ntly regarding her from afar with a curiosity as
if she were some strange animal; and a wild premonition that her whole
future life and happiness depended upon the events of the next few
moments,--so took possession of her, that the brave girl trembled for a
moment in her isolation and loneliness. In another instant Col.
Hamilton, speaking to his superior, but looking obviously at one of the
ladies who had entered, handed a paper to Washington, and said, "Here
are the charges."

"Read them," said the general coldly.

Col. Hamilton, with a manifest consciousness of another hearer than
Mistress Blossom and his general, read the paper. It was couched in
phrases of military and legal precision, and related briefly, that upon
the certain and personal knowledge of the writer, Abner Blossom of the
"Blossom Farm" was in the habit of entertaining two gentlemen, namely,
the "Count Ferdinand" and the "Baron Pomposo," suspected enemies of the
cause, and possible traitors to the Continental army. It was signed by
Allan Brewster, late captain in the Connecticut Contingent.

As Col. Hamilton exhibited the signature, Thankful Blossom had no
difficulty in recognizing the familiar bad hand and equally familiar
mis-spelling of her lover.

She rose to her feet. With eyes that showed her present trouble and
perplexity as frankly as they had a moment before blazed with her
indignation, she met, one by one, the glances of the group who now
seemed to be closing round her. Yet with a woman's instinct she felt,
I am constrained to say, more unfriendliness in the silent presence of
the two women than in the possible outspoken criticism of our
much-abused sex.

"Of course," said a voice which Thankful at once, by a woman's unerring
instinct, recognized as the elder of the two ladies, and the legitimate
keeper of the conscience of some one of the men who were present,--"of
course Mistress Thankful will be able to elect which of her lovers
among her country's enemies she will be able to cling to for support in
her present emergency. She does not seem to have been so special in
her favors as to have positively excluded any one."

"At least, dear Lady Washington, she will not give it to the man who
has proven a traitor to HER," said the younger woman impulsively.
"That is--I beg your ladyship's pardon"--she hesitated, observing in
the dead silence that ensued that the two superior male beings present
looked at each other in lofty astonish