Graham guardian., 1900-05-18

u
OWNED that the officer was not In high
| favor with her mistress.
| At this juncture Capt. Wrinkle.
| dressed from head TO foot in snowy
duck, came down the front staircase,
and. bowing TO Evelyn, he went out on
the yeranda Without speaking again
to Marie, Evelyn turned into her own
room TO take Oft her damp apron.
She decided that she would. later in
the day, ask Marie TO get the captains
coat.
After supper that night the shres
| gentlemen remained at the table after
the ladies had left, 10 smoke aud drink
their wine. The windows Of the big dim
ing-hall opened like door onto the
yeranda. and Capt. Wrinkle, faultlessly
| attired in Tuxedo coat, low waistcoat
and snowy shirt and necktie. watched
the three ladies' furtiyely as they, arm
in arm. promenaded back and forth in
the light Of the big kerosene iamp on
a post where the carriages stopped. II
was not the colone.'s habi, 10 Gress for
the evening meal. especially In the hot
| season, so he still wore his cool suit of
brown linen. and, in this respect. Mr..
Hardy was glad to keep him company.
as he had really come TO the country for
an easy, unceremonious outing. The
colone, liked nothing better than good
listeners, and. as he slipped his wine
and smoked. his pink complexion fair
| ~ shone while he discoursed on favor
tie topic of his-the beauty and many
virtues Of the only lady guest in his
house, Mrs. Lancaster, a snowy-haired
widow not far from the coloueis age.
II am glad she came to-day" he said.
"She is hard TO get at; she travels SO ex-
tensiveiy, and am sure We never would
I have her now II II were not for Evelyn;
7 they love each other like mother and
daughter. Why, I'll bet Mrs. Lancaster
doesn't stay in her Charleston home
one winter in five; does she. Hardy?"
"No. think she likes Italy" said the
gentleman appealed TO. ~ think I
should have had the pleasure Of meet
ing her before this IL she were often at
home, but she goes out very little in
Charleston and has few intimate
friends. 1 should say she was BY all
odds the most exclusive woman in the
city,"
liam pretty sure" remarked the colo
mel. tentatively, ''that she is very well
TO do--that is. I Judge so by the life
she leads; II is one Of expensive luxury
from beginning to end"
IL happen to know that she is decid-
edly rich" replied Hardy. at seems
that her husband. who was killed in the
war. owned extensive lands in the south
upon which phosphate beds have since
been discovered"
"Her husband was not killed while
actually In service" explained Has
brooke, land his death was most
tragic one" The colonel looked round
the room and seeing James. the black
butler, standing behind his chair. hold
ing napkin and corkscrew, he said:
II shall ring when | want you,
James"
When the negro had bowed himself
from the room, Col. Hasbrooke contin-
ued. "Yes, Mrs. LaDcastcr's life has
been sad one; she has revealed the
grea, grief Of her life TO very few. and
then only TO her most intimate friends.
She had been married to Lancaster only
about two years when the first shot
from Fort Sumter set his blood on
fire. He was one OF the first in South
Carolina 10 offer his services. and as he
had had some military training and was
highly educated he was made captain
Of company. He made good record
but was taken i'll when his regiment
was stationed at n little town in the
mountains OF East Tennessee and was
ordered home on a furlough. As il was
In the month Of August, Mrs, Lancaster
thought that the climate Of Charles
ton would not be go good for him as that
of Tennessee. so she ielegraphed him TO
wait and she would join him. She met
him with her only child. u baby in
arms. and they started through the
mountains 10 retreat that had been
recommended TO them as highly suit.
able resting place. But on that journey
they met with the catastrophe which
bIghted her whole life. The noun
tains in that section, like the meun-
tains here, were infested with bandits
who lived upon plundering stracrlers,
no matter Of what politics. Ard At was
a gang Of these reckless rutIanS into
which they ran. They were in srring
wagon driven by negro, who had all
along shown himself TO be an arrant.
coward. The first notification Of dan
rer was the sudden rrpearance from
the bushes Of half dozen armed men,
who demanded that the party alight
that the vehicle might be searched
Evidently Capt. Lancaster. who hap
pened 10 be holding the child in his
arms though, that immediate obedi
ence wGs'bes,. SO he got out. telling tn,
men that he had in his pockets al tht
money and 'aluableE the wagon cor
tained. He was still holding the child
on one arm and opening his pockets
with another when the negro, seeiuh
that the robbers were not noticing the
wagon, whipped up the hurses and
drove away at full speed. Mrs. Lancas
ter tried to stop him, but he was wild
with terror. and us the robbers wer,
nov firing after them. he Gucked hi.
head and applied the lash. The wom,
nn was helpless; the negro was Siror.
and half insane. She argued with hin
and pleaded with him 10 stop and let
her out, but he drove on like n adman.
II was not till they bad reached n farm.
house nine miles from the scene Of I'll,
robbery that she induced the negro ,c |
stop. Here they were received Ly a fam.
ily in which there was one man too old |
10 do service in the war. lie said h. |
was willing to do wha, he could for her |