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Cooper, James Fenimore, 1789-1851

"The Spy"

The doctor had watched, during the
night, by the side of the bed of Captain Singleton, without once closing
his eyes. Occasionally he would pay a visit to the wounded Englishman,
who, being more hurt in the spirit than in the flesh, tolerated the
interruptions with a very ill grace; and once, for an instant, he
ventured to steal softly to the bed of his obstinate comrade, and was
near succeeding in obtaining a touch of his pulse, when a terrible oath,
sworn by the trooper in a dream, startled the prudent surgeon, and
warned him of a trite saying in the corps, "that Captain Lawton always
slept with one eye open." This group had assembled in one of the parlors
as the sun made its appearance over the eastern hill, dispersing the
columns of fog which had enveloped the lowland.
Miss Peyton was looking from a window in the direction of the tenement
of the peddler, and was expressing a kind anxiety after the welfare of
the sick man, when the person of Katy suddenly emerged from the dense
covering of an earthly cloud, whose mists were scattering before the
cheering rays of the sun, and was seen making hasty steps towards the
Locusts. There was that in the air of the housekeeper which bespoke
distress of an unusual nature, and the kind-hearted mistress of the
Locusts opened the door of the room, with the benevolent intention of
soothing a grief that seemed so overwhelming.


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