Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-05-17

bchln0 me, StAItt0 up @""
where | stood. exclaimed, excitedIy' but
still in a low voi,-;
pardon me, sir. I do not know what
you must think of this strange meeting
but, indeed, | could not speak in any
other way with any Of You at head
quarters, and yet ! felt must tell you
what | know. Mary told me you were
kind. and she knew you would never let
it be known how or when you earned
what l shall tell you, orof this meeting
You will not, will you?'
FASTENED to tell the young lady that
whatever was the nature or the result
Of what she wished TO disclose h
would never be known in the affair,
provided could not help adding
left the house as unseen as had entered
it
She treasured me on this point by IN
forming me that her uncle and aunt
with whom she lived as their adopted
daurhter--had retired an hour ago; that
Mary, her W maid, whom she could
trust implicitly, would let us know II
any one was disturbed while was IN
the house, and would finally see me safe
out again. And then, we having seated
ourselves on the sofa. she told her story.
1t was a long one, but II may be
summed up as follows:
Her uncle and aunt were SeceSSlohiStS
as. in fact, were almost all the resi-
dents of the city-and their house was
a sort of headquarters for all sympa-
thizers. 1t was from there that most OF
the mail was exchanged, and from there
packages of quinine, gun caps and other
supplies of great value but small onIk
we're made up and sent through our
lines in charge of small farmers and
others who were always passing In anu
ont.
With such operations l was toleraoly
familiar, having seized many such ar
ticles while in transit; but ! now
learned that in spite of all our precau'
tons the rebels were well informed IN
regard to our numbers and the DISPOSE
ton of our forces in and about the city,
and that a well-arranged attack on our
defenses had been matured, and while
this was taking place a concentrated
effort would be made by certain resi-
dents to burn the city over u heads.
at is this attack upon the the-thd
the defenses OF the city | wish to pre-
vent, if possible" the young lady con
cluded. Il do not hesitate TO say that
up to this time ! have aided my friends
in the Confederacy as much as could
but in this plan to attack-you-all-
hereto burn the city can not sympa'
thize. want to prevent it if possible
1t took me a long time to note down
the particulars of the plot, and when
rose to go a church clock near at hanl
tolled the hour of one a. N. The youn.
lady started at the sound and h~astenln:
to the door outside OF which Mary wa.
!. supposed to be on watch, found he
/, asleep on the carpet.
. When she was fairly awake again an'
! ready to pilot me out, | turned to he
mistress and said;
, You have shown great courage 70
! night and have done US a great service
Let me, therefore, before | 60, ask yol
one question. Why have you, a South
ern girl, taken this great risk to tell m
a of this AFFAIR."
q She drew her hand away Somehow,
had got hold OF it,, and said in a lo'
voice:
"You must not ask me that please
| can not tell you now. Perhaps BE-
y, fore LONG, hope before long-you ma
. know. am a southern girl. as you sa,
All-yes, ALL love are in the Sout
:, now But one the dearest-has not a
. WAYS been here. lie l began
suspect something and could not he'll
, grinning q little. ''lou smile" she col
=, tinued, blushing prettily. You must M
! ask me to say more. Good nigh
Heavens. What's that?' she Suddenl
added, some one in the lower hall?'
There was without doubt, for Il
/. tramp of heavy feet was heard and Il
: sound Of a rough voice. As the your
u lady and | gszed blankly at each othe
Mary hastily entered and whispere
excitedly;
" "Lawd sabe us.-de patrool's at
-, doah! Dcy's banging away to wake
ny de ole massa; and heah you is, cap
and dah's Miss Jooly an heah | is-a
=. -an'-oh, do hide you'self, cap'n.'
Then she ran to a sort of wardrobe
- one side of the room. 'lleah,' S
or whispered, you scrooge in dab!
=, keys inside. You hol' de doah fl
~, shut; dey won't look in dab TO anybo
~ eff dey do come up heah."
knowing that it would never do to
Is. found where | was by any one, | stepp
y. into the wardrobe ut was a tig
no squeeze to get in9 and held the dc
ready to close. Then Mary said to
". mistress:
he We'll make blieve ives Jest got
10. III pull off some my cloze-turn
nd light down, please-now den,' A
an making some hasty change in her tot
arc she ran into the hall in her bare feet.
al. BY this time the uncle and aunt
been fully aroused, and we could h,
n, the voice Of the former angrily
al handing the cause of the disturbance
wn Its the patrol, sir Il recognii
os. the voice OF one Of my sergeants).
civ were going the rounds-saw your &
open and the front door ajar. Ord
ON are, sir, from the provo marshal, It
re. was mel to look out for the safety Of
rod private houses. Thought itstrange to
the house open this time O night-ca
,et. 10 see If any thing was the matter, S
On 1.-THE door open, you say?' exclair
the the uncle. 'How's that? Whe
the Mary? o! there you areas NJ;
to half dressed, came part way do
stairs. whats the meaning OF t
ook you jade"
.ge. BLESS us, massa," answered Mary
lite, q terrified voice, II mus a done 6
and forgot dat doah! Pears to me, too, 1
,ate did fast'n EN- bout lebben o'clock.
was 90 ask Miss Jooly." And she retrei
ade upstairs.
" of about eleven,' roared the old 7
the What the Dickens were you d,
With down here at that hour? Pill
he checked himself and turning to
d in sergeant said: 81 thank you for
ane, watchfulness; IL is all a piece of
re- lessness on the part of the servants.
. APP settle with them in the morning.
you good night"
as The sergeant, as no moved ava.
MET. fercd in the handsomest mamie
was search the house to see il some stra
10 60 was not lurking on the premises: