Page:The woman in battle .djvu/477

Rh thought an evening's entertainment in witnessing a good play would brighten me up a little. Besides, I was anxious to cultivate the acquaintance of these two men, and was especially solicitous to have all possible opportunities of conversing with the colonel, with a view of inducing him to accede to my proposition for a visit to the military prisons. Baker and the general then said good-by, for the present, and went away together.

About seven o'clock in the evening the general returned alone, and as he was escorting me to the carriage I asked where Baker was. The general replied that he had been compelled to go unexpectedly to the executive mansion, on some business, but would probably join us in the theatre. This aroused all my apprehensions of danger again, and I became fearfully uneasy lest all the colonel's fine words should merely have been intended to draw me out and conceal some sinister designs towards me. I stifled my fears, however, as well as I could, and after we got to the theatre tried to converse with the general in an agreeable and natural manner. I was startled by the least sound, however, and was unable to avoid turning round to look every time any one came in, almost expecting every moment that Baker, or one of his officers, would appear for the purpose of arresting me.

My fears proved to be groundless. Baker did come in soon after the play commenced, and taking a seat beside me, made an apology for not joining the party sooner, but begging to be excused, as he had been compelled to go up to the White House, for the purpose of having a talk with the president and the secretary of war. There was nothing in his manner then or afterwards to indicate that he was suspicious of me, and both he and the general, while the play was in progress, were apparently greatly absorbed in what was occurring on the stage.

As for myself, I found it impossible to get interested. I was uneasy for my own safety, knowing that I was playing a desperate game, and was even more anxious lest the grand scheme which I was endeavoring to promote should fail through any fault or misdirection of mine. My thoughts, too, wandered to our brave men in the field, and to the sufferings of the poor prisoners. I almost reproached myself for even