The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-05-29

desk on small table near the bed,
wherein were John Royals letters, his
photographs, and sher most treasured
souvenirs of her aunt. This she opened
and took from it thick envelope,
which she slipped in her pocket as she
sped down stairs.
ST forgot something and had to go
back" she explained, as she Joined her
husband and Mrs. Hart, the latter
having come out to the door step to see
them off.
''Did you make a cross in the pathF'
the lady questioned, gayly.
"Poor, dear old nanny! What a
point she always made about 'backin' de
luck with a cross mark! No; I forgot it.
I'll do it now' And she daintily traced
a cross on the doorstep with the toe Of
her little boot.
"Come along, you superstitious young
woman" called Royal from the pave
ment. s'I've turned back scores OF times
after starting and nothing ever happened
to me-"
fortunes favoriteAjust hear till
himr' quoted Mrs. Hart mockingly, as
they drove away.
The pleasant country road led away
from the city six or seven miles to the
ancient home of the Lees. The air was
balmy, yet bracing with autumnal vigor
and suggestion of the frost to come;
the road was fairly good, for Virginia
road, and the pair chatted gayly as they
bowled along. Phyllis enjoyed it all
with the zest of child, and seemed never
weary of the delight of the eyes. The
tangles of vines on the roadside, the
MOSES and ferns around the springs they
passed, the festoons of wild grape vine
pendent from the trees and rich with the
shadings of dark fruit and yellow foliage,
the marvellous blending of crimson, gold,
green and tawny bronze showed by the
leaves, even the waving broom sedge and
stiff little frs, like Dutch toys, dotting
the worn out fields, all appeared to her
beautiful.
Presently they assembled long, steep
hill and drove along its crest hundred
yards, and Royal turned the buggy and
called on his wife to behold the world
and the wonder thereof. And Phyllis,
after a rapturous cry, uttered low down
in her throat, like the note of wood
pigeon, folded her hands together and
was speeches., spellbound at the1ovei-
ness Of the scene before her.
Washington, with it's countless beau
ties of architecture, its monuments, stee-
Piles, roof trees and dominating dome
Washington in slumberous autumnal
graciousness was spread before them,
strangely beaudfed by distance and
backed by the tender purplish blue of
the far horizon. Nearer-almost at the
foot of the hill-rolled the cleaning
waters of the Potomac, call quiet along"
its. banks now, for many year quiet,
restful and infinitely beautiful thun-
der of cannon and rattle of musketry,
sounds of battle and bivouac, hushed
forever, and the river flowing TRANQUILITY,
taking its share in the labor Of the pres
emit, with hardly suggestion left of its
participation in the sorrow and wrong
doing of the past.
Away in the distance the stream
seemed fettered by the links of an iron
bridge, over which, as they gazed, a
train passed slowly, overshadowed by a
canopy of blush gray smoke. To the
left, bathed in afternoon sunlight, sleepy
old Alexandria, stepped to the caves in
the joy of calm, showed picturesquely
against the background of the Virginia
hills, and over the heights of George
town the shadow of cloud passed
dreamily.
Then they drove on, talking of things
that had been in the nations history;
but as they neared the gateway of Ar
ington silence fell again. 1t was dis
rupted in a moment, and all sentiment
and solemnity dispelled by party of
little negroes who swarmed out from the
archway, like flies, tumbling, grinning,
aud dancing around the buggy with
shouts of please, sar, gimme penny!
please, ma'am, gimme penny! Look at
me, lady! Dis away! saint no daid
folks! kin STAN on my haid fur penny,
kinr'
Royal menaced the laughing cohort
with his whip, but his face was too good
humored for his gesture to make much
impression, and the hilarious scraps of
ebony held their ground until Phyllis
had distributed among them all the
small change in their possession.
SIT spoils the solemnity of the ap-
proach," she admitted when Royal smil-
ingly suggested that they might be en-
couraging nuisance. "But they looked
SO jolly couldn't help giving them
something. haven't seen lot of little
negroes jumping about for years. 1t
does my eyes good.
Inside the gates there was no lack of
solemnity, and Royal pulled his horse
up to walk and slowly followed the
road winding under magnificent trees,
through stretches of velvety verdure,
past plots of exquisite blooming plants,
rockeries, and tall vases filed with flow
ers, vines and ferns, untouched asyet by
frost. Now they caught glimpses of
shady dingles and clear streams ripping
purely, and again of level meadows, sug-
gestive of old homesteads, lowing kline,
Misunderstanding, everything, ex-
cept graveyard.
Gradually the road assembled, and a
thrill passed through Phyllis sensitive
nerves as her eyes rested for the first
time on the home of the south's great
chieftain. She wished to go there at
once, but Royal turned aside to the GEM
etery which surrounds the home of Lee