rot tell. The
ethics Of the question were beyont
MS present solution. me opportunity
had come to him through a piece OF
sublime self-sacrifice on the part OF
the woman, who, knowing him thor
oughly and understanding his plan
and purpose, bad yet perjured her
self TO save his life.
That life was hers, was It not? He
had become her prisoner as much as
If she had placed him under lock and
key and held him without the possibil-
ity of communication with anyone.
Her honor was involved. No, under
the circumstances, he could not send
the dispatch. The Confederates would
certainly kill him if they caught him
and if they did not, and by any provi.
Dental chance he escaped, his honor
would compel him to report the cir
cumstances, the cause OF his failure
to his own superiors. Would they
court-martial him for not sending the
dispatch? Would they enter into his
feelings. would they understand
The popular idea of secret service
agent, q spy, was that he would stick