PATTY'S PRICE

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 29 June 1905, Page 24

PATTY'S PRICE

No one could ever forget the winter at Valley Forge who was a member of the little patriot army that starved and froze there, hopeless and helpless. Much less could. I, Lieutenant Frank Drayton, of the 'Essex Troop of Light Horse. For only thirty miles up the Schuylhill, at Reading, li\ed Miss Patty Warburton. the daughter of a retired merchant, who was acting as a brigade quartermaster in our army—and I was in love witn her. In vain did I plead with treneral Washington for a lea\e of absence of only two days that 1 might go to see her. He always answered that the officers should stay in camp and be an example of fortitude to the men. His repeated reflus-als were all the more galling because I knew that my rival, Captain Hackett. of General Con way's staff, was entirely able to go and come when he pleased, la.rgely because the latter general, through envy of Washington, took a persional pleasure in acting contrary to our Commander's wishes. So all that winter I suffered the physical hard/ships of the camp and the mental torture of knowing that my rival and foe (although we both fought for the same cause) was enjoying the pleasure of Miss Patty's smiles and the luxuries of her rich father's home. So it went on until spring, when our beloved General at last gave a reluctant consent to a short leave of absence ; and I mounted my black charger, Hector, and set out to do a winter's wooing in a day. To my mortification my rival was already occupying the fiehl, and added to Party's smiles of welcome the supercilious airs of an assured victor. Patronising though he pretended to be, he at once made it apparent that he did not intend to let me have a moment with Patty alone if he could prevent it, and it was only by a ruse that I obtained my wished-for audience. Feigning despair, I announced in the evening that I would return to camp, and actually started. Ten miles I rode down the highway along the river, and then ten miles I galloped back. . The lights in Reading were almost oat when I arrived, and I put up at the inn, almost certain of being ahead of the Captain in the morning. An hour, half an hour, ten minutes, were all 1 wanted. 1 'dressed and breakfasted early and presented myself at the Warburton homestead almost before the family had risen from table. And then in the beauty of the early morning I took Patty out into the garden and told her my lo\e lanld asked her to be my wife. The Captain was not such a laggard in love as I could have wished, however, for before Miss Patty could decently .answer (for the sake of modesty, of course, she was obliged to show some hesitation), he put in a frowning appear. ance. "Now, what a good fortune you have come, Captain Hackett ! ' said Patty, with a- weTcomiftg smile that pierced my heart like a Knife. ' I have you now together in t-he broad light of day, where I may compare and criticise, find fault and praise, and eventually sum up and choose between you at my leisure. 1 "It is as I thought, then,' growled the Captain, biting his lip ; ' I ha^e a rival.' ' Ye-;,' answered Patty. ' I have the great honor, an honor that seldom falls to one of my few graces, of being lo\rd by two men. And as near as I can judge both of them are sincere and honorable, and most certainly both of them are as hawdsome gallants as a maiden could sigh for. Ajid both of them are offering their lives for their country, too. Was ever a woman fo perplexed ? In faith, I can "see no ofibTce between you.' 1 You are very complimentary,' I said most humbly. ' I'll be -dashed if I can appreciate the compliment,' added the Captain surlily. Now, I am not easily angered, but the Captain's remark was as near an insult as a gentleman may deliver in the presence of a lady. So I gave the Captain a meaning look which he evidently understood, for he continued : ' I perceive you wear a sworrd, sir.' 1 Yes,' I answerea hotly, ' and it is yours, sir to the very hilt.' •Nay, nay,' exclaimed Patty, "I cannot permit this', gentlemen. You owe your swards and your lives to our stricken comntry, and you must not fight for so poor a. rri?e as my hand.' And Patty eventually coaxed us into a, promise not 'to fight each other. ' But you shall have all the chance to fl'ght the redmats you wish,' said she, ' ami upon your success in that sort of fighting shall hang your fate with me. Now, listen : the first of you who brings me a button from a red-coat's breast, with just a little piece of the red-coat attached to it, shall have my hana, and my heart with it.'

