The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-03

was proud of me as well as sorry for inc. And those words ran in my head, and, together with my great youth and my experience, went good way to keeping my spirits and my courage when some months later the enemy came and took possession of the whole house, and making masters on the | farm. made us all realize that war is war.
 They were as evil to me as would let them be. remember being both yexed and hurt by the colonel's indul- gence toward me. It seemed to me that he looked upon me as a mere child (which very probably he did. And yet, in a certain way, they mortified me the very first day by locking up the steward in his own room, and leaving l me to be both master and steward to l the. whole places as best T might It l was not nearly so trying as you might I think 1t would be, for somehow, when ! the enemy is, in the country, you shake l off from your shoulders the whole load I of daily cares. ,, F. .E.. l As I stood waiting for Soren that afternoon the men and horses came | home from the field, and as watched I these "men"-who either boys or White- I haired, all the real men being with the army--my heart misgave me. To \ whom could trust my message? \ Soren himself when he came. did not give me such sympathy as I had looked for from him. He had the soldiers dis like of civilians meddling with the | war" ~.. "Very well, Soren," I said angrily, | "let us pull our blanket over our heads \ not to hear them start to kill our | men," i" ''' l And then I turned my back upon | him and made believe that I was going l back into the house. But Coren stopped me, as thought he would, and said I that he would speak to the boys, and l try to get one of them off with mes sage. Tt won't be easy, mann, for he I will have to wait till they have all I gone to roost, and then he will need 8 l horse to take him there in time.' \ But you will manage it, Soren?" said. \ 'T'll tell you when we have had our supper, ma 'am," was all the promise \ Soren would give me. I However I returned somewhat | comsorted to the house, and sat down l at the window in my bedroom--the l only room in all the house that I might 4 farily call my own-waiting for mes- I sage from Soren. It came, but it was not what had expected and hoped for. l The maid who brought in the lamp said that immediately after supper all the men, including Soren, had been l marched off to their rooms, with strict | orders not to leave them on any con- dition whatever.
 j I said nothing but that I wanted no | supper, only cup of tea, and she went | away. I remember that when next I moved my limbs were stiff, and 1t cost me an effort to loosen my clasped | hands. and from this I concluded that . I had been sitting perfectly motionless Tn contact with hundreds of officers. for more than an hour. But I had not I been idle. >
 l As sat there I gradually made up my mind-rightly or wrongly I cannot -evcn now tell-that it was my duty to risk all I had to save, our men I swallowed the tea the servant had brought me, and then got up, and,
 crossing the hall. I went into the drawing room that had been given up f to the officers. The room was full of
 smoke, and they were playing cards
 when I entered but as I crossed the room to where they sat they all rose
 and put down their cigars.
 Colonel" I said, q find you have
 locked up all my men,
 Only for the night, madam" he l. said, land I'm very sorry."
 Tt makes no difference to me
 whether you are sorry or not" I said,
 haughtily. T am not here to seek for sympathy. I come to ask how far you
 mean to go.''
 He said that he did not quite under-
 stand my question.
 Am and my maids prisoners, too?'
 I asked.
 No madam, certainly not; we are
 not waging war on ladies' he said
 and smiled in the way that always vexed me so.
 | . lDuI oLl llfoliuSs | 'octlu SCOEIlLully,
 child as I was. He looked inquiringly
 at me. T am thinking of my old ser
 want with the wooden leg," went on
 "Oh, if he can be os any use to you
 madam, he shall let you out instantly.
 Only you must promise that he shall
 not leave the place tonight"
 q can promise you that" I said
 and then I went on as if I were a
 queen speaking to one of her subjects:
 "Then will you see that orders are
 given to that end?"
 Again was vexed to see the amused
 expression on all their faces, being toe
 great a fool to think of what terri
 ble come down should have had if he
 had taken me seriously. One of the
 young officers was dispatched with the
 colonel's orders, and I stalked out of
 the room. the colonel himself holding
 the door open for me.
 A little later Soren came to the kitch-
 en door, where cook and I stood wait-
 ing for him, each with lantern, and \ while we went cn what was believel to