Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-06-12

~ = ANANF " NAAaa
Have you seen my mistross3 I'm
looking for her"
your mistrcsaT'
'Yoa, my mistress. I didn't know
that she was going TO stay here alone
OF ! wouldn't have gone away. I've
come back 30 take care OF her"
Miss Clayton went up to her room a
moment ago. 1 think y0uT Ind her
there"
Grim Visaged war was turned into .
stage on which was enacted a comedy,
Clarics and I being the principal wo-
men actors and Captain Harding, the
omcer I had met in the ball. the lead
ing gentleman. While we convinced
him that Clarico was white and / had
negro blood in my veins, that she was
mistress and I was maid. II was i'm
possible for her 10 show the effects Of
an education she had not received, and
l could not help showing both my
breeding and education. ] called her
Missy Alice, and she called me Clarica
l obeyed her slightest nod. and she
carried her part as mistress extreme
ly wel-that Is, before others. When
we were alone we were to each other
what we had always been.
1t was plain to me when l hrst met
Captain Harding that he was pleased
with me- A man doesn't usually take
pains to conceal his admiration. and
till l told him that I was a negro and
a slave the captains eyes were full
Of II I thought / saw. when l gave
him the information, a look OF disap-
polntment in his face, but that might
have been imaginary on my part
There can scarcely arise a situation
more attractive to a woman than to
personate one between whom and an
admirer there is a great gulf fixed. l
confess l played the game with relish,
though outwardly with modesty tinged
with sadness-the sadness / took on
when / began to feel assured that /
was getting my admlrer into my tolls
1 led him to think that It was caused
by the faint OF blood which separated
me from him.
Had not Captain Hardings nature
been Of a fine texture l should have
expected him to treat me for what I
pretended to be But he was as re-
spectful to me as If / had been Of the
purest white blood. True, he kept a
certain reserve, such as would be prop
er between him and a servant he
would chat with me quite freely, and
when l showed an understanding that
could only have been developed by
education he sometimes forgot himself
so far as to treat me like a lady.
What l mean is that he took no adj
vantage OF my being supposedly a ne
gro and a slave.
was enjoying my little comedy i'm
mensely when n morning l was sud-
denly brought to my senses. Clarice
came into my room and wakened me
by crying:
The Yankees have gone. the Lord
be praisedT'
WHAT" I exclaimed. starting up.
There Isn't a soldier on the place.
They all went away at 4 O'Clock this
morning"
Then and there came upon me an
awakening different from that after a
slumber. Captain Harding had gonel
And he had gone believing me to bO
a negro and a slave! Had he known
my true status be might return and
seek me. Now this was impossible.
he would never seek one TINTED as I
had led him to believe l was. And, as
for my seeking him. no woman with
womanly modesty can seek a mar.
The fall was as depressing as the
rise had been exhilaratng. ! arose
from my bed and looked out through
my window. Where l had been accus-
toned to seeing tents there was now
nothing but bare ground. A month be-
fore l had execrated the coming Of
these Yankees: now l bemoaned. their
going. The morning was murky, and
the wind was stirring the leaves to
what to me was a requiem.
The army had moved to Murfrees-
boro, some thirty miles south OF US. In
a few days our household was at home
again. All were happy at the vanish
ment Of the enemy except me. l was
desolate. The mar 1 loved had gone,
believing that an impossible barrier
existed between him and me. There
was an impossible barrier, but not
such as he supposed.
One of the last battles Of the war
was fought near us. We were within
the Federal lines. and our wounded
enemies were brought to us. Seeing a
stretcher set down in the yard with a
man on It, l went out to learn IL l
could do anything for him. In his pale
face l recognized Captain Harding, and
when be looked up at me with his mel
ancholy eyes l saw an involuntary
start As for me-. I was both grieved
at his condition and delighted that he
had returned to me. ! dreaded lest he
should die sull believing me to be what
1 had represented myself. l wished al
Once to correct the impression l had
given him, but l could not Neverthe-
less | did not p~ersonate a servant
9ClariceF' called. Bring water