The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-10-07
HARDLY A ROMANCE.
A STORY WHICH WOULD BE IN
PROVED BY A LITTLE FICTION.


The Judge on Board an Ocean Steamer,
When Near Home, Tells About an In
teresting War Experience Which Was,
After All, Disappointing.
Fire island would be sighted the next
day if all went well, and the great
steamer rushed through the water as if
she were as anxious to reach her pier as
those whom she bore were to be at home
again. A little party Of men sat by
smokestack telling stories. The play of
the moonlight on the waves had turned
the narratives into rather sentimental
channels, and the judge, giving way to
the influence of the "lovers' lamp" told
the following story:
"You know / was colonel in the
Union army in the war. Well, early in
the struggle was ordered to Louisville,
where reported to General Don Carlos
Buell.. Instructions were given me to
go into camp with my regiment about
six miles south Of the city. The place
chosen for the encampment was the
lawn of fine country place, the home of
one of Kentucky's blueblooded old fam
lilies. The owners were known to be in
strong sympathy with the south, so we
had no computations about disfguring
the grounds by making orr temporary
home on them.
''On arriving at the farm / and some
of my officers rode up to the house to
arrange for such food as we could get
We found two young women, pretty as
pictures, awaiting us on the broad We
randa. They had seen the preparations
for pitching the tents, and were evil
IDENTIFY not pleased. dismounted, made
my best bow and explained that the ext
gencies of war compelled us to camp on
their lawn. l assured them that the
soldiers would inconvenience them as
little as possible.
"The two listened to my little speech
with looks of anger, and the taller one
snapped out: You shall not camp ON
were here we didn't have cream for our
coffee for two weeks and we don't pro-
pose to stand it again.
"We soldiers, accustomed to pretty
rough fare, could not help laughing at
this, and the flush on the faces of the
wemen grew hotter. l FASTENED to
apologize and to say again that we
would be as considerate as the necessi-
ties of war permitted. Then we rode to
our tents.
1.-The next morning visited the house
again to see about getting some proYi-
sions. The young women were still
naughty, but / did my best to soften
their antipathy. did save them much
annoyance and they could not help being
grateful. Somehow found occasion to
visit the house daily, and sometimes l
managed to conjure up a second pretext
before bedtime. At the end of week
the sisters regarded me more as an indi-
vidual and less as a Union officer, for |
studiously avoided referring to the war.
Once or twice the elder one told me
with flashing eyes what would happen
to our men when they met Confederate
force on the battlefield. Her brother
was captain in General Humphrey
Marshalls army, and she warned me
against getting within rifle shot of his
regiment.
"We got on swimmingly on the whole,
however, and / confess l grew more
than little fond of the spirited girl.
In little while the order came to move
on to eastern Kentucky, and 1 felt I'M
commonly sad when I rode up to the
house to tell the young ladies goodby.
I imagined there was a slight sign of
emotion in the elders pretty face when
I told the news, but it disappeared al
most instantly. Holding out her hand
to me she said frankly: 'Goodby, colo
mel. l am really sorry to see you go.
You are not so bad-for a Yankee.
Please avoid my brother. You might
get into trouble
81 laughed. Would you like to see
your brother? l asked.
"'Oh, yes. Why do you ask? she said,
puzzled.
"'Well, I'll send him TO see you then.
It was her turn to laugh, and she said
mockingly, You'd better look out when
he's in the same county with you. |
rode away, the tones, but not the words,
ringing in my ears.
"Not long afterward my regiment was
in eastern Kentucky. One night two of
our men brought in prisoner. He had
carelessly wandered outside his lines
and been captured. A handsome young
fellow he certainly was, with the bear
ing of cavalier. What is your name?
asked him.
"'Captain -, of the - Kentucky +,
he replied.
II was all excitement, but tried tC
speak in calm tones. 'Doyou live about
six miles south of Louisville? I asked
to make assurance doubly sure. He
said with some surprise that he did
The next day arranged that the pris
oner should be paroled. I said that
knew his family and would vouch fol
his honor. He was allowed to go home
after giving the usual pledge. l merely
explained to him that I had met his sis
tiers, and asked him to tell them tina
Colonel -, of the - Minnesota, hai
sent him. He said he would, and started
for Louisville"
There was silence for time FINAL,
some one said, "Well?'
The judge had been looking out owe
the ocean. He turned toward the speaker
II suppose you married the sister," wen
on the man.
''It's odd that every one who hears tn
story should ask that" the judge said
mo; never went back to Kentuck