Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-11-03

and civilians within the lin~es--even TO
the lowest c%anteener or camp follow
er. Then he turned his attention to
the house he was to occupy as his
headquarters.
1t was a fine specimen Of the old
colonial planters house, with It's
broad ~verandas, Its great detached of
fees n negro quarters, and had,
thus far, escaped the raNages and bill
letting OF the war. 1t had been oc-
cupied by its owner up to a few days
before the engagement, and SO great
had been the confidence of the enemy
in their success that it had been used
as the confederate headquarters on
the morning of the decisive battle.
jasmine N roses; uhstaihed by the
sulphur of guhpowder, twined around
its ruined columns and left hid the
recessed windows, the careless flower
garden was still in its un-
kempt and unplucked luxuriance,
the courtyard before the sta
bles clone showed marks of
the late military occupancy and
hoofs of the waiting staff. But the
mingled impress of barbarie prodigal-
ity with patriarchal simplicity was
still there in the domestic arrange
ments of a race who lived on equal
terms with strangers and their own
servants.
The negro servants still remained
with a certain cat-like fidelity to the
place, and adapted themselves to the
northern invaders with a childslike en-
joyment of the novelty of the change.
Brant, nevertheless, looked them over
with an experienced eye. and satisfied
himself of their trustworthiness;
there were the usual number Of
boys" gray-haired and grizzled in
body service, and the "mammies" and
'aunties" of the kitchen. There were
two or three Don in the wing which
still contained private articles, pic
lures and souvenirs of the family, and
a young lady's" boudoir which Brant
with characteristic delicacy kept care
fully isolated and intact from the
military household, and accessible
only to the family servants. The room
he had selected for himself was
nearest it-a small, plainly furnished
apartment with an almost c%onventual
simplicity In it's cold, white walls and
draperies and the narrow, nun-like
bed. II struck him that il might have
belonged to some elder daughter or
maiden aunt who had acted as house
keeper, as it commanded the wing
and the servants Offices with easy
access to the central hall.
There followed n week of inactivity,
In which Brant felt a singular resem-
blance in this southern mansion to
the Die casa at Robes. The afternoon
shadows of the deep verandas recalled
the old monastic gloom Of the Spanish
house, which even the presence of a
Longing officer or waiting orderly
could not entirely dissipate, and the
scent of the rose and jasmine from his
windows overcame him with sad mem
cries. He began to chafe under this
inaction, and long again for the ex-
element of the march and b%ivouac-
In which for the past four years he
had buried his past.
He was sitting one afternoon alone
before his reports and dispatches
when this influence seemed SO strong
that he half impulsively laid them
aside to indulge in a long reverie. He
was recalling his last day at Robes,
the early morning duel with Pinckney,
the return to San Francisco, and the
sudden resolution which sent him
that day across the continent to offer
his services to the government. He
remembered his delay in the western
town where a volunteer regiment was
being recruited, his entrance into 1t
as a private, his rapid selection,
through the force Of his sheer devo-
ton and intelligent concentration, to
the captaincy of his company, his
swift promotion on hard-fought fields
to the head of the regiment, and the
singular success that had followed
his restless energy which left him no
time to think of anything but his
duty. The sudden intrusion of his
wife upon his career-even in this ac-
cidental and perhaps innocent way,
had seriously unsettled him.
The shadows were growing heavier
and deeper, it lacked only "A few mo-
ments of the sunset bugle when he
was recalled to himself by that singu-
lar instructive consciousness com
mon to humanity - of being intentiy
looked at. He turned quickly - the
door behind him closed softly. He
rose and slipped into the hall. The
tall figure of a woman was coming
down the passage. She was erect and
graceful, but as she turned toward the
door leading to the offices, he distinct
ly saw the gaudily turbaned head and
black silhouette of a negress. Never
theless he halted a moment at the
door of the next room.
See who that oma is who just
passed Mr.. Martin. She doesn't seem
to belong to the house."
The young officer rose, put on his
cap and departed. In a few moments
he returned.
"Was she tall, sir-of a good figure
and very straight"
Yes
"She is q servant Of our neighbors,
the Manlys, who occasionally visits
the servants here. A mulatto, l
think"
Brant reflected. Many of the mulat-
tos and regresses were Of good figure,
and the habit of carrying burdens on
their heads gave them a ~singularly
erect carriage.
The lieutenant looked at his chief.
"Have you any orders to give con-
corning her, general"
No." said Brant, after a moments
pause, and turned away.
The officer smiled. 1t seemed a good
story to tell at mess of this human
weakness of his handsome, reserved
and ascetic-looking leader.
A few moments afterward Brant
was interrupted over his reports by
the almost abrupt entrance of the Off
Ger of the day. His face was flushed,
and it was evident that only the pres
ence of his superior restrained his ex-
element. He held a paper in his
hand.
"A lady presents this order and pass
from Washington, countersigned by
the division general"
"A lady?"
Yes, sir-she is dressed as such.
But she has not only declined the