The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-12-04

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pleasant, honest co
Something in his loon ..r,;....
her womans sympathy, aud captured
her ut once.
She led him into the room whero
they had been sitting, and motioncd
him to u seat. His head was of goodly
shape, though covered by Il thick mat
of closc-curlng wool. while his face,
by far the greater part Of twas like
wise ornamcnted.
She had never seen a woolly beard so
thick and SO heavy.
"Ah," he said. slowly shaking his
head, "dcy to!c me 4 could find mas'r
coioncl's widder I'd find friends, suah.
Yaas'm l wcr' dc coloncrs cook.
Didn't he ebhcr write TO yer bout old
Pompey0 Oh, wo lost u good man
when he folly
Rachel wiped her eyes and presently
asked the poor man if he was hungry.
He answered her that he could not tell
how hungry he really was; whercupon
she got up and went out into tho kit
chen; and US she opened the door load
ing to the hall, the old dog, Prime. a
beautiful English spaniel which Ed
ward Dorrancc had purchased rs n pup
when his son was born, eight years be-
fore, came bounding into the room.
He saw the negro soldier, gave sharp
swapping yelp. and Eddie called to him
to 'lic down.
But the dog did not obey. He drew
nearer to tho stranger, and presently
with u cry that was almost human-a
cry of Joy and jubilation-a cry not to be
mistakcn-he lcaped upon the man,
fairly clasping his forelogs or arms
round his neck, tapping, and kissing,
and painting and struggling to get
nearer and nearer, like one possessed.
Eddie stamped his foot and shouted
with n vigor of authority that ought to
have quoted the brute ut once; little
Ella cried with Il terrible fear that old
Prince would eat the poor black man
up; while Rachel, having heard the
frightful racket, had como in from the
kitchen to see what in the world the
matter could be. She knew that old
Prince was fastidious dog, and per-
haps be was trying to eject the dark
skinne invader
AS Rachel stepped across tho threSh-
old into the parlor Il wonderful thing
happened The dog. in his frantic Of
forts to get at the face of the strange
guest, had got his paws entanglcd in
tho matted wool, and prcscntly-lo and
bch6zN--the whole woolly mass-from
head, checks, and lips-camc away.
leaving exposed to view wealth of
golden-brown, curling. glossy locks;
checks white and smooth, with only
ncatly-trimmcd, handsome moustache
upon the upper lip; and the first thing
she heard was q startling cry from Ed
die:
''Oh, papa, papa, papa! You are my
papa! You are! you arc!"
And then Rachel saw a pair of stronp
arms fly swiftly around her boy; saw
him drawn close upon tho soldiers
bosom, and heard smothored sounds of
kissing and blessing.
The next few minutes we will leave
to The readers Imagination. 1t was
Edward Dorrance, in his own proper
person, alive and WE'LL
he had washed his facc-a face rs fair
and rs handsome as cvcr-Rachcl
thought it thousand time handsomer
-'pardon me. did not assume this
disguise in sport--far from it. / shrank
from the wild turmoil and uncomfort-
able Interruptions that would newt
ably result from my sudden and un-
heraldcd appearance among old friends,
after having been thought dead so long.
"Furthermore, had misty idea of
allowing the truth to break upon you
gradually; but the keen perceptions of
old Prince dished that part of it. And
yet, my precious, do believe if l had
appeared ut your door as [ am at this
moment, the shock would have been
severe. The comical manner of my
re "oalmont took away the shock, and
brought it to YOU pleasantly"
And Rachel agreed with him.
In telling the story of that terrible
day, when it was believed that he had
been killed, he said that some other
man. battered out of all shape or rec
ognition by the bursting of q shell, had
been mistaken for him.
He had on that occasion advanced n
considerable distance beyond the spot
where the shell had exploded, suppos-
ing that his men were behind him. He
had sprung forward for the purpose Of
capturing battery that had been deal
ing death upon their ranks with fright
full effect, and so eager and determined
was he that he never thought of look
ing round until he was directly under
the muzzles Of the encmy's guns; then
he turned, and found not q man of his
regiment in ght.
lie was captured ana sent to the on
cmy's rear, and on the next morning,
with many others. he was sent away
to II dismal prison, where ho had been
kept through the long and weary
months and years that had since passed
away. llo had written several letters,
but it was plainly to be seen they had
been Intercepted and destroyed. In
fact, nc had been SO informed on being
set FREQ, for n jailcr had said to him:
"ColoHcl you'll surprise yourpcople
when yoa get home, for not one of your
lett ers has been suffered to 60 through"
What nccd to tell of tho joy of that
housoholdp Truly the occasion was to
them golden dawu--tho dawning of
better day than they had over known.
Fifty years ago Boston man wrote
of the now railroads: "rhc rich and