The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-05-20

"HoLD HARD THERE" CRIED VOICE.
baby, snugly wrapped up, and carried
by his nurse, the mulatto Phoebe. Some
valuables hastily put together lay in
bundles on the grass-plainly revealed
in the rudy light from the blazing
huts. Nobody seemed to know what to
do till Aunt Drusilla swept upon the
scene. Then movement took the place
of inaction.
"Heah, yo' fool niggahs, +" cried the
old colored woman; what for yo'
starin an doin muffin? Want de Yankees
to ootch yo', huh? Grab dem bundles an
run for de woodsl An yo', too, Miss
49,, an yo', honey; run, 1 tell yo'.
Phoebe, min dat ar chile, or warm
yo' Ever body's got to runl''
And everybody ran-even fat Aunt
Drusilla herself. Down the dewy lawn,
with the Federal bullets whistling
among the tree tops hard by, and the
flames spreading to the barns and sta
bIes, they fed. For in the night attack
no one was safe. Neither north nor
south warred against women and chill
dren, but under cover of darkness the
gravest danger threatened all within
the area of attack.
At last they reached the dense woods,
and the sound of firing came but family
TO their ears, though the glow of the
distant fire still showed its grim refec-
tion upon the sky line
Dis far 'nough." grunted Aunt
Drusilla, who, despite her age and cor
pulenee, had kept we'll in front of the
race. I'VE can rest now. Put dem bum
dies down, yo' boys, an, oh, my Lawd !
Whar's Phebe?"
Poor Mrs. Tarleton turned at the old
woman's frightened cry-turned to see
that the young mulatto was indeed
missing, together with her precious
charge, the babyl The unfortunate
lady's brain reeled at this last terrible
calamity, and she fell fainting upon the
path.
Kneeling by her side and chatting her
hands, Aunt Drusilla cried frantieally
to the negro boys, who stood around,
to search the woods.
go back de way we comel" she
shouted. "Phebe mus be captured or
shot. Go back an fetch young marse
fore de Yankees git him. y
But the negroes hung their heads
sheepishly.
ssWe'se 'fraid, Aunt Drusilla. Deed
we'se drefful 'fraid, . they moaned.
Wrathfully the old woman rose to
her feet.
IAN yo' call o'selves men 70 she ex-
claimed. .sYo' muffin but pack o.
rowardly possums. I'll go back NAH
self. Yassurq Ole Aunt Drusilla amt
scared o. Yankee guns when young
Marse Halls lef' behin'.'
True to her word, the stout hearted
Drusilla turned in the direction of the
burning outbuildings and shuffled down
the pathway as fast as she could go
But another pair Of feet were lighter
than hers. A little girl in fimsy
frock, with her shoes clutehed in her
hands, sped past the old negress. 1t was
Nell Tarleton, trembling no longer,
but wild with eagerness to save her
baby brother.
.sCome back, honey Fo' de Lawd's
sake, come back, " gasped Aunt Drusil-
la, as she snatched unayailingly at the
small figure which rushed SO swiftly
by. But Nell only shook her head and
ran the faster. Farther and farther be-
hind dropped poor Drusilla, until at
last she lost sight of Nell altogether.
Then she threw up her hands and sank
despairingly upon a log.
Dat ends it all, she sobbed. boy
an gal bofe gone now. What'l II Marse
Tah'leton say when he comes backi An
poor mis- | Boun to kill her daid, when
she hear dat Nell's gone too. 2
On through the woods ran Neither