Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-06-04

4
his toes into the grass, ''r"ther handsome
girl that up there"
The old man seems to have discovered
that" Bob responded. See him doing the
sweet on her, will you"
sSWen. he is" Comb Clipped in, but he
isn't making much headway, gather from
the expression on her lovely countenance"
The General was doing the suave polite,
for which he was famous, and getting little
in return but crisp nonosyllables.
1t does not require much time to prepare a
meal in Virginia. Ham and eggs, with hot
biscuits, make the substantials, while sticky,
indigestible sweets, called preserves, form
the entrees The General and staff were soon
called to table, and ate with the hearty relish
of hungry men After tho supper had been
| disposed of the General called his aide, Bob
! Ellersly, to one side and said:
81 have a rather pleasant duty for you,
Bob" -
"An right General, the pleasanter the
better"
'.It is one, Lieutenant, continued the COM
mander, ''of extreme delicacy, and trust to
your tact to carry it to successful issue.
Now, don't let any of your boyish impulses
make you blunder. Yousee that young lady
on the porchF'
81 believe l noticed her,"
well, for the next ten days, OF until fur
ther orders, you must not permit her to get
out Of your sight. You must do this deli
cately, for she is the niece of the most prom
inent and important loyalist of Baltimore.
1t will not do to offend her, for the whole
affair may be mistake after all"
''What is the affair, GeneralP
''SimplY this: the secretary of war writes
me that all the papers concerning the coming
campaign in Virginia were stolen from the
department and traced to Clara Willis, of
Baltimore. Miss Clara has since disappeared,
but there is every reason to believe that she
is someHh here in the Shenandoah valley try
ing to communicate with the enemy. This
is the girl, Bob, am satisfied 1 worried
enough out of the landlord to convince me 1
am right. Put guard about the house so
no one can enter or leave without your per-
mission, and keep your eye on her."
'But, General, this is difficult If am
not to make her prisoner, how am to
actF
'Make love to her, Bob" said his COM
nander. with twinkle in his eve. ''Sacri-
iceyourself on the altar of your country. She
IS woman, and devilish pretty one, and,
therefore, may be wooed; she is a woman,
and, therefore, may be won" So saying
the brigadier ordered horses, and Bob heard
them rattling off in the moonlight, leaving
him to execute his diplomatic mission.
Calling Corporal Bang, Bob directed him
to place a guard in front of the house, and
another in the rear, with orders to permit
no one to enter or leave, man, woman or
child, without his the Lieutenant's) orders
''Do you know, Corporal, what has be-
come of the young lady who was seated on
the porch before supperF'
''She skooted up stairs, Lieutenant, and
every swish of her petticoats had a secesh
cuss in it. She Lit up the corner room, 1
calculate
Every well; you have your orders"
"All right, Lieutenant
Bob Ellersly seated himself in the vacated
arm chair and smoked his briar wood pipe
in the moonlight, revolving over and over in
his mind the strange duty imposed upon
him. He was interested, and yet did not
like the business. Young, ardent and ambi-
hous, he thought of his comrades riding off
to glory, while he remained behind to cir
cumvent a woman. Bouncing from his
chair, he walked the rough boards of the old
porch impatiently. Suddenly he descended
the steps and stood under the trees, gazing
up at that corner of the room occupied by
the enemy. Country taverns are not graced
with curtains, but something of the sort had
been improvised for this apartment, and he
could only see a shadow of the inmate, pass
ing and repassing, as if she, too, was restless
and impatient.
As he stood leaning against tree in the
moonlight he presented as handsome figure
as one would care to see. The broad shoul-
ders, swung over slender hips, held over
them head in which youth and manhood
contended for the mastery. His face was
boyish when at rest but when animated he
seemed to take on years in the way of ex-
preston which, added to his soldierly bearing,
impressed his comrades as one capable of any
duty. Left an orphan at an early age, with
small property, on which he had been edu-
Gated, he stood alone in the world He had
not, he said, relation that he knew of on
earth. $50 much the better, T" grunted cynical
Comb; eff you have poor relations you fear
they will want to borrow your money, or get
hung; if you have rich ones they are sure to
get into congress, or the penitentiary, and
worry the life out of you. Relations are
nuisances"
The next morning Ellersly informed Bang
in the presence of the landlord that they
had been left to look after the forwarding of
important dispatches from the front, and
with an orderly rode to M. He was
scarcely out of sight before an ancient gig,
that wabbled in the wheels and groaned in
the body, as if afflicted with combined old
age and sciatica, was drawn in front by an
animated hat-rack for horse. The negro
driver stopped at the foot Of the steps and
DUR heroine, fully prepared for jaunt,
seated herself by the colored boy. When
he horse was turned toward the road the
private on guard brought his musket down
before the horses nose and arrested the
| concern.
What's the meaning of thisF' demanded
the girl
Cant go, that's ALL"
''Call your corporal; Iwant to know the
meaning af this outrage"
Corporal Bang stepped to the front.
''What is the reason for this detention"
she continued
Them as gives orders has reasons; them
as gets orders has bayonets," sententiously
responded Bang
There was no help for it. With. flushed
cheeks and firm, set mouth, the girl de
scended from the vehicle and entered the
house. Every step was protest. The an
cient gig was restored to its maiSon de sant6,
and the hat-rack of a horse to its stall At
noon Ellersly returned, and learned of the
attempted escape. After dinner, while
smoking his pipe, the suspected girl ap-
| preached him
Il attempted to drive out this morning,
sir" she said Indignantly, ''and was arrested
by your men. Am 1 to understand that 1