The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1894-06-29
LOVES STRATAGEN.

=" 'Pears to me, Miss Patty, IS eff yO's n aw
at dat pictur' tel 'twouldn't s'prise Inc eff yo
done look it plum fru an fru. Who is it any
how. honey? Yo' amt feared ter tell yo' ole
black nanny, is yoT'
''Why, no. nanny. You know | tell you
everything that concerns me. Don't II"
"Wel, I dunno $ much bout dat honey
Eyes you do, you dear old soul, Now come
and look at this and see if he isn't just
/ lovely"
swell, he is kind o purity wild all dem brass
fXin's on lin, net yo' amt tole me who he is
Missy
''He is the only man ever loved, man.
my
Well den, honey, yos Il awful 'ceitful
chile. OATS all l got ter say, kase Wen Mas
Sa Richard went away yO' cried yO' eyes mos
out. Wen de capn m'ched off ter fight de
Injuns yo' said yo' heart was dun clean broke
An now yois a mOann Ober anudder sojer.
nebber seed such a chile! specs yO' heart
dun broke up in little pieces by dis time but
wots ole massa gwine to say bout it, hon
eyy"
"That's just what's worrying the life out of
me, NANNY. Father has ordered me not to
see him again as Walter intends to fight on
the northern side if there should be q war and
we are to pack up and 90 back to our Virgin
in home"
Patty was the only daughter of Col. Chas.
Pelham, wealthy planter who divided his
time between his winter home in Hampton,
near Fortress MunrOe, and lovely residence
on the Hudson, not far from West Point.
Her mother died when she was an infant,
and she was left in the sole care of Aunt
Chloe. her black nurse. To say that the lat
ter was faithful to her charge only family en-
presses the devotion of this splendid type of
a southern family servant. lCol. Pelham's
cottage ''The Willows" was Virginia home
transferred to the north, where open hearted
hospitality reigned supreme. 1t was there
fore favorite rendezvous of the officers: at
West Point, for they We're always sure of a
warm welcome, the Colonel in his youth hav
ing been a West Pointer himself. Patty's
brother had also graduated in the institution.
Thus most of her early associations were iden-
titled with the place and what to a girl i'm her
teens is more attractive than the dashing
young sons of Mars.
Patty, having no elder sister, made her de-
but as young lady much earlier than she
might otherwise have done and with all of
her generous impulses in full play had become
independent and self reliant. As a constant
companion of her father and brothers she
participated in their masculine sports. She
was fearless horsew0man, delighted i'm
hunting and was expert in pulling either a
trigger or an oar.
Lieutenant Walter Rutherford. manly
Young officer attached to the post was a fire.
qIent companion OF Patty in her rides and
strolls and the pleasure that each experienced
in the Others society did not ESCAPE observ-
ant eyes. To her father this growing init
macy was a source of much concern especial
" at the present juncture and one day he said
TO her:
my daughter. he careful. Put a guard
upon your affections. DO not he hasty in
forming an alliance that you may regret and
which. if certain events occur, win surely
cause YOU great sorrow."
Patty did not then understand the grave
import of her fathers words for she tcould
not perceive the dark cloud that hung like
pail over her native state and was destined
soon to separate her from the one on whom
she had conferred her affections. Before part
ing therefore. she had given her trOth to
Walter and promised that come veal OF woe.
she would remain faithful 30 hi mill the
man Of God should sanctify their union.