The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-04-03
thy than ne dared to show.


"'Just nowg" he repeated, with pas
sionate wish to comfort her. "But this
will not last! You are SO young; life is
only beginning. There is happiness in
store for you; lam sure Of It'll"
Even while he spoke he perceived,
with thrill of glad wonder, that Wini-
fred made a slight involuntary move
ment, as if she would draw nearer to
him, and on the instant he was by her
side.
But she had not heard a word he said.
She was gazing intently into the depths
of the plum thicket, with painting breath
and quick beating heart. "What is
thatY she gasped, in terrified whisper,
and clutched the captains arm.
''Do not be frightened" he said, as he
laid his hand on hers, which was cold
and trembling. "There is nothing here
to harm you"
"There! Do you not see?' she whis-
pered fearfully, "or am I going mad?"
And with a stifed scream Winifred
Thorne hid her eyes against the Yankee
captains arm.
"It is only an old negro" he answered,
as what had seemed a shadow emerged
from the thicket and assumed definite
form.
can old negro" Missy repeated, and
shivered from head to foot. "Are there,
indeed, such things as ghosts?" But she
did not look up until she heard the old,
familiar greeting:
"Why, Missy! Missy! huh you do?"
The voice, the words, electrified her.
She abandoned fear; she sprang forward;
she seemed to fly to meet the apparition
coming along the grass grown path, and,
stretching out her hands, she clasped
them over old Gilbert's toll hardened fin
gers, while her crutch fell forgotten on
the ground.
SAT last! Oh, at last!" Her voice
rang out upon the twilight stiffness, full
of an infinite pathos of thanksgiving.
Somehow, John Fletcher was not as
pleased as he should have been; he felt
himself deserted. He picked up the
crutch and stood irresolute, 10th to leave,
yet uncertain whether it became him to
stay.
''Tubbe shot" old Gilbert responded,
with chuckle of supreme satisfaction.
"Hit's me! En- you is dat growed, Missy,
en- prutty ez pink! Lawd love de chilew
"Brer Nicholas? Where is Brer Mich
olas?"
missy, amt Mawse Nicholas here at
home" asked old Gilbert, anxiously.
"Now cried Missy, sharply. "Oh, why
do you ask that"
"Den, Missy, chile, l dunno whey is
Mawse Nicholas" said the old man, slow
ly and sorrowfully.
Missy's head drooped; her slight form
swayed like reed. Capt. Fletcher
sprang forward and saved her from fall
ing.
"Why, lowed you 'wuz mawster,"
said old Gilbert, bewildered; "en', praise
be ter glory-I do bullieve-you sho'ly
is-Mawse Gin'ral Fletcher, i'm de Fed'ral
armyv'
"That's my name, but not my rank"
the captain replied, as he placed Wini-
fred on the doorstep.
"Thank you; wasn't going to fall"
said she, with averted head.
John Fletcher felt snibbed decidedly;
yet he did not like to leave Winifred,
though she ignored his presence-or
rather she was oblivious of him.
sit was on this very top STEP" she
said to old Gilbert, reproachfully, "that
you promised to keep track of Brer
Nicholas, and now you do not know
where he is"
"Honey," returned old Gilbert, mildly,
"what kin po' ole no count niger do
in de stir o de nations? 1 don my top
bes' ter keep Mawse Nick outen de wah,
but he wuz jes' dat heady, go he
would'-
"Of course" said Missy, proudly.
81 toll him he wuz gwan git hisse'f
shot ter pieces, foolin' long O. dat wah,
but he amt pay no 'tention; en- I fol-
Tered him, en- cotch up wild him when
he wuz faerly riddled wild bullets"
Missy covered her face with her hands
and turned away from Capt Fletcher
with shudder.
The movement might have been in
voluntary, but it was impossible to mis-
understand it. John Fletcher gave the
crutch to old Gilbert and went away;
but he could not 60 fast enough to avoid
hearing old Gilberts comment:
missy, dat Mawse Gin'ral is quality,
sho', fifteen ter be one O. de Thorne genera
ton. Is you KNOWN how he wuz pow'ful
frien'ly ter Mawse Nick?"
"Never mind him." Missy interrupted,
sharply. "How did you happen to lose
Brer Nicholas?''
missy, hit wuz dishyer way: dudno
hukkom Mawse Gin'ral Fletcher had
brung hit ter pass; but me en- Mawse
Nick, wewuz turned free outen Nash
vile, whey we wuz Token pris'ners, en-
brung Mawse Nick to Melton, in de
Windy Valley, ez de call hit, whey we
wuz Twin endurin' of de wah; en- men
Miss Dosia en- Miss Roxy White we
nussed him well agin; en- den wuz TUX
fiat wild de roomatiz, 80 ez hit wuz on
posserbul ter look after Mawse Nick, en-
dunno whicherway he went sence dat.
"He done lef' Miss Dosia en- de chile,
en- Miss Roxy, en- TUX up his march ter
hunt de army. Tube sho, de wuz assay
in how de warnt no mo- army; but all
l know, Mawse Nick he went, en- bonn
hxv, 10 latfar fov Mice ,l,ok