Year: 1879

with father, and they always take
warm one when they are together"


The snow, as they passed to the high
way, began to fall so thickly that even
the light of the lantern was dimmed,
but the comrade who was acting as her
escort thought her an extremely fearless
| girl, and wonderfully handsome withal.
The walk to the War Office was short
one. Within ten minutes they were at
the door.


&c Halt ~ said the sentinel, and he was
SO muffled up that 1t was the tone rather
than articulation that checked Mistress
Prudence, who would otherwise have
nounced.


'Oh OH 1t is you, is it, Mistress; and
what do you here on such night as
this 2" the sentinel said, after peering
into the maiden's face.


Is / would see Mr.. Trumbull; truly L
desire overmuch to speak to him. Will
you admit me 20


The sentinel tapped at the door. 1t
was opened. A ruddy glow burst from
within, and by it two despatch bearers
could be seen sitting on the counter
for before the war the Office was a
country shop-driving their spurs into
the woodwork as their legs dangled
foot or more from the floor The marks
of the spurs of these and other messen-
gers are to be seen in the woodwork
even to this day. Mistress Prudence
and her escort passed in to this ROOM
The despatch bearers, who were evident
ly in the midst of some rollicking story,
and were plainly feeling the merrier for
the mulled cider they had taken, eyed
the female figure curiously at first; but
when she threw her cloak and hood off
and they saw the large gray eyes, now
seeming very dark by the freight, and
that her features were exceeding fair
and her manner gracious, they thought
for certain that they were in the pres
ence of the Governors daughter,
and became at once greatly courteous.
One took her cloak and shook the snow
from it, then put it before the fire. The
other opened the door to the room in the
rear where he knew the Governor was
passing an hour with the Count de
Rochambeau. Thus announced Mis-
tress Prudence came into the Governors
presence.


He sat at his oaken desk, but seemed
for the moment to be more occupied
over certain discussion that he was
having with Rochambeau than with his
papers. The French nobleman stood
easily before the fireplace, the flames
from the burning log furnishing the
gilt of his scabbed. The Governor arose
and the Count bowed. Both were ex-
ceeding tall, and Mistress Prudence
seemed by contrast wofully small, but
not less fearless than the men she con-
fronted.


why, Mistress Prudence, what has
brought you herep Do you come from
your worthy father, the Esquire?"


"Ahem' this in the slightest and
yet most suggestive of tones from the
Count"


Pardon me-, said the Governor
Let me, beg, present Mistress Pru-
dence Strong to the Count de Rochafos
beau. A worthy daughter of an exceed
ing worthy father, SIR"


"Truly, that would almost 60 with
out the saying of it, your Excellency." !"
And the Count with much grace took
Mistress Prudence's brown but sharply
hand and bent over it. "Did not have
the pleasure of leading the maid at the
reel in the tavern dining room" he
asked.


"Indeed you did, sir" replied Mis-
tress Prudence, curtseying. :" But, Mr..
Trumbull, will you tell me what Mr..
Duplan, the tall French soldier, has
done, and what is to be his punish
ment? 2"


The Governor, who had taken advan-
tage of the colloquy between the maid
and the Count to draw on his outer gar
ment of plain brown homespun for the
room was sultry and he had removed it
turned with a look of surprise.


81 know nothing of any French sol
der, Mistress Prudence, and prithee
why should you visit me on such a
night as this for such matterY" he
said


"Because he is good man and a
brave soldier, and because he has done
nothing to merit punishment.