The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-08-03

Dinwiddie saw through it all. He said
not a word, but led the way up stairs.
ave shall have topass through madam's
room to get at the place." he remarked
"for the door is locked on the inside" a"
"Yes, but the key is out, and have a
duplicate" replied the officer. "We will
enter by the door that opens on this pas
sage way. will just give gentle knock
to learn whether there is any one in the
bathing room. " e.r Eaa
He knocked, and there was no reply.
81 think we may venture in" he said.
He unlocked the door, and they entered,
Captain Penrose, Sergeant MacFuse,
Dinwiddie, and Nero. The Captain point
ed to chest of drawers let into the wall,
and said,- ara a r .s .saf.
Snow, sir, if you will open that lowest
} drawer, think you will find what am
i'm search Of"
Dinwiddie opened the drawer, and a
strong smell of tobacco, in which some
furs were packed, made him sneeze; but
the Captain proved to be correct i'm his sur
mise. Nero displayed his ivory in broad
grin, and Dinwiddie lifted a small, but well
stulleu lcatnGT nlall nag
/ Atthat moment the door leadnginto Mrs.
Dinwiddie's apartment opened, and that
lady, followed by Barbara. made her ap-
pearance. Nero's grin was at once trans
formed into look Of intense solemnity,
and the whites of his eyes were lifted in
sympathetic amaZement. .I
Madam's first effort was to snatch the
mailbag from her husband; but he hand
ed it to Sergeant MacFuse, who, receiving
/ it, shouldered his musket with military
| formality. f. .r ...... So"
But this is an outrage, Sir!' exclaimed
Mrs. Dinwiddie, finding words at length
for her rage. ...H 81.
Madam" said Captain Penrose, ga car
riage ought to be by this time at the door,
Have the goodness, you and your daugh-
ter, to make the necessary preparations and
accompany me and Sergeant MacFuse to
the office of the Provost Marshal" ...-
Il shall do no such thingr' said Madam,
with set teeth, trembling with exaspera-
| ton.
| You will relieve me, I am sure, Mad
am said the Captain, "of anything so
painful as the exercise OF fOrco.''
''ForceH' cried Madam: eyes. that
would be all in the line of you mean and
dastardly Yankees, to use force to unpro-
| tected woman. -
ooh, mother p said Barbara, shocked.
| in spite of her Secession sympathies, at the
maternal rudeness, and somewhat touched
withal by the pale face and the slung arm
of the handsome yoHng officer 81 am sure
the gentleman has''-
"Gentlaman! Ha, ha, ha! You call him
gentleman, do you?' gasped Mrs Dim
widdie, as, quite beside herself with pas
sion, she sank into a chair.
Yes, mother" said Barbara. her heart
moved by thrill as natural as that which
stirs the leaves of the embryo bud in Nav:
yes, fnother, 4 call him q gentleman; and
| hope you will do nothing to prevent his
calling youa lady
Captain Penrose looked with sudden in
terest on the maiden. Strange that he had
not noticed it before, but truly she was
very, very pretty! Light, not too light,
hair; blue eyes; charming figure face
radient with sentiment and with iptelli-
gence; verify, i'm all Baltimore, so Justly
famed for beautiful women, he had not
seen her peer! Barbara dropped her eyes.
Decidedly ihe young officers admiration
was too emphatically expressed in his
glance.
Mrs. Dinwiddie began to grow hysterical.
Madam" said Captain Penrose, 'I fear
your strength will not be equal to the task
it is my painful duty to put you to; and |
will m tr l. .
tions so far as to say, that, if you will give
me your pronlise-you and your daughter
to remain at home till YOU receive per-
mission through me TO quit the house,
will waive all further action at present."
"There, mother quoth Barbara, "what
could be more reasonable,-m gentle
manly? Say you consent to his terms.-
Mrs. Dinwiddie motioned a negative with
her handkerchief, and stamped her feet. as
II no power on earth should extort from
her the slightest concession.
''There, sir, she consents, she consents,
yon see," said Barbara
"Um-um-um! shrieked Mrs. Dim
widdie, shaking her head, and stamping
her feet with renewed vigor..
II see," said Captain Penrose; "and I |
need not ask if you, Miss Dinwiddie, also
consent"
II do. sir; and thank you for your con-
sideration," said Barbara.
II don't-don't-don'tr's stormed the ell
derly lady, quivering in every limb, like
a blown ribbon.
1t was strange that Captain Penrose did |
not hear the exclamation, loud and en-
phatic as it was; but he simply bowed and |
quilted the room, followed by Dinwiddie,
Nero, and Sergeant MacFuse.
No sooner had the military men quilted
the house than the dinner bell rang. Mad
am refused to make her appearance. Bar
bara came down and presided. BOYS in
the street were crying the news of Sher-
mans capture of Savannah.
"Good for Shermanr' said Dinwiddie.
"Fm develish glad of it,
Little Barbara looked up with conster-
nation. She loved her father, but never
before had she heard from his lips deci-
ded expression of sympathy with the loyal
cause. True, for the last six months he
had said little on either side; but from the
absence of any controversy between him
and her mother, Barbara imagined that
theirpolitical sentiments were harmonious.
She made no reply to her fathers re-
mark, but kept up in that little brain of
hers an amount of thinking that took away
all her appetite for the desert. Mrs. Dim
widdie entered before the table was cleared.
Then there was ring at the door bell. II
was the postman. Nero brought in let
ter. Dinwidde looked at the address.