Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-05-10
WAX TEIxexarmuxe.

Ias taion ARMY IN 1852 lay enc srnpesi
on ths north bank Of the Esppahannoes,
oppossta what wss to be the disastrous
neid OF fredeYicksb1rg. On the fsaug
of the rivsr, IN the extreme front ,f the
Lnion iine, stood the house Of Mrs.
Gray, long, rambling some building,
whose front os three stories faced the
river. The roof gIoped steeply toward
tas reas, where the stone side WAS but
one story high. Mrs. Gray herself. an
elderly widow, had received ths Cnion
advance with every demonstration OF
welcome, and her house sooa became the
fayorite rendezvous for young ofsieera.
prime causa Of this. aside from Mrs.
Grsy's chesrful hearth aud good fare,
was tho bsauty of her daughter Sali.s, a
brunette OF perhaps twenty years. 4
young lieutenant was badly wounded by
hsf batteries, and spent all his spsre
time at ttls fest of thus fair Soathsrner,
who professed such sympathy with the
Union cause.
L9te one rainy pieht = sentinel pacing
back and forth before the stone front of
the Gray house heard faint but sharp
noise cutting the still air. Ii sounded
IKE the click OF telegraph instrument,
ard 1t seemed 10 coma from beneath his
fest. Greatly pcrpiexed, he called the
sergeant OF the guard. They listened
carefully, and presently we're joined by
the gallant lover Of Sailie Gray. Con-
.iction of treachery smote his neart, and
with the sergeant he unceromoniously
entered the Gray dwelling. Saliie and
her mother, despite the late hour, we're
bHsily sewing by table in tie sitting
room. The ladies roso in apparent sur-
fftd s.s - rasw.
intrusion.
step aside, IL you please" said the
sergeant.
"what does this mean?' asked Mrs.
GRAY, sharply.
Frank, ! appeal to you for protec-
tion,' cried the Young lady to the lieu
tenant.
That officer could only shake his hcad
and sternly wave her aside.
50 Yon are false, You have deceived
me-" he said hoarsely, al the girl who
had promised to be his bridesan sobbing
upon sofa.
The soldiers could hear the ticking
more plainly now. They moved the Ia
BILE, lifted the carpet and discovered a
trap-door leading to cellar of whose
existence they had no suspicion. a light
below was instantly quenched, but they
fearlessiy descended and discovered a
telegraph instrument with an insulated
wire running through the cellar wall,
and evidently passing beneath the river
to the enemy on the other side. Crouch
ing in a corner was the operator, q young
aud handsome man. who had never be
fore been seen about the house, having
lived for days / / the cellar.
You are my prisoner" from the ser
geant. brought the distressed vail from
poor Sallie Of My husband, oh, my
poor husbandr' when tho heart of tho
Union lieutenant went buck once more
to the girl he loft behind him.
But, notwithstanding the detection Of
this line of communication, the enemy
seemed TO know cf every movement OF
the Union troops. sit vas u nysfery to
tue officers how they gained the knowl-
edge. There were no more telegraph
wires and there was no more passing
across the river. Atiast the my stsry wa3
solved. Within tho Union lines, but in
sight Of the enemy, there stood low
frame house ocJnpied hy n negro who
did washing for the soldiers. He hung
his clothes to dry in the front yard; but
IL Was noticed that on the porch there
always hung three ii aanei shirts one
red. one white and one blue. The negro
said they were the Union colors. But
the shirts were not always in tile same
position, and suspicious sergeant Was
finally convinced that the negro used
them To signal across the Rappahan-
| nook. The arres. of the negro and the
ef1ectual nee of the shirts to deceive in
stead OF inform the enemy followed.