Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Secret Service Girl.
lOriginel.l

Women are the worst enemies we
have 10 meet in war" | said. If l
were a general. Id have a corps of wo-
men TO defeat the schemes OF women of
the opposite side Men are no match
for them
.'Kinsey,' Collins protested. you were
always a woman hater. The stories of
how southern women carried informa-
tiou are all rubbish. | never saw nor
heard Of any of it. l married n south
ern girl"
Il experienced it," l went on. at
was in the early summer of 1862.
was then second lieutenant of caval-
~ and on duty at Pulaski. Tenn. with
a picket guard on one of the turnpikes
leading northward. We were stationed
some five miles out OF town on Il crest,
so that could look either back TO town
or up the pike. OF course had orders
TO let no one go through except those
who had passes. Well, one morning.
looking back to Pulaski, l saw a wag-
on coming loaded with furniture, and
when il reached me l noticed that a
woman. a very pretty young woman.
was driving it. The major was in COM
mand of that part of the picket line
and happened to be ut our post at the
time
I'm going moth, said the lady. I'm
tired of this war country. I'm Il moth
n woman anyway. and I'm going to
join my friends in Ohio
LET me see your pass said the ma
jor.
Haven't any pass; didn't know I'd
have to get one.
You can't go on without Il pass
Il was standing directly behind the
major. and the woman was looking
right over him to me. She was little
more than girl. and I sympathiZed
with her. I didn't see any reason why
ten miles should be added to the jour
ney of n northern woman trying TO get
out of the south. | gave her the wink
and, suddenly pushing forward. threw
my arms around her neck and kissed
her. eXclaiming:
why. Alice. who would ever have
thought of meeting you here?'
''She twigged 1t once and received my
Caress without making any fuss. Then
turned and introduced my cousin. AL
ice Warfield. This fixed matters. The
major not only passed her through. but
gave me permission to accompany her
some distance up tie pike. | rode by
her. she thanking ne with the sweetest
of words and the most hOneyed smiles
for saving her the trouble of going
back for her pass. l asked her ut what
point in Ohio her people lived. but she
said she'd never been there herself and
didn't seem to know much about it.
She explained this by saying that she'd
lived in the south ever since she was
ten years old.
We'll. we were riding through wood
when I heard Gathering of the hoofS
of many horses. We become accuStom-
ed to noticing small things in war. and
| couldn't understand how the coming
such it must be-madc no
din Of saberS. Our men always wore
sabers. but the southerners didn't. Sud
denly | saw between the trees n Con
federate flag coming. | was about TO
turn when the girl in the wagon whip
ped out revolver and called on me to
throw up my hands. | was too late
anyway. for the corners We're right on
me. so | Oheyed her order.
When the troopers came up. it turned |
ebrated Confederate partisan leader. !
was in command. He took off his hat |
TO the girl in the wagon. with whom |
he was evidently well acquainted.
For heavens sake he exclaimed. !
what are You doing with all that fur |
niture?
The girl laughed. 1 tried hard to |
get pass to come out to meet you. but |
the Yanks were too smart for me. so | |
played the northern woman trying 10 |
go home. This gentleman helped me |
through by owning me for lis cousin. |
But. general. there's a Yankee wagon |
train at Pulaski. and I've taken nj! |
this trouble to come out and tell you. |
There's a sRsall guard. and you can /
EASILY capture the whole kit
" General I said. take me south. |
please. somewhere. anywhere. where /
rather go to Libby than meet one of |
en- I
The general laughed. but was
obliged TO go with him back to Pulaski /
The girl left her household effects in /
farmyard OH the road and. mounting a |
horse. rode back with us. guying me |
pleasantly all the way
That was the way John Morgan
came TO know of the wagon train being !
al Pulaski. He drove off the guard and
after helping himself to what supplies
ne wanted burned the rest"
by Jove," exclaimed Collins. "She
was plueky girl. wasn't she?''
Yes. and there were plenty more OF
he same sort in the south. I have Of
Ten wondered if the girl ever married.
Her husband might expect to wake up
any night with the cold muZzle of a
revolver on his temple
At that moment Mrs. Collins entered.
Ind her husband rose. as I did also. to
introduce me. ! started. and Mrs. Col
ins looked AT me scrutinizingly. She
vas the girl who had tricked me.
Colonel Kinsey. my dear. has been
telling me Il cock and a bull story
about