Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1890-03-07
A SOLDIERS STORY.

IN q small tcvh In southern Ne@
Hampshire lives Capt. John Gudfrcy,
one Of the most genial of hosts. IL ans
Of my readers believe he is a myth, say8I
a writer in The Boston Commercial Bull
letin. they will find him a somewhat sub
seaniial one and rather a stubborn foe to
tackle in spite Of his seventy odd years.
CuriOusly enough each Of the knot Of
guests gathered beneath his roof had
seen service under Uncle Sam. There is
always a fellowship among old soldiers
that begets confidence, and consequently
when / asked him a rather impertinent
question as to the tenant of. a grave that
lay in the very center of lis best hay
field, he readily told the following local
history, which,inteSery detnilis literally
true:
Years before her death, said the cap
tain, Il became acquainted with the wO
man who now lies buried yondeE Her
name was Becky Paine, and her mother
was at one period Of her life a slave in
the household Of Gen. George Washing
ton. After the Revolution she married
ut Portsmouth n light complexioned
negro, who might easily have passed any
where az u Cuban OF SpaLiard. In fact,
he was born in Havana, and could both
write and converse in Spanish'with ease
and f~iuency. He was a plain, honest
looking fellow, and, as | now remember
him, had nothing of the actions of a ruff
fan or desperate about him, despite the
fact that he was said to nave been at one
time a pirate on the Spanish main. Be
that as it may, Dick Paine soon accumuf
lated considerable property in this sec
zion, and although it was never rightly
known how he obtained his money, GER
tain it is that he always appeared flush,
and in time commanded the respect of
his neighbors.
was about Is years of age when the
daughter Becky. then a young girl of IS,
set out ON a voyage to Cuba, accom-
panied by her father. In the Paine fam
ny were five children, four of their mum
Der being coal black, Becky alone pos'
sessing the somewhat CHASTITY complexion
Of her father. She, however, was far
from Ill looking. and had it not been, for
the NEGRO blood flowing in her veins. d
am of the opinion that more than one of
the farmer lads, living hereabouts' would
have been satisfied TO wed her.
Aften an absence of eighteen, months
the girh returned to Portsmouth, and ul-
timately reached. home, where she was
warmly welcomed by her family and i'm
mediate neighbOrs. Accompanying her
was a slender, graceful young, man to
whom she had been married while so
journing in Havana. This young fellow
was likewise of negro extraction, and,he,
too, stood well in the estimation of the
people residing in. this community. In
time oldlman Raine was enabled toigath,
eE about him three grandchildren, all Of
the latter being as black in color as tleii
grandmother.
Paine was then held to be Wortlisome
where in the neighborhood'O ten thou
sand dollars-a p~rinocly fortune. by the
way, in those days. This was some tint
after she var OF 1910. Just what dispo
sition. the old man would make Of hi
possessions was hardly known. livery
much doubt whether he ever thought Oi
such a thing as making a will as NJ
document of that character wis eve
found after his death. IL is.true that il
presence. of witnesses he had more thar
eifce promised his own ch%ildremthat til,
bulk of his property would be left then
at his death, and he also specified tn
amount he desired to 90 to each individ
= ual. His wife, who was an ignorant
good natured' soul. %interposed no objec
ton to this plan Of her husband, simpl,
declaring tiiut she was content to Iii
wild de chilluma"
Some time early in the tweuties oil
Paine died. aftcra painful illness lasting
nearly a fortnight Aday or vS.befor
his death the dying. man called to Iii
bedside the members of his. family tll
latter having also summoned AS wit
nesses my father and twO'other neigh
hors. l, too, being present. Paine. in
clear voice. made known, his wishes re
garding the disposition of his Rropert.
after his death, and for the first time
was leannedi that lac did not favor III
daughter Becky's union with her nus
band, Jose Cienti. The litter appearel
To treat lightly the fact that neithe
himself, his wife nor children wore I
receive any portion Of the wealthileft b
their dying relative.
Two years later George Paine. I'll
only son in the family mysteriously di
appeared from view. and was nevC
afterward. 10 my knowledge. hear
from. About this time Becky's hu
hand, who heretofore had proved TO l
q rather shiftlRss sort Of q man. bega
70 display more than ordinary activit
as a farmer He. tooi in.time. began I
IN some way accumulate wealth. an
being noA placed incharge Of the Pair
Iarnl lie was well compensatedi for IA
services, considering the amount
wages then paid % farm help
One fall Il was agreed upon by Il
three unmarried Paine girls that the
should aearppany Jose Gent upon
Huefnr- trh rDrff minated hv him