Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-11-26

OMnCI VI INC MUSE
Col. Richard Warresby, a direct descen-
dant in the female line from its builder
The old wainscoted walls are hung with
family portraits, TO which the Colonel,
who sits gazing into the log fire blazing on
the andirOns, bears a most striking resem-
blance. He is a tall. well-prOpOrtiOned
man of some forty years, whose face,
though kindly, indicates strong resOlu-
tion and courage.
His title OF Colonel was won by the
most daring bravery on the field OF bat
tie, and as he sits gazing into the fire,
this Thanksgiving morning. visions of
soldier life rise wildly before him He
lives again that day at Nicksburg, ten
years ago, when he encouraged his men
TO repel sally Of the besieged upon
those working in the trenches Once
more he staRds face to face and fights
hand to hand with that brave Confed
crate officer so gallant and handsome,
whose face Is indelibly-imprinted upon
his memory. Again he sees that officer
fall beneath his sword and again he
shudders as he feels those large, dark
eyes, fast glazing In death, fixed upon
him with look Of unutterable hatred
to the last
-Pardon me for disturbing you, dear,
but want to introduce our new govern
ess, Miss Rena Mention, of Mississippi
1t was his wife who spoke, Frousing him
from the trance-like condition into which
he had fallen He rose hastily to well
come the young lady whom his tempo
rary absence from home had hitherto
prevented him from meeting. Great
heavensi There before him stood the
very officer whom he had killed at Vicks-
burgl The face was younger and hand
sOmer than il had been ten years ago,
and its features were of a more delicate
and feminine cast but there was no
tat inc far a a-lr
that dying look Of hatred had passed
from them, and they now wore q cheer
full, kindly expression, they were the
very same
The Colonel tried to speak He tried
20 grasp the small white hand so frankly
extended to him Impossible. His tongue
Glove TO the roof Of his mouth. He
staggered, the room reeled, and he knew
no more
Rena Mention was the only child of
wealthy planter, who had inherited from
his father one Of the finest estates in
Mississippi Reared as the idol of both
parents, the heiress of a great planta-
tion, and the pet ano darling OF 800 or
400 slaves, her life was one uninterrupt-
ed day OF sunshine until the completion
Of her sixth year. Then the guns at
Fort Sumter summoned her father to
the war. At his departure he gave her
q miniature of himself inclOsed In
diamond lOcket, saying: sMy darling,
keep this always for papa's sake, and If
j an killed you VIII not forget me-
Captain Mention never came back His
name was printed in list of those killed
at Vicksburg. and his young wife, COM
pietely crushed by grief, died before the
close of the war, which had swept away
all her husbands property, leaving her
ten-yeAr-old daughter penniless- For a
g.
aunt but she, too, died. and at sixteen
the girl, who had developed into 3 mag
niicent Southern beauty, was thrown
completely upon her own resources
Making her way to New York. she
found employment as q goyerness, and
il was in that capacity that she had
been engaged by Mrs Warresby and had
accompanied her to her New England
home
When dinner was announced on that
Thanksgiving Day, Colonel Warresby
had entirely recovered his composure,
and greeted the rural guests who had
been hidden to his hOspitable board with
his accustomed courtesy. To Miss Mem
ton he was particularly kind explaining
his strange conduct OF the morning by
saying that he had been overcome by &
sudden dizziness He assured her that
she should be in all respects q daughter
Of the household, and said that nothing
should be left undone 10 make her happy
In her new home
And he more than kept his word The
young southern girl often marvelled at
his fatherly interest and kindness
Often she would find him gazing at her
with tears in his eyes and when he spoke
to her his manner seemed more gentle
than when he addressed his own dauRh-
terS
No one save Rena herself knew the
measure Of his affection for her. He
seemed TO keep a certain secrecy in it
and to hoard IL in his heart He de-
lighted to anticipate her every wish; he
could not bear to see cloud upon her
face He could not bear to see her sit
apart He seemed to fancy that she felt
slight when there was none Once his
attention was attracted by the diamond
locket to which she had chung through
Al her misfortunes. When she showed
him the picture it contained, telling
? him It portrayed her father. his whole
frame shook wish emotion and he hur-
ried from the room without a word
Rena's life was thus a very happy
one Mrs Warresby was as kind as the
Colonel. treating her as = cherished
daughter. while between herself and the
children Of the household-her little
eharges-there sprang up strong mu-
tual affection At length a
year had passed away. Another Thanks
giving Day had daWned and Colonel
Warreshy lay dying An ms dioas dis
ease, against which his iron constitution
had stfEaslsd long, was abeut e prove