Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-12

wasn't any hero. but there was a hero
inc. How would you like to hear her
tell the stOry?"
First rate" was the universal re-
Spouse.
.Matildaw shouted the old man.
Come here"
A tidy old lady came in and asked
what was wanted.
The boys" said Dawson. want TO
hear how you fooled me down in the
valley in the summer of 80"
The lady tried to beg off, but ''the
boys" would not excuse her, so she told
the story.
General 'Stonewalr Jackson" she
said. came riding by our house, near
SJauntOn, one morning and, seeing me
standing on the porch. asked me for
glass of water. | got it for him. and
/ when he had drunk it he thanked me.
told him l was mighty glad to do
even that Tor the cause and wished |
could do a great deal more.
when | said that he looked at me
kind of hard ana said: Maybe you
might do something more. How would
you like to try your hand at a bit of
secret service:' / asked him what
that was, and he said he wished to
send a message right through Yankee
force to a Confederate force not far
beyond He thought that a girl like
me might get through where a man
would fail. l told him Id be mighty
glad to try, and he said some method
would have TO be invented for conceal
/ ing the message. | told him I'd try
! to think up some plan. lie dismount-
ed and came into the house and rested
/ himself while l did the thinking.
I'VE had a good many chickens in the
place. and ] had sold eggs to soldiers
of both the northern and southern
armies. 1t occurred to me to make a
hole in an egg, take out the meat and
put in the generals message. OF course
it must be written on tissue paper.
and the egg must be filed again with
sand or earth TO make il the proper
weight Then the hole must be stop
ped with something white. | would
take basket Of eggs to the Federal
lines. gain access by selling them to
!
shouldn't get hold of the one with the
message in 1t. and then work my way
through their camp.
when l told the general my plan he
was much pleased with ii. He wrote
his message ~snd directed An aid to
copy it with fine pointed pen or
tissue paper Meanwhile was draw
ing the meat from an egg. and when
got the message put it IN through the
hole had made and filed the rest OF
the space with sand The aid went to
the store and got some plaster of paris,
we mixed little of it with water.
stopped the hole with it and fled h
smooth IKE the rest OF the shell
don't mean that one looking for the
place we stopped couldn't End it, but
he would have to be looking for il to
do so.
When we got it all fixed up went
suit to the chicken house. gathered a
lot OF fresh eggs and, putting them in
u basket, was ready to start. The aid
gave me horse to rice and went with
Inc TO within about a mile Of the Yam
kee pickets; then dismounted and
walked on, and the aid went back with
the horses.
Il felt mighty scared walking up the
pike TO where I knew the pickets were
on the edge of wood extending across
the road. couldn't see them, which
made it all the worse. But ] went
right on till saw man with gun
! standing IN the road ahead Of me un
. der some oyerhanging branches.
wasn't much to be afraid Of. seeing
! that ] was only II girl. not quite SIX
teen years siG, aud my skirt WASH: anJ
lower than my ankles