Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-01-25
A STRANGE VISIT.
An Incredible, But Nevertheless a
True, Story.

What | have to say is not fiction, but
fact. The heroine of my strange story"
and no less true than ~strange-died
many years ago. Most of her generation
have followed her to the land the inhah-
itants OF which may or may not revisit
ours in visible guise. The Lord of the
quick and the dead alone knows how
this may be. There is no reason why |
should not put into print what many Of
her contemporaries heard from her W
lips, not only at the date of the mysteri-
Gus occurrence that Swallowed her life,
but when a half-century had softened
the grisly outlines of the horror, and
she could contemplate it in perspective
almost with calmness, although never
without awe.
|, Nancy Barksdale, who write this,
was a girl of eighteen when, at the close
of a May day fifty years agOne, my
fathers carriage set me down at the
door of my dear friend, Augusta Deane,
in Gainesville, Va. Gainesville was
then-and may be now-an unintercst-
ing village, struggling leisurely along
the banks of the James river, to which
it owed its being and continued life. We
had pitied Augusta Elicit, the belle OF
two Richmond seasons, not because she
married Frank Deane, a promising
young lawyer, but for having to live in
the muddy, tame little town. The wed
ding had taken place in December, and
this was my first visit to her new abode,
1t was a small, white cottage, set back
about twenty yards from the street
which differed in nothing from a coun
try highway except that there WERE
more houses on and near it. | had JUS
time to observe that the Deane's cot
tage was a story and q. ifalf high, witt
dormer windows in the roof; that it wa
neat and newly painted; that tn
wicket-gate in the front palings wa
overarched by a bower Of honeysuckle
and the front porch overrun with
multiflora rose tree, now in atfiuen
bloom-when Augusta ran out throug
the open door and down the grave
walk to the carriage.
She was a trife thinner than when
had last seen her, but animated an
Joyous, with vivacity that did not abat
while she attended me to her ow
chamber on the first floor, pouring OF
salutations, queries and intersection
in her old frank, impetuous way.
.You must stay in here with me u
Ill Frank comes home" she said, hel
ing me to lay aside my traveling-gar
''He went to Richmond day before We
terday and may not get back befo
Saturday"
"Your first separation isn't 1t
asked !, struck with something n
quite natural in her manner.
"Yes. lie was obliged to go-on bu'
ness, . adding the last word as 1t mig
be an after-thought.
While she spoke she was rearrangil
some clothing hung in a press to ma
room for that | had laid of. Her han
wavered, and she kept her face turn
from me.
With the slight land insufferab
touch Of superior scorn OF q fancy-fr'
as-yet maiden for the sentimental fe
ings OF young married folks" feign
10 overlook her emotion. She mig
pine at the heart for the absent ma
but she did me the justice to be since
ly delighted at my coming. wo'
content myself with that for the pr
ent. and tolerate u weakness peculiar
her position; SO l made talk OF c
news and the journey. taking pains
10 ask a question. until presently
showed me a sunny face, that was
rrctticr and sweeter for the mist, VII
was not quito dew, lingering upon
eyclashes We suppcd ca tete-c-
and sat out on the porch until
dmo watching tho moon rise,