' Agreed,' said the Captain, *' although I get the worse of the arrangement, for I am a stajl officer, and am liable to be on some disagreeable but necessary staff duty when it next comes to the conflict of arms.' ' Nay,' I answered, 'if 1 were a staff oflicer and could go jaunting around the country almost at my own sweet will, I would ride straight to the nearest outpost of Lord Howe's army" and win that button within the week, or t be no more your rival forever.' The Captain's face turned red at this double threat, but he contained his temper. And I was much worried, too, at the fact that he seemed to take much secret satisfaction out of the arrangement. But it was more than six weeks before my chance came in the first conflict of arms the Captain had spoken of. During that night 1 saw noUiing of tdie Captain, but heard he had been detached on some recruiting duty. I was delighted at this, and more so when we began pursuing the British in their retreat from Philadelphia to New York, and I saw that there would be a battle before he could rejoin us. It was Sir Henry Clinton wl*o commanded them now, and we caught them at Monmouth. Everyone knows the history of that unfortunate battle. How General Lee ordered a retreat when victory rested in the palm of our hand. How Washington rallied the army when it was all but too late, and how General Clinton at last slipped away m the night time to New York. But it was a fortunate battle for me, as I plucked my button and tiny strip of red cloth from the breast of a red-coat I had slain in the first onslaught, and had received but a trifling wound in the shoulder in return. After the fight there was nothing further to do but watch the enemy and wait for him to make another appearance. So without much difficulty I obtained another short lea^e of absence as a reward for the humble part I haQ played in the battle ; and then to Patty I rode as fast as my good charger could carry me. It was with mixed feelings of hope and despair that I mounted the steps at the entrance to the Wartourton mansion. There had been no report of any engagement in which Captain Hackett could have found his opportunity, and I knew that he had not been present at the recent battle. There are moments, howe\er, when one has an instinctive fea.r of events that are about to happen, and it was with such a fear in my heart that I grasped the great iron knocker of the front door. My summons was answered by Patty's father, who, like myself, was away from the army on a short leave of absence. I had never known him intimately, but it seemed to me that he greeted me with unusual" warmth. I might have taken hope from this and from his compliments (for he had heard of my part in the battle), or even from his anxious inquiries concerning my wound. How much more often one's fears are realised in this life than one's hopes ! I was ushered into the presence of my beloved Patty, and found her conversing; in a subdued manner with Captain Hackett. As I held out my button silently she looked at me very sadly, I thought, and regretfully. She had not time to say a word, however, before Captain Hackett, with a triumphant sneer, exclaimed : "To late, sir ! Too late by twenty-four hours. I presented my button this time yesterday.' 1 But,' I cried, my heart sin'nng and my head reeling, ' you were not in the battle.' ' That did not prevent me from taking your advice,' he answered with a malicious smile. ' I attacked an outpost, sir, and won my button in single combat against half a company.' ' Where ? ' I asked, and continued hotly : ' There has been no report of an attack on any of the enemy's outposts, It is false ! ' ' You forget yourself, sir,' answered the Captain. ' You will please remember that there was no one with me to witness my achievement, and it is hardly probable that the enemy would boast of an engagement in which they had been worsted by a single opponent. I can readily bring proof of the affair, tnoug-h, if it is desired ib(y, my future bride. But I hardly think she will ask it, as she has already consented, in view of a certain sudden change in my duties which will place me very near certain persons of high rank, to an immediate marriage. Pn fact, the ceremony is to take place a.t no later day than to-morrow.' Despairing, almost stunned, I looked in bewilderment from Patty to her father for confirmation* of this. The former was looking sadly at the floor, the latter smiling gaily at the frescoed ceiling. m ' One moment, Mr. Drayton,' saia Patty's father quickly. 'Be seated, sir. It seems no more than fair that, under the circumstances, the Captain's achievement should be fully proven to you.' ' Why, yes, certainly,' said the Captain with some apparent embarrassment. • I will do so at once. Er-

that is,, in a few days— as soon as I caji get my Witnesses together. There were non-combatant witnesses, of course. 1 it will not be at all necessary, Captain, 1 continued Mr. Warburton'; 'we have witnesses handy who can explain the whole affair to Mr. Dray ton's satisfaction.' There v/as a peculiar gleam in Warburton's eyes, and he emphasised the word ' satisfaction ' in a manner that made his remark seem rather mysterious. ' Er—er— what's that ? ' asked the Captain, blushing \ery red and looking peculiarly uneasy. "1 mean,' sai<l Mr. Warburton, speaking very emphatically, • that where the interests of my daughter are concerned I am invariably prepared with all necessary information. Let me introduce— Colonel Ledyard, ol General Washing ton's staff.' As he spoke, heavy curtains at the end of the room were brushed aside and a colonel, wearing a sash peculiar to the staff, entered the room, followed by a file of soldiers. I looked at Hackett. He was as amazed as I was, and the red flush on his cheeks had given place to a death-like pallor. ' What does this mean ? ' he said in a choking voice. 'It means,' answered the newcomer, ' that I place you unSer arrest for treason. No words, sir. We have ample proof. If you do not think so, here in my hand you will observe your commission in King George-yS army, which was to have taken effect upon your joining Clintom's command three days hence, accompanied, I obsene from certain correspondence that has fallen into my hands, by your bri<de. Here even is your new uniform—a present, I believe, from Sir Henry Clinton himself.' At this he took from one of his soldiers a red coat which was minus a button, from the region of the heart, and a little strip of the material which bad been pulled off with the button. With a cry of triumph and joy* Patty reached into her pocket and, drawing forth a button, ran over to the Colonel and fitted the button and stria of cloth into the uniform he heia in his halnd. ' Fall in, sir, 1 commanded the colonel sternly. ' Forward, march ! ' The file of men, with my dis'grae^l ri^al between them, marched quietly out through p&e door ; and Patty, running to me, gave me such a series of hugs ana kisses that her father was forced to exclaim, 'Be careful, my daughter, you are hurting his in Mtvi ?• <n But T— l would have smiled at the pains of a thousand wounds for the delight of that moment.—Exchange.

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