Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1917-10-26
CHAPTER X.
A Mission.

CHAPTER X.
A Mission.
SO long as | shall live l will never
forget that three days before Agnes
Bloomingdale, driving away In the
loaned chariot with its liveried black
coachman, and taking the light with
her. II had been a breathing spell for
me, and one l sorely needed; a haley.
on time in which I forgot we'll nigh
everything save when l went on the
streets for an hour or two, forever
twirling an oak leaf that brought no
challenge from Champe or any one.
Most of the time | spent at home
with the girl. and any one seeing us
together would have thought that
neither had care in the world. She
was bubbling with life and spirits,
and yet there were moments when
her lovely face would grow suddenly
serious and her blue eyes take on a
dreaming. far-away expression. We
were almost like children together
during those three golden autumn
days. She showed me her skill with
the sword, bringing out her foils, and
truly she was O wonder for woman,
and might easily have bested most
men.
II was a fascinating work to fence
with her and mark the grace OF her
figure. II was more to see the spirit
she threw into the game, the quick
ness OF her eye, the firmness OF her
wrist. / could have hardly believed
that such skill lay with woman, and
my heart went out to her. l loved her
more each hour, and though my lips
remained dumb, perchance my eyes
were eloquent.
AS for my aunt. saw little OF her
save at the table; but in order TO win
her good graces set aside few min
utes each day and bawled into her
trumpet in an effort at conversation.
She was not suspicious of me, but 1t
was fairly plain that she did not like
me overmuch, perhaps because she
thought was poaching on Lysander's
preserve; which / was. without doubt.
aunt was intensely loyal, and intense
ly pious, standing like black pillar
to say grace before meals, and forever
quoting Scripture. ! never saw her
smile. never knew her to give voice
TO a light remark. She was as firm,
as bigoted, as narrow, unreasoning.
and straight-laced as she was uncom
promising in the lines of her body.
am glad she had no liking for me; It
made my subsequent action and atti-
tude toward her easier.
When Agnes left life looked blank
to me, and that darkness awoke me to
the truth of my mental condition. But
. I abated nothing in my attempt to find
Champe. went everywhere, and in
brazen defiance of recognition; but
now was armed, having possessed
myself of new rapier, the like of
which every man of pretension wore
at his hip.
And l saw enough of the city to dis
gust one of fairly clean mind. New
York was but little more than an
armed camp. with barricaded streets,
with wells sunk in the middle of high.
ways, a sentry over each, with march.
ing troops, and with all the circum.
stances of beleaguered city. though
IL never knew siege.
/ used to become sick at heart in
this sink of iniquity, and when i learn.
ed, as soon did, that Arnold had NOV
ed to q house on Queen street, was
sure my errand would be fruitless, and
I would have left the city had been
able to go though there was one thing
still holding me. This time was really
a spell of relaxation, but, God wot, II
did not long endure.
l mind me that 1t was exactly a
week to the day since Agnes had gone
away, and II was late in the evening
when I was returning home. AS l
stepped between the iron gates heard
a stir in the bushes, and man came
from the shrubbery and faced me with
a suddenness that was startling under
the circumstances.
BE you Mr.. John Benson?" he
asked without trying to conceal his
face, which was plain in the full, har.
vest moon.
II am" answered.
"Pve been waitin for you these two
hours. sir"
"Who are you" l asked, taking my
hand from my sword.
I'm Mike, sir, the caretaker of his
honor, at the governors house in
Bloomingdale, sir. have letter for
YOU"
He went into his pocket and brought
out a paper sealed with red wax, and
in the meanwhile studied his face.
He was an Irishman with blum, open
countenance. but how far he had been
trusted by Agnes had no idea. THAT
Is all, sir" he said. thrusting the note
at me; and without another word ne
turned and went down the moonlit
road.
hurried to my room, lighted my
candle. and read the unaddressed mis-.