Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-02-19

that 3 refreshing bath and nap, with
supper afterward, restored my fading
energies.
At the supper table met Miss Stewart,
q prep0ssessing young lady, very hand
some and dashing. Mrs. Stewart un-
locked . cabinet, and taking thcrefrom
q pistol handed it to her daughter, and
another she placed in her own belt. She
! said TO me: Now, Mrs. McGhee, my
daughter and myself are ready to 90 with
| you. The doctor is not able TO 60 out
after dark. We will do our best to de-
fend and protect you.
It was necessary to make the crossing
at night. The carriage, driven by faith
full old servantof Mrs. Stewart, proceeded
slowly through the woods. We were
mostly silent or smoke in low tone. My
own reflections were full of anxiety and.
perhaps, fear as we went on and on
through the dark forest damp with dews
and weird and solemn enough for q
funeral pail for all the dead slain in the
war. 1t was after midnight when we
stopped. A signal was given. and almost
Immediately voice said: "AIl right,
Mrs. Stewart" We waited perhaps ten
minutes, when we were joined by .
gentleman to whom Mrs. Stewart ex-
planned our wishes.
TO my regret he said it was too late to
make the attempt that night. But he
would be glad to have me remain at
his house until the next night, when he
said he would put me across himself On
his assurance that his wife would be glad
to have me accepted his invitation.
Bidding Mrs. Stewart and her lovely
daughter good by, with many thanks for
their care and kindness, parted from
them forever
The next night I crossed safely to the
northern shore of the Potomac. We
rowed into one of many creeks to the
house of aSouthern gentleman, through
whose kindness / was enabled to reach
Port Tobacco. ten miles distant, the next
day. There took the stage for Wash
ington city. Hanging on now reached
Baltimore the next morning worn out
with fatigue and excitement.
My friends, who were strongly south
ern in sympathy, received me with de-
light, and after a fortnight of rest,
having succeeded entirely in carrying
out my plans to my satisfaction, took
the train for Somerset. on the eastern
shore of Maryland, where waited some
days for an opportunity to cross. /
finally took passage in small boat that
piled between Somerset. on the Mary
land side, to Northumberland on the
Virginia side. Before we were out of
Tangier's sound a terrible storm arose.
Fearing that the boat would be swamped
our captain ran her up in the marshes.
The next morning the tide had left us in
the mud.
The captain and the only other pas
senger beside myself, a gentleman,
secreted themselves in the woods near
by; but the mud was so deep that I
could not get out, and concealed as well
as could in the boat. passed the long
day with nothing but few crackers to
eat. When at last we found ourselves
afoat again, we discovered that we were
the objects of much curiosity to several
fishing smacks who were returning from
days work. So we cruised around
waiting for darkness before attempting
to run across, pretending to be pleas
ure party out for row on the sound
1t was sad mockery on a pleasure
party; afraid of being captured, waiting
for the blessed cover of night to make
the perilous run.
We were off at last. The bav was
very rough, but we rapidly neared the
Virginia shore. A gunboat was lying
at the mouth of the little creek where It
was our intention to land. / had two
large trunks filed with my own pur-
chases, beside innumerable parcels,
letters. ETC., sent by friends to absent
ones in the South. Naturally filed with
the most intense anxiety, tried to cheer
myself with the reflection that there was
no political complication mixed up with
my GRAND, which had been from first to
last of q private and personal nature.
summoned what fortitudc and phil
osophy l could to my aid, and sat il the
stern with bated breath and rigid form,
silent prayer in my heart, while onr
little boat, with muffied oars, moved
silently under the very bows of the gum
boat. One shuddering glance gave to
the grim outlines as we sped noiselessly
by and closed my eyes to shut out the
gloomy looking thing that seemed to
threaten by its ominous shadow. Within
twenty minutes-it seemed as many
hours-we ran into the mouth of the lit
tie creek. After ascending it about three
miles the keel grated on the sand, and
knew was on Virginia soil once more.
We landed our baggage, and after
some trouble we found house where
rest and bath and comforts of all kinds
were secured. We waited for an opDortu-
nifty of securing conveyance. Fortune
favored as during the next day, and we
drove on over the country until we