Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-08-01

1 y
pretty wid its sweet little eyes dat couldn't
l wandered about wild it for weeks, an
stayed wild it long time in dis ole cabin.
l stole grub for it an mysef, too, den
black its face an go to a Quaker, an tole
hun was a runaway niger an wild my
baby, an ne tux me by night, hidin' ebery
| day till we got inter Missouri, an den he
| foun' one day dat de black come OF de
baby's face, an dat it war white. He war
goin' 10 tell on me, but run away frum HIM
wild de chile, an trabel up de Missouri river
long way. l tried to throw the baby in de
water ter drown. but ebery time try it de
little baby look in my face an smile, an
can't.
"One day I went to house way up de
| river TO steal sumfin to eat for me an de
chile. Ebery body war in de field, an in de
place war an ole big wooden cradle. stole
| it and corked it up tight as boat, an tyin'
de yaller handkerchief bout de baby's head
put it asleep in de cradle and pushed it out
in de river"
Luke here was about to interrupt the
narrator, but Mr.. Neff said:
'No, don't do I now. Let IN 60 on"
The negro resumed:
81 was cotched by some nigger-stealers,
taken to st. Louis, sold at auction, den my
me to Mr.. .Ne1, who keep me till de war.
l heard him say dat he find de baby-he tell
de young massa so, an when Massa Morgan
come up IN Missouri fo' vars ergo to lilo, l
spect dey'd know me, but 'um don't, but Dick
Sneed did, an he nebber see me till de war
commence Den say kill him, and on de las
day OBJ de Shiloh battle 1 shoot 'um wild my
own hand. Heah am de yaller handkerchief.
l tuck it from de bureau de night de rebs
come to hang Massa Luke" and he held up
the handkerchief, on the border Of which
were the words embroidered in black:
"LUKE MASON"
"Whatl Ny God! can this"
''Hole on, boy, hole on, this mans weak.
I'll tell him, you can't" said Mr.. Nef, dis
playing an energy Luke had never thought
he possessed.
To the failing man he hurriedly explained
that he had found the cradle floating, and
that the child was alive, and that his brother
had reared him. Colonel Luke Mason was
that child. The Confederate Colonel was
falling very rapidly, and while Mr.. Nef had
broken the news to him quickly, he had
done 80 in way not to excite him. The
dying father reached out his hand and
clasped that Of his new-found son.
MY boy" he whispered, ''rve found you
at last" Then he called to his daughter,
who started as if from stupor: ''Come here,
Elsie, my child" Placing Luke's hand in
hers he said: Here is your brother"
Brother and sister silently folded their
arms about each other. What was it that
held all silent and spell-bound under that
wonderful revelation! That Luke was the
lost son of Colonel Morgan none could
doubt, yet not a word was spoken, no shout
Al. nd wrrfNh
the announcement, or was it the presence OF
death!
Lille came to them, and Luke, placing
one arm about her, turned to Elsie and said !:
''Can you love her as sisters"
eyes, yes" she sobbed.
Colonel Morgan, without uttering another
word, turned his face toward the dark, dis
colored wall, aud peace came to his troubled
soul. Soeuiet was he, so silently did the
change come, that the prayerful watchers
knew it not until all was over.
1t was Luke's regimental chaplain who
performed the burial service, and he and
his sister, whom he had only so recently
known. stood by the grave and watered it
with their tears.
Luke determined at once to drop the
name of Mason and take his proper name
| Morgan. But this he found almost lmpOS-
| sible while in the army, as all his papers
were made out in the name of Mason. 1t was
| afterwards ascertained that Luke Mason,
the original owner of the yellow handker-
chief, was mulatto, who was house serv-
ant of Mr.. Morgan, and his handkerchief
had by some means got into the possession
of the nurse, possibly presented to her by
the original Luke himself, who was quite a
fiirt in his way.
Colonel Mason got leave of absence for
few days, and went with his sister, Lille,
Mr.. Neff and Albert, who had been paroled,
across the river into Kentucky, where they
would be safe. He persuaded Lille to be-
come his wife and they were quietly mar
ried at little country church in Kentucky.
His sister kissed him on parting and told
him to care for their brother Jasper if he
should find him. He promised to do so, gave
her to Albert and told him to care for both
if he should never return.
Luke reached his regiment just in time to
ioin General Haleck in the Corinth cam
paign. His regiment had meanwhile been
fully recruited and assigned to the brigade
of General Macarthur.
Old Arkansaw Tom was constantly with
his beloved Colonel. He seemed to have
lost much of his jovial spirit since his three
companions had left him. 1t was during
| one of the terrible assaults on Corinth that
the brave old veteran fell dead at Luke's
feet. The Colonel stopped to raise the
| fallen man, when he tell wounded and was
carried to the rear, 50 that he never looked
on the wrinkled face of his brave old friend
again.
The Coloners little wife came to nurse
him back to health, and he was able to join
his regiment just after the taking Of Vicks-
| burg. He found his brother, Major Jasper
Morgan, in the hospitaldying from wound.
HIS wife and sister were telegraphed for,
but came too late.
1t was in the charge at Kenesaw Mount
aims that Blackhawk, who had insisted on
being Luke's body-servant, fell pierced by
| bullet in the bowels. The Colonel sprang
to the ground and raised the head Of the
dying negro, and asked what he could do to
relieve or help him.
"Nuthin', massa. Am de tight overE
''For the present it is"
81 IS done fur, any way; We can't help me,
massa. Would We hep me, who tried to
drown We when a baby!'
"Yes, Blackhawk, 1 have forgiven you
that"
but, massa, ye dun know all"
"What else is there to knows"
"It war me dat sighted de gun an pulled
de trigger dat killed yer father"
With an exclamation OF horror Luke
dropped the head of the wounded negro and
staggered to his feet. Mounting his horse
be rode to where the regiment was form
ing for another charge, and when next he
saw Blackhawk life was extinct
When peace was declared Luther Nor
gan, or Luke Mason, as we have known him,
had Just been commissioned a Brigadler-
| General Rnt ha rAsioned and went home.