Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-07-08

Il
It mp as wig for Johnny. They had
just flnished-Eudie In Johnny's trou.
sers and Johnny In her dress. with her
hair coiled up on the top OF his head
when they met some Confederate cav.
alrymen coming from the opposite dl.
rection. The general of another part
Of the Confederate army had received
telegram from General Gobble to
head of a young farmers boy and
girl and hold on to the boy. Tho
troopers took EudIe. whom they sup.
posed to be the boy. and let johnny
60 where he liked.
"Eudie was confronted by the man
who had recognized Johnny. or course
he said she wasn't the one he meant.
but having on Johnny's clothes. looked
suspicious. Besides. as soon rs they
suspected Johnny was spy they
searched the room in which he had
slept and found the papers he had left
there. They contained information
about the Confederate army.
$50 Eudle was brought before a lot
Of officers and tried. They didn't get
together TO find out whether she was
spy or not. but to hang her. accord
ing TO army law. which. | fancy, Is
pretty poor law. but very effective
with guilty persons. They fixed 1t so
that they could hang her according to
orders. and, since they didn't like TO
waste any time in carrying them out,
she was to be hanged at 10 o'clock
the next day"
"Oh, my, grandpap exclaimed Alice.
wasn't that awfulT'
1T seems so. but 1t really wasn't
Eudie could get of by telling them
she wasn't boy at ell. but she
wouldn't do It till the last moment.
because she wanted to give Johnny
all the time she possibly could to get
away. But she put or letting them
know she was girl till she brought
upon herself all the danger OF being
spy. She let them put the rope
around her neck before she said a
word about It. Then they wouldn't
believe her
"'Don't hang me- she said. I'm no
spy. I'm not even boy. I'm girl
"The hanging was under the direc-
ton Of the provost marshal. who said
I know what you're after. You want
to gain little time till we can in
vestigateT
"'That won't do. major interposed
the officer Of the day. who was pres
ent. I've been suspicious OF this case
all along. think we'd better send
her down to the hospital tent. where
there are a couple of women nurses.
and find out about the matter
'The provost marshal gave In. and
they sent Eudie under guard to the
hospital tent When they learned
that she was really girl they asked
her what she meant by masquerading
as boy. but she wouldn't tell them.
fearing that Johnny hadn't got beyond
the Confederate lines and she might
compromise him. So they let Eudie
go home.
"Johnny ran away In the wood and
was awfully afraid that when the
Confederates found out they Ind
captured the wrong person and let
the right one go they would hunt all
over for him. He walked toward the
Federal lines for awhile. then. hearing
the sound of horses hoofs. he crawled
into a hollow log. company OF
southern cavalry were going through
the wood. and some Of them jumped
their horses over the very log that
~ ktI1a., Ia t.
they were looking for him. but at
that time 1t was not known that
Eudie was not Johnny. and his fears
caused him to be mistaken. How
ever. they were Just as dangerous to
him as II they had been looking for
him. because II they had found girl
lettering In the wood they might have
suspected something.
"Johnny didn't dare crawl ont OF the
log till II was dark. Then he looked
up at the north star and walked to-
ward II till he saw lights and knew
that they marked the Federal camps,
He must have gone through the Con-
federate pickets without knowing II.
for suddenly he heard a click and
voice. Who comes thereY He an
swered: Friend. Don't shoot. Take
me to General Bee
1.-THE picket called corporal. and
Johnny was taken to the generals
tent The general was asleep. but
Johnny's Information was so impor-
tant that an aid-de-camp walked him
up. and Johnny told him what he had
learned. And that's the end OF the
story"
"what became OF Johnny. grandpa;"
asked little Billy.
"And what became OF Eudle?" asked
Alice.
after the war Johnny went down
into Virginia and found Eudie. and
they were married"
"where did they go to live7'
"They came up here to Johnny's
home"
"Are they alive now?"