Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-03-12
CHAPTER 1.
CHAPTER l.
A COLONIAL RESIDENCE THAT FIGURES IN
THIS SToRy

CHAPTER l.
A COLONIAL RESIDENCE THAT FIGURES IN
THIS STORY.
On the bank of the Cape Fear river,
and some 30 miles from where it
e1npties its waters into the broad At
lantic, stands the old, old city of Will
mington; so old, in fact, that the build
ing that was the headquarters of Lori
CORVALLIS when the town (for Will
mington was then town of no small
importance) was occupied by the Brit
ish soldicry during the revolution Of
1776, though still standing (at least as
to its frame), has of necessity, as age
and inclement weather caused its roof
and sides to wear and rot away, been
recovered and the frame reclothed with
Cardinals pine many times; but be-
Meath the covering of to-day stands the
same old frame and in the same location
as it stood in the troublous days of the
American revolution.
True, the time-worn floors that were
pressed in turn by the feet of a Corn
wallis and Il Washington have been re-
placed by others, but underneath the
stills and girders that supported it rest
to-day as stanch and true as they did
when placed there a century and quar-
ter ago, and testify to the endurance
of Carolina's pine.
The rooms that in the days of long
gone by have echoed alike with the
laughterand revelry of British sons and
daughters, and the music of Sa1nbo and
Cuffy, as they called "all hands round,
promenade all" while the sons and
| daughters of the Tar Heel state kept
time with flying feet, retain their same
| dimensions.
The misguided Andre and the traitor
Arnold have stood within these very
| rooms.
Here the Gather of his Country" and
that patriot from across the sea whose
memory is dear to all Americans have
conferred together, and as small incl
dents in the lives of great men live be-
bind them, SO many live in Wilmington
that are said to have transpired in the
lives of Washington and La Fayette.
One small one is, that on certain oc-
casion "The Father of his Country one
night ordered his coachman to have his
carriage and his two bright bays in
front of the mansion at dawn OF day, az
he and La Fayette intended visiting q
fort on the riv .r below.
1t Is said that in the morning when
they approached the carriage that
Honest George" who never told a lie.
stroked the back of the bay next him
with his hand, and that his glove was
soiled. "Pompey! what do you mearb
sir, by bringing out my team in corr
dition like this?
''rhere, sir! and there! take thatl
and that! move quick, take back my
team, and use your elbows well, then
bring them out. I'd not be captured
with team like that"
| ''What matters, General,' said La
Tayette, they'll be more soiled when
they return"
"But by fresh dirt, sir, by fresh dirt
and discipline, Gen. La Fayette, disci-
pline. Sir, if I'd take them now in that
condition, 1 would never get them
cleaner. When we are in the field, and
with hot work before us, then we will
drive dirty horses, but not before"
It was said that one of the pegs
dropped out of the toe of one of Georges
boots on this occasion, and the language
that he used was said to have been very
impressive; those to whom the tradi-
ton has been handed down can hardly
reconcile the big, strong words that
George used on that occasion with his
| x,,1,., 10
fathers question: "Who cut down that
tree?"
II did, papa. cannot tell lie."
But enough of old traditions. In 1881
this mansion, from which Washington
and La Fayette that morning, IS years
before, had ridden, was the property
and home of John Lloyd, Carolina's
wealthiest banker.
Lloyd was widower of As years OF
age, and with his daughter Fannie, a
young girl of II, and a nephew, Herbert
Latlrop, of 30, together with servants
(who, by the way, We're his slaves), oc
cupied the mansion.
Fannie Lloyd was very charming
young girl, and would in time be ESQ il
was supposedly her fathers heiress
There was, however, strong bond Of
affection existing between Fannie and
her father, and she desired nothing
more than that his life might be long
spared.
Herbert, the nephew, was son of the
bankers younger sister; his parents
had been dead some years, and they
had left him little but the name he bore
and poverty, SO his uncle had taken hin
beneath his roof, educated him. aud
now he was cashier of his bank.
One morning in the early part OF Feb
ruary, he was in his accustomed plac,
at the cashiers window, when an ap
parently middle-aged man advanced t,
che window: "Good morning, Her
BERT
1 Good morning, Mr.. Hill. Can 1 d,
something for you?"
II wish to see Mr.. Lloyd, Herbert. 1.
he in?"
"Certainly-Andrew," to coloret
porter, "show Mr.. Hill into my pncle'
office.a
This was soon done.
Mr.: LQyd was seated at his desk, writ
ing, as they entered. "Ah, good morn
ing, Squire Hill. I hope see you we'll
how goes all at Orion, how is the mad
am, the fair Clara, and your boys?
"All well, John, all well-but Gale,
to see you on financial matters to-day
you see, l bought another plantation
last year, something like couple o
thousand acres, apd that together wit
the money paid out for a dozen addi