Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-11-15
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BRING y ngnt.
Running back to the hall, he returned
with candle. Holding it up, it showed
a face of marble.
Leading my prisoner to the living
room, I told the sentry to watch her
every moment till my RETURN then
made for the generals tent
General" I called.
"Well?"
'"Miss Beach, caught her stealing
through the hall. She went to the
kitchen and was evidently about to
burn a paper, when stopped her." 7
"Where is she now?"
''At the house under guard
He got up and went with me to the
house. We found Miss Beach seated in
chair, her head resting on her arms
on a table, the sentry watching her.
I noticed for the first time that she
kept her right hand tightly closed. She
looked up at the general with a wild,
hunted look. In his own face there was
an unexplained dread.
'Have you searched her, lieutenant? ?"
mo, general"
"Open your hand, Margaret" he said
to her.
BY this time she had risen and stood
before us at bay.
"Open your hand" the general re-
peated.
She opened her left hand and tossed
paper ball on the floor. The general
picked it up and began to open it-no
easy task, since the paper was very
thin and tightly compressed.
Hold the light here"
I took the candle from the sentry
and held it over the generals shoulder.
His face suddenly became white as a
cloth.
"Burnside's defenses, with every d.
vision, brigade, battery, laid down in
red ink on tissue paper!"
I looked at Miss Beach to note the
effect of the discovery, expecting her to
drop in faint. What was my surprise
to see instead relieved expression, as
though she had escaped great danger!
The general was standing with the
paper in his hands, holding the light,
the sentry back, the girl facing us all.
For few moments there was complete
silence. I shall never forget it's break
ing. The general spoke. His tone was
one in which he might have pronounced
his own death-sentence.
"You have committed the gravest Of
Tense known in war;"
He turned and left the room, motion
ing me to follow him. Leaving Miss
Beach in charge Of the sentry, went
with him to his tent. It was some time
before he could gather his faculties to
speak.
1.-The commanding general is right"
he said, at last; "they are going to
crush Burnside.'
"Why so, general?'
"straws show which way the wind
blows. Why should they wish plans of
the works at Knoxville, if they are not
intending to attack them?''
"But Miss Beach," said, more inter-
ested in her than in the military situa-
ton.
Had we not caught her in the act slo
would have been in Bragg's camp before
tomorrow morning.
What shall do with her?"
"Confne her in one of the rooms on
the top floor, and let her have no com.
munication with anyone"
When I went back to the house ;
found the girl walking to and fro in the
hall, while tears were silently flowing.
conducted her upstairs, feeling that l
had fallen from the high degree of an
officer of the army to the mental posi-.
ton OF a common jailer. Opening the
door, l stood beside it, and, taking of
my cap, waited for her to pass In. AS
she did so she extended her hand to me.
looking at me gratefully through her
tear-dimmed eyes. AS I took her hand
l said: "Good night. I would like to
wish you a pleasant rest, but I know
it would only be mockery to do So"
She passed in without a reply. I
closed the door, went downstairs, threw
myself on the sofa, and, after tossing
till the gray of dawn, fell asleep.