Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-11-23

of disguise, anu especially the hated
uniform Of the enemy. It was re-
pugnant to every instinct Of my being,
and would certainly mean added
degradation and danger in the event
Of capture.
Yet I saw no other way Sheridan,
Brennan, Cation, the three who would
certainly recognize me on sight, was
assured were absent, although they
might return at any moment. The
greater reason for haste, the less e1-
cuse for delay. But If should chance
to run foul of the rightful owner Of
the garments amid that crush below,
and he should recognize them, what
then? I stood close beside the writ
ing-table as revolved these consid-
erations rapidly In mind, and my eye
CHANGED to fall upon an open paper.
1t was an official order, bearing date
a. 5 p. m. that same day, command
ing Colonel Culbertson to move his
battery at once down the Kendallville
pike, and report to Brigadier-G General
Knowls for assignment to his brigade.
Evidently the new dress uniform had
been carefully brushed and laid out
to be worn at the ball that evening;
the sudden receipt of this order had
caused the owner to depart hastily in
his service dress, vigorously express
ing his feelings, no doubt, while his
servant, now enjoying liberty below
stairs, had neglected to pack up his
masters things.
This knowledge was the straw
which decided me; would chance it.
Hastily drew on the rich blue and
red over my old gray. adding the dress
sword had discovered in a closet,
and then, wondering curiously what
sort of figure might cut in all these
fine habiliments, sought glance at
myself within mirror hanging upon
the bedroom wall. Faith! but 1t was
Gods mercy that did!
Such face as grinned at me from
that glass. peering over the high-cut.
decorated collar, would surely have
created genuine sensation in those
rooms below. Serious as my situation
was, laughed at the thought of 1t
until tears ran down my cheeks, leav-
ing white streaks the full length of
them; for no chimney-sweep in the
full tide of his glorious career was
ever worse sooted and begrimed. I
thought Of the elegantly dressed
lieutenant and the blonde young lady
upon the stairs-surely they would
have supposed the very devil himself
was coming down.
1t took me nearly quarter Of an
hour to get myself tolerably clean,
and I could not have done that had
l not used some grease that was upon
the stand. At the end, however
stepped back from the glass confident
that with good luck I should run the
gantlet safely.
Just as prepared to step forth a
new thought occurred to me-who was
1? II questioned. as was highly prob
able. how could account for my pres
ence? Who should pretend to be?
turned over the mass Of papers lying
before me on the table They were
mostly accounts and detailed orders
about which I cared nothing, but
finally my search was rewarded b.
the discovery Of q recent army list.
ran my eyes hastily down the artN
lery assignments-Barry, sommers;
F1tzmorris, Sloan, Reilly. All, thsrj
at last was exactly what I wanted
Patrick L. Curran. Colonel Sixth
Ohio Light Artillery, McRobert's DA
vision, Thomass Corps, assigned sp4
cial service, staff Major-General Hal
leck. Washington, D. O."
"Curran. Sixth Ohio"-good; and the
other? l glanced again at the open
order. "Culbertson, Fourteenth Penn.
sylvania." would remember those
names. and with jaunty confidence
In my success. born Of thorough
preparation. l stepped to the open
door and strobe forth into the BRIT
liantly lighted hall. Barring the single
accident of sncountering a possible
acquaintance In the throng below, j
felt fully capable of deceiving his
Satanic Majesty himself.
(To Be Continued)