After our charge through Farmville, our regiment remained on the western side of the Appomattox about an hour, dismounted, supporting a battery which was shelling the enemy, and then returned to the city, recrossing the river by fording just below the dismantled bridge above referred to. Captain Freese, who had not been with his company since being wounded at Sailor's Creek two days before, rejoined us while marching up the principal street, and rode along at the head of "A" Troop to the high ground at the southwest outskirts of the city, where the regiment bivouacked for several hours.

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As we were marching out from the city along a street skirted by suburban residences, Captain Freese suddenly exclaimed, " By the Gods, Sergeant, there's a reb in that house, or I'm a sinner! Take a detail and ride around upon the other street, and interview him. You can't get in at the rear for the high fence. I'll leave a detail here to watch this side. Hurry up now." We had just received orders to be on the lookout for the enemy's stragglers, and wheeled the first set of fours in "A" Troop out of column, and galloped along a cross street to a street running parallel to the one on which we had been marching, and soon approached the house at its western or principal front,

where the main approach was located. As we neared the house at a walk, we had a good opportunity for taking in the situation.

As has been said, the house was located upon elevated grounds in the southwestern suburbs of the city, and was one of those really fine, old mansions in the pure Grecian order of architecture so common in the South thirty years ago. A broad portico extended along its entire front, whose massive, Ionic columns gleamed ivory-white through the scant, spring-time foliage of the trees. A broad walk bordered by some flowering shrubbery led up to the portico from an artistically-arched iron gateway, and it was plainly to be seen that the place was the home of people of wealth and refinement, for it had an air about it that impressed the beholder as embodying the select in architecture, horticulture, and landscape gardening, which imparted an air of sober elegance rarely attained, and only accomplished by the student in love with the grand and the beautiful in all things, especially as pertaining to the spot that is, and is to be, his home.

We had been commenting upon the beauties of the place, which seemed to be quite deserted, but, as we dismounted at the gate we noticed that the portico was occu

pied by a party of young ladies. Then for the first time during the day I gave a thought to my personal appearance, my attention being called to it by a remark made by one of the squad. He didn't use the exact words, perhaps, but in substance, said, as he caught a glimpse of the girls in the portico. "Well, I'll be d--, Orderly, if you have n't struck it now, for you are one of the toughest looking subjects for an Anglo Saxon on this North American continent." "Me? I! Why, won't I do?" "Do! You'll have to do of course, but you won't do for an Anglo Saxon, and scarcely for a New Zealander, unless you have a ring in your nose, and a letter of recommendation." But it couldn't be helped. There I was, mud besplashed from head to foot, dried and undried with reddishbrown Virginian soil, my long, jetblack hair and moustache as unkempt as night and day field service during our week's" vacation" from winter quarters could promote; up and down my six feet of anatomy, from the bottom of my high-topped cavalry boots to the top of my lowcrowned, black felt slouch-hat, army blouse and pants, black and white checked flannel shirt, collar rolling away over a magenta red silk scarf tie about my neck, face begrimmed with a compound of dirt, sweat, and smoke, and a fiery, red, week-old streak across my jaw.Besides, there is no doubt but what I would have been a great curiosity to the bevy of beauties upon that portico even at my best, but, as it

was, I fully realized that I beat the record, and wished myself out in the street again, even back amid the Dinwiddie pines, anywhere but there, I thought, as I fumbled about an inside pocket for a small oval glass and handkerchief, and while unscrewing the cap off the glass, another one of the cranks suggested, "I would n't, Orderly, you'll loose what little confidence you've got." You see Colonel Cilley being a methodical man had assigned all of the cranks in the regiment to "A" Troop, and "A" Troop had parked them all on the right. Anyway, they were all there at the gate and near vicinity, and I reckon they must have suspected it up in the portico, for the last remark of that military hybrid inspired a sound altogether too resonant for an echo up in that direction, else the acoustic properties of the place were immense.

