Evening journal., 1909-09-04
A VIRGINIA EPISODE.
By HARRIET cAMeEY.

New 1Oik NOluntcer infantry, WAS
advanced one evening into territory
that had been previously held by the
enemy. Near me was a house. and
from the inmates received an invita-
tion to supper. accepted and found
a lady and her daughter. the rest oi
the family. consisting of two sons. be
ing in the Confederate army. ! will
call them Mrs. and Miss Bates. Con
sidering that the blockade had de
prived them OF all table supplies ex
cept such as could be raised in tn,
south. they gave me a very fair meal
made up Of the only chicken left b!
the "Johnnles" and the delicious hof
bread that southern women know sn
well how TO make.
! was then twenty-eight years ole
and considered myself passably attrar
tive 10 women. There can be no i'm
modesty in my now saying so. since
the wrinked. white beaded old man
Of today is not the same bodily person
as the young soldier Of 1868 hat
seen those southern girls fall precipi
lately In love on sight With our Yam
kee boys and was not especially take'
aback when Clara Bates showed a sud
den admiration for me.
The yopng lady confined the expires
sion OF her attraction for me TO hel
eyes and her speech. She would not
permit me even to touch her hand
She seemed troubled at the proximity
OF two hostile armies. declaring that
though her sympathies were with th
Confederates. she hoped they wouh
retreat farther south. ! set myself {,
work TO draw from her any informa
ton she might possess Of the enemy,
intentions. and she told me that q
southern general whom she spoke o.
familiarly as Bob and who had ief
her only that morning had expressed
an opinion that it would be some tim
before he would see her again. Con
sidering this 10 indicate a further re-
treat. was about TO take my leav,
for the purpose of reporting it at onc,-
10 my general when | heard from tn,
next room the words. spoken in Mrs
Bates own voice:
Nto0 nt dEdlus Bod
Darling a glance at my companion
saw the blood rushing into her face
Then she started up TO leave the room
but. graspiDg her wrist. detained her
immediately from The same room a,
before came a succession Of smacks
Miss Bates made another effort to fire.,
herself, but laughingly held her. say
ing:
This is far too interesting to lose
Please sit STILL"
''Clara. Sweetheart came another
voice. this time a mans. but soundin.
rather as II it issued from a phone
graph than a human being. followe,
by a lot of uninielligible croaking.
Miss Bates writhed. but by this tim
had both her wrists in my grasr
and she could not get away. / he.
her for perhaps i've minutes. waitiu
for something more from the adjoii.
ing room. Presently it came in mas
culine voice:
"All together! Surprise 'eml Tw,
o'clock
AT this the heightened color left N,
prisoners face. and she turned palt
would not now let her go on an
account. II must have been Eve min
utes before more came. Then II was
"Go0dby. sweetheart. Goodbyi Good
by.'
There was long wait after thi.
and | was beginning 10 fear ther
would be no more when l received al
other installment, still in the mascl
line:
"Bob. turn their right. Turn thei
right. Turn their right! Ohio! Coo,
by. Clara. Kiss mer'
Releasing my prisoner. left b,
with a derisive "GOOdby. Clara" an,
directing that a guard be immediate
thrown around the house that thei
might be no communication from ,
with the enemy. l rode at once 10 Il
corps commander.
General" said. Il have just pas.
ed through an experience which il
terpret as follows: | have been enter
tanned by a southern girl who pui
posely gave me false Information tina
the enemy in our front would again y
treat. There | learned. doubtless froi
n parrot in an adjoining room. whicl
had been used either for a council U
war or from which orders were is
sued. that we will be attacked befor
daylight in the morning; though wba
morning ! cant inform you. Tomor
row seems most likely"
Thanks. colonel" replied the gen
eral. "We'll take the precaution to b
under arms every morning"
II was half past ? the very mex
morning that an attack was made o.
our right. re-enforced by artillery. 70
lowed by infantry. all along the lln'
But as soon as the enemy saw that W
were under arms and ready for the
they ceased firing and gradually witt
drew. We followed and gained a sui
stantial advantage.
What interested me after the 6gh
was TO learn the name Of the Confed
crate general who attempted to tur
our right. This | bad no difficulty i
doing from prisoners captured on th
field. From them learned that %
general was one Of the youngest an
most attractive in the Confederat
service. that be commanded a divisio
IN a corps commanded by bis uncl
and that his FIRST name was Robert
Ten years after the war endet
having occasion to visit Virginia.
sought out the house in which Oh
episode bad occurred. Miss Bates ha