Page:The woman in battle .djvu/562

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502
"I WONDER WHO SHE IS"


with her, walked out of the house, and betook myself to my new quarters.

Among Friends.

In the evening, as I was going out of the room where the family were at supper, I heard the old gentleman, who sat at the head of the table, say to his wife, " Where did you come across that nice, tidy piece of furniture?"

The lady replied, "O, she was at Mrs. B.'s, and they were too much down on the rebels to suit her."

When I came into the room again, the old" gentleman, turning towards me, inquired, "Are you a Yankee girl?"

"No, sir," I replied; "I am a Cuban, and am a true Southern sympathizer."

"Well, if that is the case, you have got into the right place at last. I am from old Virginia, and I would not have one of those d—d Yankee women about the house."

In the evening the lady of the house came to my room just as I was unpacking my trunk. She seemed to be surprised at the extent and style of my wardrobe, and exclaimed,

"Dear me, what a lot of nice things you have there!"

"Yes," I replied. "Where I came from we are accustomed to having nice things."

As I thought that some curiosity with regard to me would be excited, I resolved to try and overhear the conversation between the old lady and her husband ; so, when she left me, I hastily, slipped off my shoes, and, cautiously following her down stairs, stood at the door of the parlor and listened. She gave quite a glowing account of the elegant dresses and other matters she had seen in my trunk, and said, " I wonder who she is, for she has not always been a servant, that is certain."

"No; she don't look like a servant," said the old gentle man.

"Suppose she should be a spy?"

"Well, she may be, and we will have to be cautious what we say before her. Is she in her room? "

"Yes."

"I will have a talk with her to-morrow, and try and get her to say something with regard to who she is, and where she comes from."

This was all very satisfactory, so far as it went, and I crept back to my room as softly as I could, and went to bed.