St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-09-03
Headquarters for Pemberton.

Headquarters for Pemberton.
burg, printed in The Century for September as
supplement to General Grants paper
May 9th-This morning the door
bell rang a startling peal. Martha be-
ing busy, answered it. An orderly
in gray stood with an official envelope
in his hand.
"Who lives here p
"Mr. l."
Very imperiously- (which Mr.. l.? p
"'Mr Il l."
SIS he here ?"
''No."
"Where can he be found ~
cat the Office of Deputy -"
'I'm not going there. This is an or
der from General PembertOn for yOu to
move ont of this house in two hours.
He has selected it for headquarters.
He will furnish you with wagons"
"Will he furnish another house 7"
''Of course not"
''Has the owner been consulted 2"
''He has not that is of no cOnse-
quence it has been taken. Take this
order" '....
81 shall not take it, and | shall not
move, as there is no place to move but
the street." .....
"Then III take it to Mr.. l."
every well, do so.n
AS soon as Mr.. Impertine walked off
locked, bolted, and barred every
door and window. In ten minutes
H came home. .........
''HOld the fort till Fve seen the
owner and the general" lie said, as
locked him out.
Then DIR. BIS remark in New
Orleans about the effect of DR.. C--'s
fine presence on the Confederate Of
fcials there came to my mind. They
are Just the people to be influenced in
that way, Thought. i look rather
shabby now !; will dress. made an
elaborate toilet, pnt on the best and
most becoming dress ] had, the richest
lace, the handsomcst ornaments, TAX
ing care that all should be appropriate
to morning visit ; dressed my hair in
the stateliest braids, and took IL seat in
the parlor ready for the fray. H
came to the window and said
Landlord says, keep them out.
Wouldn't let them have his honse at
any price He is just riding off to the
Pm going to see Major C, who sent
the order"
Next came an officer, banged at the
door till tired, and walked away.
Then the orderly came again and beat
the dOor-same result. Next, four
officers with bundles, and lunch bas-
kots, followed by a wagon load of fur
niture. They went ronnd the house,
tried every door, peeped in the win
dows, pounded and raped, while |
watched them through the blind-slats
Presently the latest one, IL real Fail
statfian man, came back to the front
door and rung Il laundering peal. |
saw the chance for fun and for putting
on their own grandiloquent style.
Stealing on tiptoe to the door, | turn
ed the key and bolt nOiselessly, and
suddenly threw wide back the door
and appeared behind it. He had been
leaning on it, and nearly pitched for
ward with IN "Oh what's this ~ Then
seeing me as he Strengthened up, "Ah,
madam !" almost suffering from sur
prise and anger, care yOu aware had
the right to break down this door if
you hadn't opened it !"
"That would make no difference to
me, I'm not the owner. You or the
landlord would pay the bill for the
repairs"
"Why didn't you open the door 2"
"IIave | not done SO as soon as you
rung? A lady does not open the door
to men who beat on it. Gentlemen
usually ring; | thought it might be
pounding"
"Well," growing much blander, eve
are going to send you some wagons to
move you must get ready"
''With pleasure, if you have selected
IL house for me. This is too large it
does not suit me-"
''No, l didn't find house for you"
"YOu surely don't expect me to run
about in the dust and Smelling to look
for it, and Mr.. l. is too busy"
''Well, madam, then we must share
the house. We will take the lower
IlOOr.n
II prefer to keep the lower floor
you surely don't expect me to
go up and down stairs when you are so
light and more able to do it,"
He walked through the hall, trying
the doors. "What room is that ?"-
The parlor." ''And this ?"-"My |
"And this P"-"The din
"Well, madam, wen find you Il
house and then come and take this"
"Tllank You, colonel; / shall be |
'eady when you find the house. Good
sir"
heard him say as he ran down the
steps, eve must go back, captain
you see didn't know they were this
Kind of people"