Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-05-07

''Dar came a time when de SklrmlSh-
in an battlin' came too near for de
ole missus an leetle Inez ter stay at
Chelsea Place, an one dark night she
hab ter Leah home in great hurry,
habin' no time to git de money an
anybles dat b'longed to her. Massa
Moore sent word ter make dar way
norf as best dey could, not dreamin'
dat missus an de leetle girl would de-
lay dar goin' ontil run out by shot an
shell, wild nowhar to go, an no chance
ter git de money lef' behind 'em. De
wust OBJ all was, missus' mind warn't
clear as ter whar she'd hid dat tree
tousan' dollars, most Of it yaller gold.
She'd allus answer dazed like when
Sistah Whitehead 'ud ask her whar
she'd hid de gold 4 car'nt Jest mind;
femme think an finally we came to
see dat it was useless ter pend pom
gitten dat money.
"De boys an gals were all gone, an
Sistah Whitehead say one OBJ us mus
stay ter look after things an if posi-
BILE find dat gold, while de oder git ole
missus ter de young ladies up norf,
which wasn't an easy job, SEEM as de
roads were blocked all through the
souf, an dard have ter be some money
Armed ter pay our way.
81 went wild missus, an Sistah White
head staid on de ole plantation, de only
one OBJ de Moore family on de place,
ivin' in one OBJ de cabins, cookin' fer de
boys in blue or gray. dat hired her, an
huntin' on de sly for missus' gold, dur
in two long, troubled years, not hear
in one word from anyone dat was
nigh ter her. De big house was used as
a hospital fust by one side, then t'other
-'pear'd as if twas allus occerpied, an
Sistah Whitehead couldn't find the
chance to s'arch for that missin' money.
The house come ter look desO1ate,
everything goin' ter rack an ruin, the
end oh de war findin' nothin' but the
house itself left, which bein' built of
stone warn't easily destroyed. Just
when things 'peared uncommon gloomy,
an even Sistah Whitehead began ter be
cast down, an lonesomeness was git
tin de upper hand oh her, an dar was
a voice whisperin' in her ear: its OBJ
no use, de Lords hand is gin yo', don't
try ter fin yo' way out OBJ de troubles
dat am encompassin' yO', ole Massa
Moore an young Massa Guy has done
los dar libes fightin'; missus an de
young ladies III neber see dar home
again, an what if dey should come?
dar's muffin left. an dat money III neber
be foun'-somefin' happened dat VERY
night.
''Sistah Whitehead at midnight was
wakened up from her sound sleep by
de bright light from fire in de next
door cabin, an de noise OBJ de yelis
from de threats OBJ band of plumber
ers dat often follers after sojers, dom
all de thievin' dat lies ter Their hand.
Dey was mad wild liquor an that on
lawful, threatenin' ter handle moity
rough Sistah Whitehead, if she didn't
behave ter suit 'em. Dey fred her
cabin, not givin' her the chance ter git
out the bed quilts, an many vallyble
things 1ongin' Ger missus dat she'd
brung ter de. cabin ter keep safe. At
dis pass Sistah Whitehead moity nigh
broke down. She tole me arter we'd
all ben reunited dat she never was so
tremblin' weak afore. All she could
do was ter drap on her knees in de
cabin doorway while de flames was
creepin' up de cabin wall behind her,
an pray wild all her soul: Lord, de-
liver me; don't forgit us in our trouble. ,
She say she feel as if she hang on ter
His promises wild hands dat couldn't
let go.
''De flames increase, an jest as she
raise up from her knees, she see de door
casin hab bin knocked loose, an down
in a chink lay two buckskin bags dat
hab in 'em missus' gold. She had put
it dar, thinkin' it was a safer hidin'
place dan in de big house. Nobody
happened ter be lookin' when she
grabbed it an put it inter her pocket
%o~ 20 l. 50.
place, whar she stayed until the thieves
were run off by some sojers comm
along.
Not KNOWN how ter read or write
or any body ter trust wild her secret,
| an bein' nigh crazy wild anxiety ter
git de money ter ole missus an de
young ladies, or Massa Moore, an not
KNOWN de war was most ober, she
feel as if she mus start ter fin 'em,
though she hadn't de least idea which
way ter look. One mornin' she started,
| maxim up her mind to make expenses
| sellin' pies an cake as she went along,
an to inquire her way, as she'd forgot
| de name of Holyole, whar de young
| ladies went ter skule an had friends.
''Ebery leetle while she'd hear oh
Massa Guy an some brave thing he'd
done, an once she was jest two hours
too late ter git sight oh him, as he'd
| jest left the city.
"Sistah Whitehead found plenty ter
| do, nussin', cookin', washin' an ironin',
| an kept workin' her way norf, allus
lookin' in every direction, strainin' he r
ears ter hear de sound of de sweet voices
| OBJ dem she sought. She went ter
Holyoke, Baltimore, Washington, New
York, Boston an Philadelphia. lookin',
| allus lookin', in high an low places,
for some OBJ de Moores, only ter be dis
appinted. One. two, three years passed
| in dis way. Peace was declar'd, but dar
| was no peace for Sistah Whitehead as
long as she carried about dem two bags
| of gold, feelin' dat in some place in de
| world massa an missus was sufferin'
! from de need oh it. De police came ter
| know Aunt Whitehead, an many was
| de helpin' ham reached out ter de pore
ole soul.
| Five y airs dragged by an one ebenin',
jes' as she stopped before de big door
openin' into big bakery in New York
oity ter swing de big basket of ironed
clothes onter de oder arm, who should
| n, 1,,,<