The Washington herald., 1914-03-31
WASHINGTON AT
VALLEY FORGE
"spy!" gasped the girl.

spy" gasped the girl.
For a moment she was stung by the
realization that the soldier whom she had
given her heart was Tory. a miserable,
cowardly spy. Then the slender figure
tensed. and she listened eagerly. tem-
blingly. A few hours ago her brother had
denounced Francis Ford as spy in the
pay of the Tories. and she had haughuiy
denied the accusation as malicious SIAN
der. Her love had blinded her; now she
could no longer doubt.
Her mind reeled dizzily as she caught
the import of the whispered conyersa-
ton between Francis Ford and the Hes
sian. She had been a fool, an idiot, TO
be deceived by the glib tongue OF spy,
she thought hotly. She. daughter OF
minuteman who had met glorious death
at Lexington, had been deceived oy pretty
phrases and made the simple-minded tool
of a traitori
She sought to bride her fury as she
stepped into the glistening snow About
her was the little town Of crude log cabins
thatched with boughs that had sprung up
under the direction of the great COM
nander. She groaned under sensation
NJ ,Itter forIorrness The inn wedged be-
tween the huts was filled with Hesslans-
Her uncle who conducted II, was Tory
sympathizer She needed assistance IL
she was to foil the murderous intrigue of
her lover, and there was no one to whom
she could confide her secret except her
brother and her brother lay gagged ana
bound in one of the Hessian log huts.
She uuivered with hot Indignation when
she remembered how she had been fooled
The Hesslans. thinking the time pro-
pitious, had been planning TO attract the
Continentals at Valley Forge. Disgusting
herself as a crippled boy she had OBJ
tanned possession of the written plan
of procedure, and-the simpleton she had
been-she had handed the document TO
Francis and requested him to carry II
TO Washington Francis, OF course, had
taken advantage OF her simplicity and i'm
parted to the Hessians the information
that Washington would spend the night
at the inn.
She determined to punish the treachery
and avenge herself. Her rapidly working
mind formulated and discarded one plan
after another as she trudged through the
snow toward the inn. In few hours
the great commander would arrive and
fall into the trap set for her, and the
rebel cause would be bereft of its leader.
Betty had overheard the whole bastard
" plan Matched by Francis Ford and
the Hessian. Washington. unaware that
the inn was filed with Hessians. was to
be conducted to a room there, and in the
night a dagger blow was to terminate
the rebellion and the career OF It's leader.
She shuddered nervously, and then
daring idea flashed through her mind She
felt no fear; the discovery that her sweet
heart had been unworthy of her had
dulled her emotions.
There was a weird silence about the
inn as she entered. Her uncle regarded
her suspiciously. and Betty surmised he
had been told of the role she had enacted.
Seated before table he was gulping
down vast quantities Of ale.
Better go to bed, child" he said, and
the tone was one of command The
general is coming. and it would be better
you were not seem
Good night. uncle" she murmured
obediently. As she assembled creaking
stairway and walked down a dark hall
way she heard sly whisperings that told
her the inn was astir with sinister plots.
But having reached her room she made
no preparations for sleep. She took a
knife from a drawer, tested its edge
against the palm of her hand, and slipped
out by a rear exit
1t was a moonlight night and the un-
couth cabins rose like dark specters
against the mantle Of white. She noticed
with satisfaction that there were few
people abroad: that circumstance and the
very boldness of her scheme would
assist her. Stealing down along the
shadows cast by the trees she reached
, hut in the outskirts of the village. She
stopped and listened. her heart beating
wildly. A sentry stationed at the door
greeted her pleasantly; he had often seen
the pretty niece of the inn-keeper. Again
creeping into the shadows she reached the