Free press., 1906-09-22
"REMINISCENCES
By F. s. CHAMBERLAIN.


stances, the presence of this woman
would have filled the gallant colonel with
the most agreeable anticipations. But
just at present he wished her anywhere
else than at his side.
The fact was, he and his friend Har-
vcy were operating a little corner in
Manhattan Consolidated, and among the
unlucky shorts" who had been caught
by the rise was the firm of Pratt & Cor
don, of which Mrs Gordon's husband
was the Junior member. Harvey, who
was managing the pool, had insisted
upon showing no leniency; and as a re-
suit of the squeeze it was pretty certain
that Pratt & Gordon would be forced
to the wall. Just how much Mrs Cor
don knew of her husbands affairs Downs.
of course, could not tell But If she hap
pened to be aware that he held her hus-
bands financial life in his hand, it was
quite possible that trouble awaited him
before the dinner was over. The colonel
was justly proud of his reputation with
the ladies, but to discuss a matter of
business with woman, however attrac-
tive she might be, was something he
would never voluntarily consent to do.
And when the question was the saliva
ton or ruin of her husbands firm, its
discussion was clearly not to be
thought of
But there the lady sat, and it was quite
impossible to neglect her. He must do
something. And, like all great captains
believing vigorous attack the best de-
fence, he started in to entertain her to
the very best of his ability. For, if any
thing could divert her attention from i'm
pending trouble, it was Downs conversa-
tion when he really threw himself into it.
He commenced by telling her some hu-
morous incidents of his recent Southern
trip, and drifted by degrees into a de-
scription of Southern life and the beau
ties of Southern scenery. Obviously he
was leading up to some of his war
"reminiscences, for in extremity the col
onel always fell back upon the adven-
tures that had befallen him during his
army life in the South.
"And the Shenandoah Valley" he re-
marked, after a time, the Shenandoah
Valley is certainly one of the most beau
tiful spots in all the South
eyes, it is" Mrs. Gordon agreed. 81
passed my girlhood there, and | go back
nearly every year. | don't know whether
it's altogether the beauty of the scenery
perhaps it's the old associations that
give it the cllarm-but I have never
found place that seems to me to COM
pare with it.
'Indeedp said Downs. 81 had no idea
you were a Southerner. Where was
your homer"
"a few miles out of Winchester on
the Martinsburg road 1t was my grand
fathers estate Brentwood one of the
old Virginia places"
Winchester" exclaimed Downs,
"Why, was there in the old war days,
when you must have been" He
glanced at her and checked himself
abruptly. "Ah! Brentwood did you
say? Indeed, believe have seen the
very place you speak of, though / didn't
know the name in those days." And he
added. impressively: 1T was near there
that had one of the narrowest escapes
of all my army experience. 1t was really
that which gave me such a high opinion
of Southern women"
He paused, and, seeing that he wished
encouragement, Mrs. Gordon asked him
to tell her about it.
1T was when Ewell went through the
valley in '03," he commenced, with cheer
full alacrity. "He headed Lees army,
you know, which was going north to
Gettysburg. | was with Milroy's divi-
sion when it was caught at Winchester
by the rebel advance. You wouldn't
care to hear about the fighting, of course,
but the outcome of it was that those who
escaped were very glad to get away, and
the campaign wasn't ended there, as
some of us supposed it would be.
We'll, | had a shot in the foot and
was limping along the road next day,
when | came to this old fashioned Vir-
gina plantation. / was faint from my
wound and the long tramp in the dust
and heat, and / can't tell you the pleas
ure felt when l came upon a spring
house by the side of the road A little
girl was sitting on the step. She was
not over eight or nine years old, should
say, with big black eyes and a very
pretty face. l always did have an eye
for pretty face he added, glancing
effectively at the one beside him.
Though the girl was only a little
thing, she appreciated my condition and
helped me into the spring house, where
l could get seat out of the sun Then
she dipped up pail of water and helped
me while | drank, and afterward helped
me bathe and bandage my wound.
just ulcIl, WHlIS L was resting, l nearQ
horses coming up the road Horses there
meant rebel cavalrymen, and if they
found me, | knew l should be promptly
sent south to a prison hospital and to
pretty certain death. But | couldn't get
away, and when they drew up before the
door gave myself up for lost. You can
imagine my situation There l was with
out a chance of escape from the spring
house aud wifi, \ sn,,ad of fbiretx- cay
alrymen drawn mp before the door.
And / certainly should have been cap
tured if it hadn't been for that little girl.
| didn't dare say a word to her, but she
seemed to know just what to do Be
fore | realized it she had caught up the
water pail and had carried it out to the
horsemen with the most natural manner
in the world. There was only three or
fa,,r Of thnr,, and tha,- 70 tirad