Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-04-13
A YANKEE IN GRAY
By CHARLES B. LEWIS (M. QUAD.
lCopyriEht, 1894. by American Press Associa.
 finn l
CHAPTER XIV.

. anu SUCH iIltllNS dS ItIlldiItu NSlt GA aggerating the results of Jackson's de- feat and retreat. Reports were brought in bv this one and that one that Jack son himself intended to burn the town and leave only desolation behind him as he fell back. As a consequence, 1 though brave enough during the early | part uf the day, night cane to find Ma ! rian and her mother full of alarm. This was added to by Mrs. Baxter's appear ance. Her errand appeared to be to give ! information of the servants who had i fed in terror, and in this way she | gained admission to the presence of the | ladies, though as she left the kitchen l Uncle Ben shook his head and muttered ! to himself:
 Il nebber did like dem white trash folks tall an l can't a-bear to hev 'em around. l know dat man ob hers, an de | two ob em together hain' worf shncks!'
 The Percys had heard rumor that ! several of the guards had been killed 1 or captured at kernstown, but had no reliable information. Mrs. Baxter gave i the number and their names. The last ! name on her list was that of Royal Ken ton, and she added the information that it was believed by all the surviving | guards that kenton was to be held re- sponsible.
 Il don see how" quickly replied Marian as a look of pain and surprise came to hel face He braved danger with the rest. and he was also made | prisoner.
 I'm sure 1 dunno, but I'm tellin | yo' what they all say" remarked the woman. Didn't know but Captain Wyle had told yo all how it hap pened.
 No. He has not been here"
 "Evervbodys cheerin and shakin | hands with he un. cause he un was so brave. He un killed 10 Yankees with his sword in that fout. Gineral Jack son shook hands with him down at the tavern befo' all the people. Reckon he un will he made a grand ossifer fur bein | so brave.
 l She had given kentOn shot and Wyle lift, as she thought, and satis- fled for the time being she asked if she | could be of assistance during the ab- | seuce ut the servants, adding that near 1 lv the entire colored population of the town had fed, and that most of them would probably be picked up by the | Federals and sent north. Under the | circumstances her offer was eagerly ac cepted, and she had gained the point she was seeking. While Marian and her ! mother were nervous and upset over the 1 situation. they had no thought of flight. ! IL was certain that Jackson would re- treat up the valley, and that Shields would occupy Winchester, but they Were too sensible to fear that the town would he given up to sack. They were | preparing to retire when they were aroused by the call of d citizen acquaint- ance who had made all preparations for flight and felt il his duty to warn them of the perlls of the situation. He re- | peated the story that the town was to be burned and the valley laid waste, and added that news had been received from the front to the effect that the advancing Federals were applying the torch and dealing out death as they advanced. He advised them to lose no time in retreat ing up the valley. This information added the climax.
 In the Alleghany mountains to the west, 90 miles away, was a rough but | comfortable house surrounded by a few acres of land which Senator Percy had owned for years before his death and occupied with his family for several weeks in summer. There be had found good shooting and fishing and rest. After receiving the latest news and sitting down to wonder what they should do, mother and daughter re- membered the place and its quiet loca- | ton and soon determined that if flight was necessary 1t should be in that di- rcCtion. It was out of the track of the armies, and they would not be distuI bed, and they might hope that after a few weeks the Confederates would either re- gain permanent possession of the valley or that war would be at an end. The faith Ot the south in its soldiery was sublime, and it never wavered until the last gun was fired at Appomattox.
 To decide was to act. While the la dies set about packing whatever they might need, Uncle Ben was told to have vehicle ready for move at daylight. When Mrs. Baxter was informed of the contemplated move, she promptly vol unteered to go along, and her offer was as promptly accepted. It was not only part of her plan to maintain an es- pionage on Marian, but to be on hand when opportunity might offer to favor Captain Wyle's cause. Such d flight would bring mistress and servant closer together. There was a grim determi- nation about the woman worthy of far better cause. She hated Royal Kenton simply because she believed he stood in the way of Ike's advancement. She would be faithful to Captain Wyle sim ply because it would assist Ike. She had always fretted because Ike had no ambition to climb up. His excuse had always been:
 bod rot my internal hide, but how s feller goin to start? Show me a way to climb. and I'll git thar or die tryin!'' The war had opened way. No mat ter if Ike was regarded as the poorest soldier in his company and the last one who wOnld deserve promotion, he had made her believe that he was on the road to military glory, and that on his success depended her opportunity to become somebody" She was ambitious even if poor and ignorant. In some way which she could not yet determine ! Kenton was to disappear, Captain Wyle was to wed Marian, and Ike was to be- come "a great giperal and ride around on a critter.''
 There was no sleep for any of them during the remainder of the night Uncle Ben got wagon ready to carry | provisions and clothing and a few ar | ticles of furniture and the family car riage in which the women were to ride, and as dawn was breaking start was made up the valley. They had company on the road. Four or five farmers below ] Winchester had set fire to their own houses and barns and come into town, and during the night artillery firing