Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-09-27
ALL BUT A HEROINE,
The Mysteries That Seized a Nash
vile Widow
lust in the Nick Of Time to Save Rebel
Spy from Capture---facing a Re-
VolVer in the Hands Of
Painting Woman.
Detroit Free PreSS.

eTOng enough W SaptuA0 wv
Schofeld wasn't strong enough to come out
and so matters stood until Grant GOULD seno
I'D Thomas with reinforcements and take
aggressive.
Il was during this period of inactivity that
| was sent into Nashville to observe what
the Union forces were doing, and pick up
tuch points as might be of value to General
Bood. While scouting Is dangerous nun
the scout who turns spy doubles his risks
and dangers at once
Il was Ieft for me to decide what charac-
ter should take, and twenty-four honrs a.
ter my talk with the general was IN Nssn-
Vile. had turned farmer, and | went IN
with horse and buggy. had corn to sell
the ousrtermaster, and the reason wasn't
in the rebel army was because ct my being
stiff in the left leg and so nigh-sighted that
nv eyes were good for no'hin' at all atter
dark. | had to do little practi2lng to
keep my knee stiff and git natural limp to
my gsit, and the nigh-sighted olzness had
10 be worked up and kept in mind.
1t was well for me that | had plausible
story ready cooked for was at once taken
before the provost marshal and questioned
IN the sbarpest manner. / lived eighteen
miles away; l bad 400 bushels OF corn TO
sell; | hadn't fit on either side; voted
erin secession. This was my story, aud al,
ter browbeatipg me fur a spell l was turned
locse TO fnd the quartermaster and MAKE
bargain with him.
The city was biin' full of refugees and
there was heap OF confusion and excite
ment. 1t seemed as if one might move
about under such circumstances and not be
suspected, but l didn't want to take any
chances, was hunting up q stoppin place
when lit upon quiet street and had the
luck to hit
"A Home Kept by a Widow.
There were only FIVE or six boarders, and
none of these belonged to the army. There
were two women, two Yankee cotton-buyers,
a store clerk or two and myself Says, the
widsw 10 NE as paid her three days board
in advance:
"If any one should ask your business in
town should | say that you were specula-
tor"
NO, marin. Jist remark to the effect
that am John Stetson, farmer, and that
I'm tim III sell forage to the Yankees.
You seem lame"
rSartin, marin. This ere stiff knee has
viutered and summered with me for goin on
twelve years.
And are your eyes weakS
Powerful marin. / manage to poke
around fairly we'll By daylight, but after sun.
down l m no good. l kin see to get around
but that's all Weakness Of the eyes Is
great stliction. marin"
1t was in the forenoon that | engaged
board With the widow, and | was promptly
at hand st dinner and supper. The other
boarders scarcely gave me a second look,
each one apparently satisfied with the hrSt,
but l must say that dinner was not yet over
when it struck NE that the widow was
mighty ipuuisitive woman for such times as
those, She wanted to know all about my
farm and family and naburs, aud somehow
it didn't seem as if my answers exactly
suited her. Howsumeysr, | dismissed her
fro m nv mind with dinner, and durin' the
afternoon was too busy to remember how
she bad questioned me.
| spent the day wandering about and tax
ing notes and posting myself as far as POS
sible on the strength Of the army and the
SORT Of offences being thrown up. did not
60 out after supper, which meal was served
By lsDpGght, gnd at an early hour went of
10 bed. The room given me bad been sort
Of upstairs store-room tor the house. A
bit of carpet had been laid on the floor and
a bed put up, and while things were toler-
ably clean there was a bare and lonesome
look TO things Howsumever it was war
times. and thousands would have reckoned
themselves well off to secure SIGH quarters
had gone to my room earl y, not because
l was sleepy, but | wanted to look over my
notes Bit and rewrite them on thin paper
and secrete them where they could not be
readily found in case of my arrest. Natur-
ally sUpposing myself safe from all eyes,
Let Up on the Limp
which had carefully stuck to all day, and
By the light of very poor lamp set about
nv writing When this was fnifhed | roll
ed the paper into small wad and placed it
in the buttons of my coat, which was hol-
lowed out for the purpose. Th is operation
had Just been coucladed when the door OF
nv room-it had no lock-was opened, and
the widow walked in. She had revolver
in her hand, and advancing within five feet
of NE she covered my head with the weapon
and sneeriDgly exclaimed:
"You got rid of that stiff knee very quick
", didn't you! So farmers who want to sell
corn write letters and hide them in but
tons"
She had been watching me.
Il suspected you from the FIRST" she went
on, and l have plenty Of proofs that you
are q retel spy. I'm going to escort you
down stairs and give you up
While she was talking was thinking aud
planning She bad me at the muzzle Of q
cooked revolver, but her first word showed
that she was worked up to high pitch OF
excitement aud was on the point Of hyster-
let. NV cue wss to excite her still further.
when did you enlist in the business OF
spy-catchingY / asked as | turned to the
button again"
81 know you are spy-I know tive
watched you! she graspsd, while the revoE
yer began to wobble about.
And suppose | ann
81 arrest YOU'LL give you up-Pl have
you shot Come, sirH
oh, psbswP
"If you don't I'll shoot! Goout-go down
stsirs"
"Humph."
"rn call for belp-rll-Fll-
And down she fell in dead faint, the re-
volver gathering on the floor, but not being
discharged. She had Get OF to be heroine
and turned out to he q woman.
You may guess didn't stop.long. Ipicked
up the weapon as souvenir, walked down
stairs and out of doors, and within an hour
| had found safe shelter aud adopted .
new disguise. was in the city for three
full days after that. bat heard nothing fur
Their from the window. While she might
have been satisfied as TO my identity she
made no n port 70 the authorities. She prob
~ "a, 49, 10 ,u,e,,l1 raca;sa mora rida !