The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-17

ion grew paIer; but her black eyes
opened with a, live, eager look, that
made the big fellow culver.
NOV mind what have to say" she
continued, speaking very fast, as she
heard Betsy Ann moving overhead /.
"You know that slave Pomp they have
been bounding all over the country
for a week past. I have had him hid
since Sunday up in the garnet of the
old house across the road. Folks have
got an idea the place Is haunted, and
| that keeps the boys away. He came
out of the sugar. camp just at dusk, and
threw himself on my mercy, and beg
eed for something to eat. I got him into
| the old house, and carried over some
bread and meat after everybody had
cone to bed. 1t isn't safe to keep him
| there another minute. Old Marvin is
coming out tonight with his posse;
and they will search the barn, and ten
to one ransack the old house. I would
rather die, Bruce Hunt, than have that
poor creature I have tried to protect
dragged back into slavery. Get him to
the Wrightsville station for the ten
O'Clock run tonight. Tell 10 Willis
he must ticket him through by the
Underground Railroad to Isaac T. Hop
per, New York. 10 will do 1t for me.
I served him turn once he isn't like.
ly to forget"
"The plan is all here in my head"
| she LuOI6 anu LuOEo SdKeElYs
$50 to father and ask for billy and the
one-horse wagon, to take your Aunt
Leafa up to Brewster. She has been
| doing job of carpet-weaving at Her
rick's, and your mother has been taken
with crick in the back, and sent down
for her in a hurry. Keep the run of it
all straight, and will take care of the
rest. Your Aunt Leafa will meet you
little way from here up the road. Drive
slow when you pass team, and act as
| II YOU had all night before you; but
when you come to a clean piece of road
lay on the whip like lightning. 1fYou
get your Aunt Leafa aboard Of the ten
O'Clock train all safe will marry you
any minute you say the word. The old
farm goes with me. Father isn't likely
to change the will, whatever happens"
Hetty held out her hand as If to ratify
the bargain, and looked at Bruce with
an air OF high resolve and something al.
most solemn. There was frightful com.
motion in the big fellows breast, gid
dy faintness came over him, his palate
grew dry, and it seemed as though a
little stream of ice.water was trickl1ng
down the small of his back. Just how
he took Hetty's hand in his he never
knew.
81 hope you don't think I'm such a
mean whelp as to court you for the farm,
Hetty. l would save that poor black
fellow from them blasted Southern cut
throats yonder If there was a rope dan
Cling before my eyes. Hetty, you're
true blue; you'll wash, l allus knew
you would" And the clasp of his great
blunt-ended fingers grew magnetic. A
long, exquisite thrill ran through him,
and nobody knows what might have
happened if Hetty hadn't jerked her
hand away.
"Don't be a fool, Bruce Huntp'
The words and the tone brought Bruce
completely back to his senses. He took
up the candle, which was guttering
down to one side in tallowy rivulet,
and mounted the stairs quite steadily.
Tho old Squire was sitting crooked over
in the stuffed rocking. chair by the
stove. Bruce preferred his request re-
spectfully enough, and made out a very
strong case for his mother and Aunt
Leafa, as he ran his big knuckled hands
through his tanned locks to help him
along with the lie.
81 don't like to have the horses out
after DARK answered the old man
gruf1ly, with short, dry bark coming
between every word. "That Brewster
road is the stunniest, pitchpoliugest
piece In the county. Brewster Is God
forsaken hole, any way. 1 would like
to know, though, if they have got wind
of that runaway Niger up there. 1t
would give me genuwine satisfaction to
hear he had been ketched."
$50 it would me-" said Bruce, with
q gulp, and twitChing away at the hay
colored locks. "What darned fool he
must have been to cut off from good
master and plenty TO eat and wear. l
should like to see him whipped back
like dog"
"You can have the horse, Bruce"
While Betsy Ann was turning her
feathery biscuits in the oven, and pour.
ing cream over the picked up Goldfish,
which was to give relish TO supper,
Hetty slipped up to the garnet and open
ed a big red chest. She took out, one by
one, the garments which never had
been worn since her mother died, and
laid them in Il pile. There was black
dress OF the stuff called bombizette, a
shawl of the same hue, and Leghorn
SCOOP bonnet, trimmed sparcelY with
brown gauze ribbon. Hetty added
thick vail, made the whole into a snug
bundle, and threw it out OF the garrett
window into the tops of some leatless
SPRINGS bushes; then she closed and
locked the chest, and went down to
supper.
The stars were shining out of n cold
sky with the glitter of diamonds when
Hetty cautiously tapped three times at
the back door of the deserted house
across the road.
"Be that you, Missy7" came fright
ened whisper through the key-hole.
"Lor Dress You. how scarf wor!"
Don't be afraid, Pomp; open the
door. I'm going to start you on inc
Underground railroad tonight, straight
for Canada. Here are some clothes you
must manage to slip into somehow in
the dark. Your name is Aunt Leafa,
remember, and you are as deaf as an
adder"
"Ke-ke, Missy" trust me for dat.
Dis chile hadn't dodge roun' In de
swamps mumf at a time for notin! l
can come possum as good as the mex
one"
A quarter Of an hour later two women |
were walking along the Brewster road.
The old one, dressed in black, stopped |
a great deal, and appeared to have the
rheumatism in her right knee. Present. |
" the rattle of Bruce's wagon was |
heard behind them. He pulled up. all
of a sudden, and jumped out to help |
the old lady in; but, oddly enough, she
felI-on her knees, seized Hetty's hand |
and at}peared to be half stifled with |
sobs behind her thick veil. The most |
that could be made out was broken |
mingling OF prayers and blessings, In |
the African dialect.
They hurried her In, Bruce spread |
the buffalo over her knees, Hetty said |
few words in low tone, and they |
drove on, Ten rods from where he had |
stopped was the crossing Ofthe Wrights-
Vile turnpike. Bruce gave Billy his
head, and took the turning with clear
whiz. The old lady beside him sat
crooked over, with her veil down and
her hands crossed under her shawl.
The conversation between them was
not particularly lively.
Billy was a willing horse; not hair
in his coat knew how to shirk. The
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