Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-09-13

ef rooI, MS presence supposed 10 De khV"h
only to themselves. But one evening, near
the end Of his furlough, when he was be-
ginning to think about preparing for his
7 secret departure. an officer with six men
| appeared at the door, and said he had or
| ders TO arrest one William Ruggles, sup
posed TO be somewhere in the dwelling.
"Why, that is my son ~ said the widow,
In great trepidation.
$50 much the more likely that he should
be here them" was the unfeeling reply.
tAnd for what would you arrest him 2
and what will be done with him if found ~
awe ehall take him for spy, and, if
found guilty, he will be hung of course rs
every cursed rebel should I've. Here, Badger
and Wilcot, guard the back door; you Bent
and Walters, begin the search; and you,
Jones and Johnson, remain where you are.
Sharp now, all of you Let the fellow be
taken alive if possible-but, alive or dead,
let Linn be taken. Now, good woman, if he
is in the house, of which we are very
strongly assured let him appear and save
yourself much trouble, otherwise the conse-
| quences be on your own head"
| "If you think my son is in the house,
search to your hearts content" returned
the mother, externally calm, internally suf
| fering
And forthwith the search began.
| Meantime, the young lieutenant, who had
! heard enough to comprehend his danger,
had set about affecting his escape, but not
| altogether in the manner first intended. He
went on to the roof it is true, and tied the
long rope to the chimney, casting one end
| down toward the street, but this only for
| a blind. He had seen that the bricks Of
/ the dividing wall, between the house occu-
| pied by his mother and one of the two ad
Joining buildings, had been losely put up
under the ridge-pole, and his present de-
sign was to remove q few of these, crowd
| through into the loft of the other house, and
then replace them. This purpose he Of
fected before the soldiers searching for him
came up near enough to hear the little noise
he was compelled to make The open trap
door of the roof, and the rope around the
chimney, served to mislead them, as he had
hoped; and it was with feeling Of intense
satisfaction that he heard them announce
the manner of his escape. Immediately
after, the whole party left in haste, first
threatening Mrs. Ruggles with subsequent
vengeance, for harboring, concealing and
conniying at the escape of a rebel spy, even
, | though the man was her son.
When fully satisfied that all the soldiers
had, gone, young Ruggles attempted to re-
, he had left, but, in again displacing the
bricks for this purpose, one Of them slipped
f and went down through an open trap-door
n upon the floor below, making loud noise
o Immediately after light flashed up through
- the opening and timid female voice de-
manded who was there.
, Here was dilemma. Should the young
IL soldier reply, he would be exposed; and
should he keep silence, search would prob.
ably be made, which might prove even more
o. serious in its consequences. What was to
Y be done? A sudden inspiration seized him
, 1t was q woman's voice, and women are sell
4 dom steeled TO pity. He would make him.
self known to her, appeal to her sympathies,
and throw himself upon her mercy.
'tLady," he began, in gentle tone, calcu-
! lating to reassure his fair hearer, "he not
alarmed. am friend in distress, the son
of our next door neighbor. l am hunted as
: spy by British soldiers, and, if found my
life will be forfeited. If you can not pity
me, for Gods sake pity my poor mother,
and assist me for her sakeW p
, He presented himself at the opening to
the loft, and boldly descended the steps
leading down from it, directly before the
lady, sweet, beautiful girl of eighteen,
who, stood with light in her hand and
seemed dumb and motionless with COM
mingling of fear, surprise and curiosity
The young man continued to speak as he
descended, and hurriedly went on to mar
rate all that had occurred, concluding with
the search of the soldiers, and his escape
into the loft above.
"Thank God, it is in my power to aid you
sir !" were the first words of the girl, spoken
with look and feeling of sympathy thai
made the heart, of the soldier bound with
strange emotions.
She then went on to tell him that cousir
from New Jersey, about his size and build
and looking not unlike him, was then on
, visit to the family, having a pass from
General Howe. This pass she had tina
! evening been looking at, and by accident i
, was now in her possession the cousin hav
! ing gone out with the rest Of the family, anC
forgotten it.
D "Take it and fly, and may God preserv'
| you p she said. III can arrange it will
my kinsman," she continued 81 can hav
3 lost it, and he can easily procure another"
Y She hurried him down stairs, throwing
o cloak over his shoulders on the way, whicl
she insisted upon his wearing, saying t,hat
,. belonged to deceased brother, and h
= could return it at any future time. Sh
f. then hastened to get the pass, which sh
le Pi"NSV Al HlS manu- dhu ulSeu illlh w ~ "
ID once.
a "If could but see my mother for mo
/. ment !" he said.
If "No, no-leave all to mel will explai
d all to.her-go while you can, before it is to
e late"
e, "God in Heaven bless you sweet lady
k he said impulsively seizing her hand an
Of touching it with his lips. 81 will nevC
IS. forget you"
It. The next minute he was gone. He G.
d, capped. And true to his declaration,
a. never did forget the sweet girl who bt
n friended him in his hour of peril. Year
r, after, the honored wife of General Ruggle
~ was many time heard to tell of her frs
romantic meeting with him she loved, the
d a hunted fugitive from the Continenta
1t army.
IN Death and the Dry Goods.
lg Ewes first apron was made of fig leaves