Anyway, it added the last straw to the camel's back, and in my desperation I caught at the idea of being generously civil instead of generously clean, and so unclasped my belt and slammed the whole armory upon the ground as I started on the charge up the walk. As I proceeded, I not only snatched at a few alto bars of " My Maryland," but at a white flower temptingly nodding by the way, and now I think of it, we-I and that flower-must have constituted a floral syndicate of the first magnitude. As I proceeded up the walk, you may be sure that the situation within that portico was not neglected out fror.

under the rim of my slouch-hat, which had been pulled down to stay; and if I should live a thousand years, what transpired within the next few minutes would be as fresh in my memory as at this writing, and would transport me back to the scene of thirty years ago this very day and hour, restoring even the minutest details, that would reawaken the old spirit of adventure, and thrill my heart with a sense of ludicrous satisfaction rather than of bitterness, which would, as now, guide my pen seemingly without effort of nerve or will. At my approach, the ladies had arisen, and were turning away as if to retire from the portico, seeing which, in my desperation, my hat came off with a jerk, and all my good resolutions, that respect for decency must be my excuse for lack of gallantry, were dissipated in an instant, and as I was just starting in to blurt out my little piece which had been carefully conned while on my way up the walk, "Ladies, I deeply regret the necessity which compels --," when a door was jerked open under the portico and a very beautiful young lady from sixteen to seventeen years of age came sailing out into the portico with the air of a tragedy queen as she swept across the floor. She made an imperious gesture towards her companions as she said, "Let me deal with this fellow!" My story, I know, should proceed direct, but I beg a little indulgence from my readers. Having tried to fairly describe my own dress and appear

ance at that moment, I may be allowed to try and describe that of my" antagonist" also. As strangely contradictory as her light blonde features, blue eyes, and auburn hair were to the darker personnel of the group of lovely women. about her, none the less so was her magnificent attire utterly at variance with the time and place and passing events, for the very atmosphere about her seemed spiced with the chill of the ice winds, while her dress suggested some great social event. The groundwork of her dress was of some soft, faintlytinted stuff that matched her complexion, but was almost completely enveloped by a mazy film of creamy tinted lace whose intricate meshes like delicate tracery, revealed to the eye of the initiated the handiwork of deft and patient fingers long before her day in climes beyond the seas. A sash of the same delicate tint as the underdress, a diamond of great brilliancy flashed at her throat, and another upon her white, perfect hand. A single, creamy flower of exceeding beauty, with yellowish, pistillated, bell petals drooped at her corsage, sustained by a simple clasp of pearl; and as she moved down upon me with her flashing eyes and imperious bearing, I felt like diving under the hedge, and probably should have, had I not heard the chuckle of the squad at the gate, as her words, "Let me deal with this fellow," reached them.

As it was, when the chuckle came up my hat went down with a

to be able to recall and describe the situation about that portico at Farmville, Virginia, even though thirty years have elapsed since that day, for I do not wish to be accounted for in any such way, especially in this line of thought.

She was standing a few paces back upon the portico, I upon the greensward close to its edge, our eyes upon a level, as I concluded my plea to the jury and she her appeal to heaven. Then her hands unclasped and dropped by her side, as she took a swift step or two forward, and the floor of the portico. quivered as she furiously stamped upon it. You lie, you wretch! Leave my presence or I'll set the dogs at you, you dirty, cowardly, Yankee cur!" Well, now let me get my breath once more before I continue, after a choking gasp or two, as I did that day and moment I am trying to describe.

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It had been more than a hundred years since my ancestors had flourished down on the James river, during which time the coming man of my race had failed to put in an appearance at least in the sense of the McAllister-Wilde ilk, but in most others had some celebrity and especially in the line of standing considerable punishment, either within or without the province of etymology, but I here have to confess that the sudorific, diuretic essence of my tragedy queen's sassafras proved altogether too stimulating, and for one short breath I lost my temper in front of a woman, and, turning spitefully

toward my squad at the gate, made a peremptory motion, determined to summarily end it all, when a new actor appeared upon the scene in the person of one of the young lady occupants of the portico who had been standing behind my antagonist and of whom I had only a momentary glance as I approached. As my antagonist was about to ring up the curtain again with another stamp, the young lady hastened forward and laid her hand ever so lightly upon the shoulder of her furious companion.

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"Madge, you must not! You shall not! The gentleman has been civil and shall not be abused in such a shameful way any longer." I had turned on the instant and sent. a negative motion toward my squad. "Gentleman! Insult!!" With infinite scorn in her tones, 66 as if I— I (choking) were mistress here.” Fortunately for us all, Madge, you are not," (in quiet even tones) "and it remains for me now to apologize for the indiscretion of my guest. Sir," she continued, stepping forward, "we," (using the plural with a comprehensive motion of her hand that might have been construed as including, and I really believe she meant to include, the entire Confederacy,) "we are very sorry for the abuse you have suffered here. Yes," (raising her voice) "and I wish to apologize in the name of the Confederacy," (and then after a moment) "you were acting under orders when you called here, sir?" "Acting under orders? Yes, Miss."