Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-09-18
an old and quite infrm negro woman

an old and qui,e infirm negro woman,
and a young negro lad.
s'Miss Annie!" said both at once with
cry Of surprise. The girl hushed them
with her uplifted hand. ssSav nothing
and listen to me, she said in low and
rapid tones. 81 must send word to
Mr.. Edward Peyton, Immediately" she
said, {" and no one can take it but Jake
Can you spare him aunt Hannah, and
will he dare to go?" ss
The old woman raised her hands with
an ejaculation, ssDe Lord sabe us!"
Jake's dark cheek lost shad or two of
ebon hue, but he answered, readily
enough; ''I'se all ready, Miss Annie"
"Take this note, then" said she, Civ
ing it to him, sswalk over the river to
James .Peyton's, and tell him to give
you the fectest horse in his stable.
Keep clear of the red-coats, and ride for
your life, till you reach Gen. Greenes
army beyond the Deep River, and give
this yourself into Massa Peyton's hands.
The faithful servant waited for no
further order, but vanished from the
cabin, and in another moment, was
walking rapidly down the river, whose
silver waters were plainly to be seen
from the cabin door. The young lady
only paused to caution the old negro
woman to secrecy, and to assure her
that everything should be done that
her necessity demanded, and then re-
traced her way to her home. That ev-
ening, she assured the young British Of
ticer who sailed to see her, that she
would never willingly accede to his
snit. The next morning she found her
self prisoner in her own room. There
she remained day after day, and even
her father refused to come to her, and
her only hope WIS in The faint possibili
~ that her messenger had passsd Corn
wallis army unframed, and that Ed.
ward would brave all danger TO come to
her. Though she knew not how he
could free her should he come.
Tue only face that her father permit
ted Annie Fairfax 10 see was that of
her old nurse, and lest the woman might
be tempted, through her affection, 10 lei
her Gagged bird escape, 4 close watch
w:s kept upon her movements. But
Two months, and more, went by, and
spring had given place 10 summer, and
still no answer came TO Annie Fair{a,;
from her lover, and inc foot page that
she had sent to bear word TO lin from
ber, came not bach. Aud the check Of
,he prisoned girl had grown as colorless
as the snow, and her eyes grew lnmi-
nous in great rings of shadow that care
and sleeplessness had traced upon her
a'.e. Meanwhile, the troops of Corn
wallis were spreading misery and devas-
tatioo in their path, and Greene'> army
had turned southward again. No won
der that the weary prisoned girl cried
ont IN her grief: 80, when will the
end Gomez"
'.,'ile end was nearer and more terri
bic 'hap lie weary girl thought, fol it
came one fair. summer night, in flames
and terror, il he shouts and curses of
a ,ihald soldiery: III The s'riells of the
frightened servants, and the bootless
rage o. a wronged and helpless old man.
But Annie Fairfax, no longer under
watch, was by the old mans side, and
as she stood i,N him, like guardian an
gel, the rudes, soldie, dared not lay a
hand on her or him. But When The rob-
bers. gorgcd with booty and ruin, had
passed on, Annie Fairfax found herself
looking upon the bare walls, which
We're all thai remained to hei OF q home
Of luxury, while on rude couch in
negro cabin, whittier they had gone for
shelter, lay her father, now quite wreck
ed i'r body and mind by i palsy stroke
which the terror had caused.
The days that followed this terrible
night were far less irksome to Annie
Fairfax, in spite of her poverty, than
those of her forced imprisonment. She
procured a modest house near her old
home, whittier she Took her father, by
whose bedside she was occupied night
and day.
Busted thus one August morn, ner
old ,lrsc entered the room, and in
formirg her in significant whisper
chat "a genlman wnned to see her il de-
oder room,' took her place by the bed.
Annie went out in maze or mingled
terror ami hope, and almost on the
threshold without size was claSped in
the strong arms Of Edward Pey ION.
When the girl awo4e from the glad
swoon into which the unlocked for az
rival Of her lover iao throw, her she
saw the black face and cleaning white
teeth Of the. boy Jake al the open doc,
and eagerly asked about the message
which she had sent and the delay
which the messenger had made in re-
turning.