Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-08-17

| ing OF the hand, instead. of the eXpected
embrace and kiss of welcome as she crossed
the threshold. 1t was doubtless because
her shattered life had made her own affec-
| tion for him too selfish, and she did not wish
him TO marry any one. Following closely
the first shock If disappointment to her
young heart came sudden fever, and in
three mouths from her arrival poor Ste
vens laid his bride beside his murdered
father.
Their fine estate, with all that pertained
to it, already melting from their hands, was
soon possessed by strangers. Mrs. Mason
did not long survive the loss of Selma Al
though wife had never loved her husband
better, yet she not only refused TO speak his
name from the day of the deed, but request.
ed that her own remains should not be
buried at Leesburg and that no mark should
be placed above her grave wherever it might
be. She lies in the Congressional Cemetery
at Washington, with only the earth and
grass above her. Then came the war with
Mexico. Her son for q little time had the
opportunity TO forget his troubles under mill
itary excitement. He was mortalIy wound
ed by u cannon shot think it was at Mon.
terey--and died, q captain Of rifles, in the
arms of his lieutenant, ono of the RhettS of
South Carolina. II was an impressive day
in Loudoun when the body Of young Mason
was received from Mexico and laid in the
shade Of the old church beside his father
and his bride. All the people assembled
and made public funeral for him. One Of
the arrangements was that only the blood
relations should pass within certain railing
close abo"t The family graves, and I we'll
remember that although goodly company
had followed him to dinner when he was
twenty.one, where the same relationship
was exacted, and although he was bu.
twenty-seven at his death, yet only three
were there-two beside myself-to enter the
narrow enclosure. So family and fortune
passed away.
But not even here ended the effect of that
pistol shot at Badensburg. McCarty, the
other principal in the duel, also had an
only son, very promising, in whom he took
great pride. Though living but few miles
apart, the two families never renewed their
acquaintance or spoke to each other. There
was mutual Notwithstanding more.
Young McCnrty was frequent sportsman,
but in all his cunning WINS never known
to set his foot on any part Of the Mason
estate, whatever the luck it might promise.
Que fatal day however, in following the flight
of game he mounted fence dividing the
Mason property from another's. Attempt
ing to load in this posiion-his attention Iii.
verted no doubt by the movements of the
birds or the dogs-he let slip his gun, which
exploded and sent the ramrod through his
head. He fell on the Mason side, which he
had avoled all Of his life-upon the ground
which be was to press only in death. And
to make the dramatic sensation complete,
Stevens Mason at that moment came riding
by, and the dying youth was carried to
Raspberry Plain, the blighted homestead of
the Masons, the birthplace of the fathers
victim, and laid dead in the hall.
This was almost death blow to the par
ents of young McCarty. His bereaved
father, the slayer of Senator Mason, became
erratic and for much of the time wander
er. He would leave his home without
word and be gone for years, his own wife
not knowing where, and then would as
suddenly reappear, uukempt anil haggard,
with long bair on his shoulders and beard
descending to his waist.
After all this the old Mason house ut
Raspberry Plain stood shut mp and empty
for years. In due time, of course, it brcame
"haunted," ard, as might have heen ex
pected, a ri,!ol shot WI. sometimes heard
there ut night by vcraciolIs Iass-rs by; but
at length it passed into careful though
SbIauHe nanilS, anu IL now, WITH Sellna ;l'So,
once more the scene Of prosperity and hap
piness.
Eilles were the weapons employed in the
dnel, and The bel!igercls stood 70 cloae TO
each other that the muZZles almost touched.
1t will also be rems mbered that The ball
from Mason's gun shattered the stock of
the one in the hands of McCnrty, causing
the deadly missile to glance in such man
ner as to seriously wound the latter in the
arm