The daily Alaskan., 1906-05-16
HOW THE PROPERTY
 WAS SAVED
IorIglnal.l

fort did not know that they had steam ed up to the town and the inhabitants had fled. Our mother, looking out of the window of an upper story, saw them coming. and, running down stairs shouting "The Yankeesw 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- Spend, back to watch the roads and give us warning if 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 a fancy to her, put her quadroon maid into the kitchen and installed Kathleen in her place.
 We stayed at Colonel Wiggins' a 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 and see how things were going. but mother 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, l determined to go and one morning stole away on my little mare.
 When reached the house saw off, cers coming and going, while a sentinel paced before the front door. In the cotton field across the road were hun dreds of white tents. 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 stan were at din ner. Walking into the hall through an open door, l saw half q dozen officers 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 my neck in order that she might whisper in my ear, "whatll Oi do? Dive been tellin' 'em that Ofm the daughter O the hOuse-that Orm you! Oive held on to all the jewelry and all the silver aud"-
 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 with me again"
 Did you ever hear of such impu- deuce? My ancestors have lived so long in the south that my skin is, admit, dark enough for an oCtOroon, but for this fair skinned Irish girl to introduce me as her maid-I thought l should faint However, what she had told me about the jewels and the silver restrained me, and I fell in with her plan. The officers on seeing me were about to greet me deferenually, but on hearing Hathleen's story they pass ed on without a word.
 Well, It dawned upon me that hath- 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 I confess looked very pret- ty and stylish as well. l remained in the house as her maid and was greatly amused by the way she had got half dozen men by the ears. The general was in love with her, and, since his authority was supreme, at least in this locality, everything in the house was perfectly safe.
 But while a servant had a general for her slave l had only captain. Louis Whitten, an aid-de-camp, was attracted to me from the moment he saw ne. SuppOsing me to have negro blood lr my veins, he sought me only clandestihely. I confess that the hap piest moments in my life were in watching him suffer, thinking he loved one whom he must not marry. l told him to go and make love to my mis-
 ress, but 1t was I he wanted, and the gulf between us bid fair to drive him crazy. At first augmented his torture, but at last, becoming myself as deeply in love with him as he was with me, was pained to see him suffer. For months we were obliged to keep up a deception which Kathleen had commenced. We were afraid that If we confessed the protection afforded by the good will of the general would be withdrawn and the property given over to be pIundered. When the Federal troops went up to fight at PocotaligO those in our neighborhood went with l them. The evening before they march. ed I told Kathleen that I would make my true self known to Captain Whit ten. Kathleen made the confession herself. The look of relief on his face ,-bar, say- him aUain was reDlacpd bY