Putnam patriot., 1925-04-10


 section of the story of Israel Putnam and Margaret Monerieffe. which was published in last weeks issue of The Patriot. Mrs. van Renss.iaer, fr.m whose book The Social Ladder" pub lished by Henry Holt & Company. the story is taken, told of how the famous English adventuress got into the Am eriean headquarters and be gan her dis astyous career as . British spy. The story is completed in this weeks issue.
 The platoon of soldiers waited long for Adams signal. Finally they en- tered the Corbie tavern and demanded what had become of him. Corbie and the others who sat drinking soberly in the taproom stared in amazement Adams? They knew of no such per son.
 There was drunken civilian who had come in earlier in the evening and, refused any more liquor, had left again. The troops thereupon an- II nounced their intention of searching the house. Corbie insisted they had no authority. They persisted and there was a scuffle before the inn keeper and his patrons were over powered and the place ransacked. They found no trace of Adams. While they were searching shackles were being clamped on his wrists in the brig of the Duchess of Gordon"
 On the following day. Mayor Mat thews forwarded solemn complaint to General Putnam concerning the out rageous action of his soldiers toward a respectable citizen of the town.
 Putnam charged Burr with bungling the plan. His aide-de-camp was out wardly respectful and regretful, but cursed under his breath. Margaret Moncrieffe listened to the squabble from the closet for n time and then went out into the garden to stroll along the sea-wall.
 L. She whistled Charlie is my darl- ing" uncertainty this morning. It was difficult to utter true notes through lips that persisted in smiling.
 The armada of Sir William Howe was coming full winged down the coast toward New York. Washington, apprised of it's approach. strove pa- tiently to calm querulous and hys- terical congress. In New York the conspirators perfected their plans for his capture. and on the Duchess of | Gordon" men spoke obseenely of the siren who had turned the head of "old Put" and of the collapse of the rebellion that would follow the immi- nent capture and hanging of the arch rebel, Washington.
 Connecting With the Enemy
 The motherless child that the Put nams had taken into their home and l their hearts, the responsive object of Burr's ardent courtship, had become the most important link in Tryon's spy system. Scarcely a day passed that Hickey did not receive from over | the sea-wall information of vital im portance that she had fiattered, coax ed or stolen from the commanding general or his aide.
 Her youth and apparent innocence | had disarmed the old general com pletely and had driven Burr into T violent infatuation. Theirs must have been a strange and satirical wooing, the wholly self-interested young sol dier making promises that he must have known were lies; she replying in kind, with perhaps more sincerity, yet deceiving him continually.
 With Putnam, she was kittenishly affectionate and at the same time so respectful that he seems to have for gotten entirely that she was the | daughter of an enemy and to have considered her one of the most trust worthy members of his own house. | hold. As time went on, she was oblig ed to employ the hall closet for caves dropping less and less, since all man ner of military problems were dis cussed in her presence.
 More than once, so she boasted in her later years, she extracted papers from Burr's pockets when in his arms, read them hastily when alone. and re- ! turned them to their owner during some subsequent embrace. She also used to perch on the knee of Putnam, to the old farmers delight, rumple his ! hair and take advantage of his ec- static embarrassment to go through his pockets.
 Her temporary guardian willingly granted her permission to exercise her great black horse daily. 0ffieers of the garrison were her riding mates about the defenses of the city and if she displayed more interest in engin- eering than . young girl might have been expected to show. it was recall ed that she was . soldiers daughter and had been reared in -nilitsry atmosphere.
 The Csserai's Ces6aaats Burr accompanied her often upon these rides, and sometimes Putnam himself The General found her s comforting and sympathetic compan- ion. The construction of the city's defenses was not proceeding smooth ly. The temporary commanders ideas of fortification were not always approved by subordinates with more military experience. There were bickerings and disagreements that ruffied his temper and his dignity tremendously.
 Putnam and Brigadier General Lord Stirling were making an inspec- tion of the defenses and came upon a platoon of sappers constructing an earthwork.
 When the Major General command ing asked his subordinate's opinion of the work. Lord Stirling spoke bluntly and from considerable mil tary knowledge.
 Your earthwork is too low" he pointed out, '.the British light cavalry would take it like hurdle. It must