Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-01-03
HOW THE PROPERTY
WAS SAVED


ed up TO the TOWN. auu thc LII"
had fed. Our mother, looking out
Of the window of an upper story, saw
them coming, and, running down (
stairs shouting "The Yankees" we all
rushed pellmell from the house. NO
one stopped to take up a single piece
Of jewelry or silverware.
At nightfall we reached Colonel Wig
gins plantation and were so tired that
we could go no farther. The colonel
kindly took us in and sent several OF
his colored men. on whom he could de-
pend. back to watch the roads and give
ms warning II the Yankees were COM
ing. AS soon as we got settled we call
ed the roll and found all were present
except Kathleen O'Rourke. Kathleen
was mothers maid. How she had
drifted from Ireland to South Carolina
no one knew. Mother picked her up In
Charleston and, taking fancy to her,
put her quadroon maid into the Kitchen
and installed Kathleen In her place.
We stayed at Colonel Virgins
week. and since the Yankees did not
follow us our fright gradually left us
and we began to think that we had
acted unwisely In not staying on the
plantation and trying to protect our
property. I proposed to return ana see
how things were going, but mouher
would not hear Of it. She said that no
daughter of hers should place herself
In a position to be insulted by north
ern vandals. However, / determined
to 20 and one morning stole away on
my little mare.
When 1 reached the house l saw ON
cers coming and going, while sentinei
paced before the front door. In the
cotton field across the road were hum
dreds of white tents. l was going IN
TO our own home, mind you-when the
detestable sentinel blocked the way.
asked to see the officer in command
and he called, Orderly" A soldier ap-
peared and said the staff were at DIN
ner. Walking into the hall through an
open door, / saw half dozen of1cern
seated around a table. and to my as
tonishment who should be at one END
but Kathleen. She saw me and In an
other moment Joined me.
"Oh. Miss Camilla" she said, falling
on nv neck In order that she might
whisper In my ear, 'whatn Oi dof
Owe been tellin' 'em that Ofm tne
daughter O. the house-that Ofm you!
Owe held on to all the 1ewelry and all
the silver and
The officers, having finished their
meal. rose from the table and came
into the hall.
General" said Kathleen, this is me
maid that has come back to be WIN
me again"
Did you ever hear Of such impu-
dence? My ancestors have lived 90
long In the south that my skin Is, l
admit. dark enough for an octoroon,
but for this fair skinned Irish girl 10
introduce me as her maid-I thought
should faint. However, what she had
told me about the Jewels and the silver
restrained me, and l fell in with her
plan. The officers on seeing me were
about to greet me deferentially, but
on hearing Kathleen's story they pass
ed on without q word.
Well. It dawned upon me that katn-
leen was a very bright girl and had
acted very bravely. She had told the
officers that she had been educated
abroad. in order to account for her
accent She was wearing my best
clothes and confess looked very pref
ty and stylish as we'll / remained I'D
the house as her maid and was greatly
amused by the way she had got half q
dozen men by the ears. The general
was In love with her, and, since bis
authority was supreme, at least In this
locality, everything in the house wa'
perfectly safe.
But while a servant had a general
for her slave / had only a captain
Louis Written, an aid-de-camp, wal
attracted to me from the moment h'
saw me. Supposing me to have negro
blood in my veins, he sought me only
, clandestlnely. confess that the nap
piest moments in my life were II
watching him suffer. thinking he loved
one whom he must not marry. l toic
him TO 20 and make love to my mis-
, tress. but it was he wanted, and tb'
Rulf between us bid fair to drive hin
crazy. At first augmented his torture
but at last, becoming myself as deepll
in love with him as he was with me
was panied to see him suffer.
For months we were obliged to keel
up a deception which Kathleen ha'
commenced. We were afraid that II W
confessed the protection afforded b.
the good will of the general would b
J withdrawn and the property given owe
to be plundered. When the Fedora
: troops went up to fight at Pocotalig'
: those IN our neighborhood went witt
, them. The evening before they march
I ed l told Kathleen that l would max
e my true self known to Captain Whit
n ten. Kathleen made the confession
Z herself. The look of relief on his fac
!. when l saw him again was replaced b,
Q one of anxiety to know his rate
4 atoned for the torture I had inhicte'
. upon him by giving him what he caile'
a the one great happiness Of his life.
q As soon as the troops were gon
+ Kathleen and took everything of va
. ne that could be moved to Colont
). Virgins, but it was not necessary, 10
!. the Federal troops never returned
that locality. did not see Captai
Written again till the war had endee
when he came to claim me.
" Kathleen had the good sense to a
n cline a proposal from the general an
" afterward married a sergeant In IN
"a Confederate army.
- EUNICE WINSoR.