Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-10-04


self near my fair friend, and without
rudely staring found my mind gradu-
ally gathering up the disjointed frag.
ments of the past, until the fair face was
framed in and located. 1t was a very
sweet face, not so young as it once was,
but with prevailing expression of child
like innocence. And to this manner
of great refinement, set off and adorned
in the extreme of fashion, but subdued
to the best taste, and the most artistic
harmonizing of colors, and / had an old
acquaintance before me. Although |
looked my fair friend in the face, saw
that she had either forgotten me or was
not disposed to renew the acquaintance.
She was talking in an easy manner to
we'll known member of Congress, and i
considerably withdrew, as if had been
looking in the face of an utter stranger
instead of one well known in times gone
by. An hour later | happened to be up
on the entrance to the Senate chamber,
where multitude of marble steps SEEM
ed to run out and flow away, when my
fair friend came by accompanied by her
congressional escort late of the gallery,
and almost brushed me with her dress as
she passed, the two descended, / saw a
neat private carriage, drawn by hand
some pair of bays, and drove by coach
man in livery, roll up. My friend of the
Iaw-making power helped the lady in
with bow; the door swung to with a
bang, and the fair one drove away, while
the Solon came up the steps humming a
tune and swapping his law-making fin
gers, at if especially pleased with him.
SELF Having a speaking acquaintance,
| begged pardon for my curiosity, and
asked Solon the name of his friend.
"Mrs. of New York." was the
quiet response.
The whole of these surroundings were
SO entirely different, and apparently SO
lifelong and respectable from those that
| believed formerly hedged in the lady,
that was in doubt. But no; the more
thought upon the matter the more l
felt sure of the identity. And the re-
membrance was singular.
While detained in Washington during
the war, awaiting orders, was invited
by brother officer to wine supper.
The people giving the entertainment
were strangers, but taking my friends
word on it that would be welcome, l
went with him. The house was plain,
unpretending affair, but offered display
of upholstery uncommon about Wash
ington, and / learned that the house and
furniture belonged to a =" secesh family
that had hastily left the city before the
battle of Bulls Run, putting their prop
erty in the hands of friends. The friends
+ assembled on this occasion were unques
! tionable. The parlors were in a blaze Of
, light, and under the glass globes were
some very pretty women, and number
of young men in and out of uniform
. The bare necks and arms of the womer
: indicated party but my friend tolt
f me that this was the sort of thing tha
/ went on every night. We had rich ia
4 bic garnished with choice wines, and th,
/ bright flow of talk the last named gen
F orally brings out. Two of the guests
i was particularly struck with-one ;
slender youth with dark eyes, and broad
thoughtful forehead, took for an Ital
: ian or Frenchman his name has sine,
p taken its place upon the roll of immor
: tality, pinned there by the most fearful
A crime ever committed; the other beau
q tiful woman of twenty, in fact, but mucl
% younger in appearance. found thi
:. young lady exceedingly charming, as sh
|. was not only lovely in person but lovel.
in mind.
81 Of the little assembly in that room tw
Is only survive, | and another.
e While we were in command in Balti
a more, and after Colonel Fish got into hi
d difficulty with Baker, so that l had for
l. time, immediate control of the proves
IS marshaPs office, | received card at th
Eutaw House from lady waiting to Sc
me in the parlor. On repairing to tha
reception room, found my fair frient
of the wine supper in Washington. S
far as her beauty went she remained th
same, but her wardrobe evinced straight
= ened circumstances, if not poverty. Sh
gave me long account of her troubles
n aud wound up ia offering to go to Rich
lie mond in the employ of the government
D. and return with all the information sh
3, could gather for the use of the war dc
ie partment in Washington, a once en-
is gagged her, but did not at once send 8
i suspicious an agent into the enemy
r country until after | had given her fai
ID trial in Baltimore. She proved the mos
adroit, cunning, selfpossessed detectlv
es that l ever saw or read of. She after
Is ward made two successful trips to Rich