Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-06
ONE AUGUST NIGHT IN '61.
WnKIE COLLINS LAST STORY PLOT.
WRITTEN FROM HIS ORIGINAL SKETCH
THE DISPATCH.

"Den yo', Mass'r Oliver" old Judee said,
'1emme tole 20 fortin'. Dah's fo'tellin' IN
yo' case-sah-impo'tent fo'tellin'. 1 kin
see dangah, Mass'r Oliver-dsngah right
ahead O. yo'."
"That's not hard to ioretell in these war
times" Oliver laughingly responded.
] "Ax' me, Mass'r Oliver-ax' me-" she
| droned.
t'Tell me what you see," he said, aiming
only to satisfy the curiosity of the ladies.
'I see yo' in de middle OBJ a soldier COM
y-marchin'-marchin'"
"Well, trust they're Confederates in
gray, Aunt Judee. And can't you put me
at their head? 1 am to be a captain, you
know"
"Dey yan't in gray. Dey's in blue, sah
Dey's Union -marchin'-marchin. !"
and she swayed her body, and held up her
head, as though in unison with the tread of
the troop which she saw. "An' yo' yan't
in de command. Yo's wearin' de same
clothes yo' got on now. Oh! I see dat yo's
prls' 'ner, fo' yo' arms is tied, an de COM
Slowly away from Oliver, and she seemed to
be watching something that was moving
steadily away. "Marchin
marchin'," she repeated over and over, but
in lower and lower tone, until she finally
whispered: "Dey's gone out'n sight, sab,
an 1 don't see no moah.''
"But I'd really like to know what be-
comes of me-" Oliver remarked carelessly
81 trust that you," and he covertly ad-
dressed Mrs. Armytage, "haye some regard
as to that"
Old Judee turned her gaze on that lady,
and stared steadily, yet vacantly.
"Weli, welI," Mrs. Armytage asked;
"and what are you seeing now?"
oal- 1o1x .,,S
hard-ridin' fast. Great trouble in yo'
face-great trouble" Suddenly she ceased
to speak, and spread one hand to her ear in
the attitude of listening. 81 heah's yo' say
somefng. I must sabe him-I must sabe
himr OATS what you sayin'. An now
yo' rides into de woods" She had seemed
to follow with her ewes the course of the
equestrienne, making recognizable the
movement of q person in the saddle of
running horse. "Dah-yo's gone. I doan
see no NOAH"
''Try again."
"No, missy-I doan' see no NOAH"
Even those who had seen Old Judee be-
fore in similar exhibitions were soberly i'm
pressed. There was martial excitement in
the air, and the woman's rude yet moving
description of Oliver captive in the hands
of a company of soldiers stirred them.
L III Auul uucc, Sdlu OllNeT,
halt jesting and half in earnest, "that
you're indulging your Northern sentiments.
We're old, old friends, yet you make the
Yankees capture me"
"But she sends rescuer after you" Mrs.
Dimmock suggested.
Had the negress merely INDUCED her wish
and fancy in describing the Confederate
officer as prisoner? And had she, taking
an easy cue from his manner and words to
Mrs. Armytage, sought to mnllify him by
representing the lady as seeking his deliv-
erance? She had the cunning of the South
ern voodoo votaries, whether she possessed
any of their supposed supernaturalism or
not.
"Look again." Oliver insisted. "You've
put me into predicament-now see me
through it,
Old Judee took his hand, and reached for
one of Mrs. Armytage's, too. Still kneel-
ing, and with the hands tightly clasped, she
gazed steadastly at the young couple, and
then beyond them into the distance.
''I see yo both, she said. "Yo', Mass'r
Oliver, is in front OBJ de soldiers"
"Ahl, at last you've put me In command,
he interjected.
"Dey am de Union soldiers-standin' still
-standin' solemn. Yo' am facin' dem.
Dey lifts dar guns. Dey fires at yo' an yo'
tails. De lady am dar, too; pale as death.
She am faintin'. She drops on de groun'.
De smoke oh de guns gets thick. 1t hides
yo' both. 1 can't see. Dat am ALL"
Old Judee arose to her feet, rubbed her
eyes, had minute of apparent bewilder-
ment, and then was sufficiently wide awake
to take the coin which Oliver handed to
her.
"All humbug," he said.
f'Of course, Mrs. Armytage assented.
But they gazed in silence after the black