The morning news., 1899-01-01
HOW POLLY SAVED THE SCOUT.
4 True story From virelnIn.

Walter Scotts. stories from the time she
could read, had always longer for excite
ment and adventures; now she had a great
deal more of them than she wanted. Her
home in Culpepper county, Virginia. was
near the very center of the battle-ground
between the Union and Confederate
armies; so near the Brandy station that
the roar Of the cannon echoed through che
house, and the smoke of the battle was
plainly to be seen.
Her father and her brothers were in the
southern army. But she ana her mother
remained in the old homestead. A few
OF their old slaves stin clung 20 them, no
tably Polly's nanny and her husband,
VINO, trusted and confidential house ser
wants, had never felt the yoke of slavery
as calling. What they could have done
without NANNY Polly never dared TO
think
She came into the dining room. where
Polly was washing the dishes, after the
frugal dinner, u meal which her mother,
suffering with an acute attack of neural
gia, was too i'll to share.
wen. honey" she said "Yo' ma pears
TO be easy now l give her a hot foot
bath an a mustard plarster, an she went
to sleep, so | put the bell whar she could
tech it, an c~ep' out. ] reckon / mout
as well take my ole man his dinner"
Nanny went to the window and looked
out, craning her neck to catch a glimpse
of the drive leading 10 the front of the
house. Great Marster," said She
Here's Yankee officer rldin' up to the
do. You keep still. chile, while l so an
sees what he wants"
In a moment she was back smiling, fol-
lowed by a young man in the uniform Of
a United States lieutenant, whose Hello.
Pollyr startled her so that she dropped
the cup she was wiping on the floor She
looked at it ruefully, then her face lit up.
"Why Frankr she exclaimed, where
did you come from"
"Stuarts headquarters, of course I
want to find out what Sheridan is doing.
I've a letter for your mother from the
major. Can you get me a mouthful to
eat?"
''It won't be much more" said Polly, as
she set out the remains of the dinner as
quickly as possible Mamma has one
of her bad attacks of neuralgia. oh,
Frank. how are papa and brother Ned,
and Jack?'
Can well and hourishing two days ago;
why, this does famously, Polly" and he
set to work at bread and butter, beef and
potatoes with the hearty relish OF hun
CRY traveller
NANNY udA tdhttl liit ltNlNt VI cNbli0y
sure that no other medicine would do Mrs.
Cunningham SO much good. Now she rush
ed back ashy with fright For de Lawd' s
sake Mars Frank run out de back do.
Here comes a whole troop of Yankees"
mo, Frankr said Polly. who had flown
to the back window as he started up, and
soizing hat and overcoat, made for the
door, They are coming that way, too.
Qucki here UP stairs! | can hide your'
9 1 N.s.Nr
stories high. with sloping roof; and where
the newer two-storied front joined it. on
either side, were closets in the wall They
had been wainscotted, instead CT plastered,
ana one of them had been given to Polly
in her babyhood for a dollhouse. After
reaching Woodstock. Polly had begged her
father for a sliding panel in this closet,
opening into the cuddy under the caves
of the old house.
Mrs Cunningham had protested, saying
it would only be a rathole and do Poiiy no
good, but her husband had laughed and
yielded. 1T was as good as any other toy, "
he said, and under Polly's supervision a
country carpenter had done the job, so
cleveily that no one not in the secret would
have suspected the existence OF the panel
or found the spot, looking like a knot in
the wood, which concealed the spring.
Frank, visiting the house as a boy, had
often teased little Polly about her secret
chamber, and like her brothers. had beg
ged valnly 10 be shown the spring; but
it had passed from his mind until now.
when opening the closet she pressed back
the panel and showed him the cuddy as a
place of refuge. A moment more and the
panel shot back into place; the closet door
was shut, and he heard her quick foot
steps flying down stairs. The cuddy was as
dark as a pocket. but larger than he had
imagined, and the smen of provisions gave
token that il was used as a place Of stor-
age in view of frequent foragng parties
from both sides.
Polly found two United States officers
in the han down stairs, talking 10 nanny
who was barefacedly declaring that there
was no one in the house but her mistress,
her young mistress and herself
AS Polly entered the lieutenant in com
mand of the squad turned to her. Good
afternoon, Missy. We have reason to be-
lieve that the notorious scout and Spy
| Twyneman is in this house. We captured
his horse down there In the bushes, and
we must search the house"
Polly paled, but she answered steadily
| "Of course, you can do so if you choose
but you will find nobody here May l ask
you 10 make no unnecessary noise; my
| mother is Ill, and l don't want her fright
ened. Nanny, go stay with her, please"
But nanny stood her ground. mo
chile, tole her dey was comm, an she
tole me to stay wild YOU
The searching party INDOORS looked In
every room, in wardrobes, closets, under
beds, everywhere that a cat might hide
while outside their comrades kept guard
over doors and windows. Polly5 closet
was opened wide, among the others bui
| the presence of the panel was not sus-
pected and she kept her face as immov-
able as that of the sphinx. once she hared
up. This Is an outrage. sir" she said
when she found that her mothers room
was 10 be searched. "Our orders are i'm.
perative" answered the lieutenant calm
Iy. Boys, stay outside Excuse me-
madam. but we are looking for Twyneman
and cannot leave any possible hiding place
unsearched."
Every WELL" answered Mrs. Cunning
ham. rising to her feet in spite of the
binding pain. "When you are sure that
ne is not on the lounge I should like to
lie down aealn. BE quiet, Polly don
you know they are only doing their duty?'
ana so the soldiers withdrew, baffied and
disappointed.
"Ie has got off, somehow. boys" but
l. ,rr, IL, tho hptraa 9fI tt,.. CO., -,