Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-11-22

/
up the stair. The next moment she
knocked at my door.
She was In state OF high excite
ment for her, her masculine face, usu.
ally pale, being flushed. In her hand
she held paper, which she thrust at
me without preface as she entered the
room.
"Glory to Gideon! What do ye
make OF this, Mr.. Benson?"
took the paper, and at once saw
that 1t bore the royal arms and the
word Headquarters" emblazoned on
It. It was formal and read thus:
Sir Henry Clinton presents his com.
pliments to Mrs. Abigail Melton, and
asks that she personally wait upon
him at his quarters, No. Broadway.
at three o'clock this afternoon. The
business 10 important.
Sir Henry Clinton's carriage will be
at Mrs. Melton's door shortly before
that hour,
1t was command couched in polite
language. And 1t gave me something
Of q start. Was 1t possible that Cln.
ton had heard OF me as lodger at
Cherry Hill, and had become suspi.
cious? Hardly had I conceived the
idea when put 1t aside. I were game
too small for such man; file Of
soldiers from Cunningham, the pro.
vost.marshal, would be enough for
mo. But could not imagine why the
old lady should be summoned by so
high q functionary, and told her 30.
Has General Clinton ever seen you?"
I asked; and It proved to be fortun.
ate question.
"Yes, sir. Two years ago. when the
rebels were beaten in Brookland, he
came to this very house. He was goin'
to make 1t his headquarters. 1 saw
him then - an he saw me. But he
didn't stay hardly ten minutes after.
ward. He said 1t was too far from
town. Glory to Gideon! wonder what
he wants. got to 90, s'pose."
You will have to go when the cor.
riage comes for you," told her; and
30 she went off in flutter with her
GLORY to Gideon!" echoing down the
hall. l laughed in spite of myself, 1t
being my last laugh for some time. 1t
was then eleven o'clock in the morn
ing. and ! looked for Agnes and the
chariot at about the same hour that
Sir Henry's eQuipage was to appear.
And when it did appear bomb had
burst. God in heaven! Never will /
forget that day!
1t came to be half past two, and /
was dressed and was going out to
wait for Agnes, when on passing down
the stairs l was fairly stopped by the
sound Uf mans voice coming from
the library, it being on the second
floor (as was mine) and seldom used.
That he was shouting into my aunt's
ear-trumpet was plain enough, and /
heard him ask:
who is this lodger you have?"
"a Mr.. John Benson. He's law
yer," answered my aunt in her hard
voice. GLORY to Gideon. This day is
settin' me wild! First there's that pa.
per from Clinton a maxim me dress in
Sabbath clothes on a week day! Then
you come. And Agnes will soon come.
She's goin' drivin'-"
''Ill be damned if she is! r'll have
word with her."
By this had determined to do some
looking. l did not recognize the mans
voice, but my curiosity was highly ex-
cited. l went back up the stairs on
tip-toe, holding my rapier that 1t
might make no noise. The door Of the
oh
the opening l looked--and then almost
exclaimed aloud.
For there, at the end of my aunt's
ear-trumpet, stood Lysander Melton.
How ever he got into the house and
up the stairs without me being cogni-
Zant of it / cannot understand to this
day. His appearance was unkempt He
had on a three days growth OF beard,
and his clothing, the sane in which
had captured him, was very dirty. I
fairly held my breath as l looked at
him, and at that moment l heard
carriage sweep up the drive and stop
at the front door.
My heart seemed to stop with it.
What to do did not know; but my
line was laid out for me as Melton
heard the jingling of the harness.
"See here! I'm going to Clinton
with you. I'll get into a uniform,
shave, and be ready in ten minutes.
II Arnold won't believe me because
wasn't pinked out then, by the Lord,
Clinton will. / tell you, mother, that
the girl is double-faced traitress! I
fell yo, that DresSler ia somewhere in
New York. She fooled Arnold-they
both fooled that man-and she rescu-
ed him. She has Dressler somewhere.
Who is this Benson?"
Hes sick in his room-but you can
go ask him."
well, If he's sick he'll keep until
come back. I've had the narrowest es.
cape of my Jife-and haven't accom-
plished damned thing Of value. Pm