Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-09-05
SELECTED RFA1IMG.
A KENTUCKY ANECD0TEE.

all the ladies of the best families to at
tend The prominent barbecues, and this
was especially the case in the contest be-
tween Mr.. Beckenbridge and Gen.
Coombs, in 1910. Out of these affairs
grew the ausbep'ic story of the incest
widow in the blue grass region Not SO
far from the Forks of Elkhoru lived she
pretty little widow Faantleroy, and one
Of her nearest neighbors was Gen.
Peyton. The General had looked upon
the little widow very much as he looked
upon his blooacd horse Powhattan. The
finest horse in the bluegrass region.
Tue pretty Mrs. Faunlleroy had been
q widow more than year; while the gen.
eral having grea. regard for etiquette,
had waited patiently for that time to
elepse, in order to declare himself But
the widow with her woman's art, kept
her lover at bay. and yet kept him il her
train.
He had escorted her to this barbecue.
and when returning had expressed his
satisfaction at the prospects Of Gen.
Cooubs, and the success of the Wing
party.
The widow took sides with the Dem
ocracy, and offered to wager her blooded
saddle- horse, Gipsey or auythsng else
on her place, against Powhattan, or any
thing else she might fancy on the Gem
raps place.
The generals gallantry would not al
low him to refuse wager, which he
promptly accepted. By this time they
had reached the north Fork of the Elk
horn, and were TO ford it bridges were
not plenty in those days when Jchn
Peytop, the generals only SOD and heir,
came up at sharp gait behind thea.
The widow turned and bowed to John,
and rode into the stream, but little be-
bind her companion The east bsnk was
very steep, aud required the horses to
put forth eli their strength to reach the
top with their loads.
AS luck would have it. good or i'll, the
widows guth broke when just at the
commencement OF the steep part. The
lady, still seated on her saddle. slid swift
ly back into the water. while her horse
vent UP the bank like an arrow.
John Peyton leaped from his horse,
and in Instant caught the floating ai7 and
saddle, and before tie general had recov-
cred from bis establishment was at the top
of the bank with his burden. The Little
widow was equal TO the occasion: for she
begged the gen lsrnan to ride Oh and stop
her horse, which Lad now begun to
understand his part III the mishap, and
was beginning to Increase his gait toward
home.
The General did as he was bid, and
soon returned with the horse. In the
meantime John Peytou had secured his
own horse, aud when the General came
back with the widows horse die and
John were laughing merrily over the
ridiculous accident, but what further
passed between them is only known 20
themselves.
John Peyton repaired the broken girsh,
fastened the saddle again on Tue horse.
placed the lady in her seat. baae Der
good evening, mounted bis horse, and
taking another road down the Elkborn,
rode rapidly home. leaving the General
to escort the widow.
It is not necessary to relate how he
entertained his fair companion with his
pouderous anecdotes of Mr.. Clay and
other famons public men; but when he
reached the Fauntleyoy place, he accept
ed the lady's invitation to dismount and
take tea with her.
After having changed her wet clothing.
the pretty widow entertained her guest
with her brightest smiles, and some new
songs. The general was delighted, and
expressed his delight as Kentucky gentle
men of that day would do. You arc
tie finest songstress, madam, in the biue-
grass region
When he babe her goodnight. and
shook hands with her on the porch, the
wicked little widow gave bis hand little
squeeze, only little, but it thrilled like
an electric shock through his great. pom
derous frame, while she laughingly re-
minded him Of his wager. That night
in his dreams, the little widow FauntleroJ
was repeated SO often, and 10 50 many
bewitching forms. that he resolved tf
propose to her at their first meeting, MOI
did he dream that no could be refused
The next morning >. letter from biz
tobacco factor, called General Peyton t.
Louisville. and before bis return thu
political contest 10 the Ashland distrio
was over; and, wonderful to relate. JoLl
C, Breckenridge. the young Democra
was elected to Congress.
General Peyton was both astonishet
and indignant. ''Mr. Clay's district
sir, the finest Congressional district il
,be bluegrass gion, has disgraced it
self, sir" was almost his first remark t
! his neighbor Col Beaufort