The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-09-13

now for more than so years and though
to every one else the colonel's name
was only memory Aunt Charlotte still
believed that he would come.
On the night after Captain Terrill
bad stopped at the fence on his way to
the fields Aunt Charlotte sat by the
hearth in the old kitchen. As always,
her thoughts We're in the past. For her
the breeze that blew through the open
door, damp and sweet, was heavy with
the fragrance of the roses that bloom
ed by the galleries of the big house 80
years before.
A negro melody broke the stiffness of
the night. To the old woman the song
came from the quarters where long ago
the negroes sang on summer nights
like this, and the years rolled back
to give her again master and mistress
and the old care free, irresponsible,
happy life.
1--WE gwine fix dis heah place up Wen
Marse Cunnel come home" Aunt Char
lotte unused. Miss Dell say Marse
Cunnel daid. She say he amt nevah
gwine come back. Law. Miss Dell amt
know my ole marster. Miss DELL 1
say, my Marse Cunnel nevah bruk he
wud yit. He done low he gwine come
back, an he comm Moughty long
time hit TEX i'm. Spec he done chase
dem Yankees dat fur norf dat hit TUX
i'm all dis time to git back. But he
sho' gwine come. 1 spec i'm erlong
emmy time. Law, law, 'twouldn't 'sprise
me none to see Marse Cunnel walk in
dat are do dis berry minnit"-
In her eagerness she turned to the
| open door. The words died on her lips.
Her jaw dropped, and her face grew
gray with fear.
A man stood in the doorway. Be
hind him the darkness made a frame
| for his figure, and the fire that flickered
ON the hearth-kindled there to light
the room-showed his ragged clothing,
| glinted on the tangled white hair that
covered his head and the white beard
that hung unkempt on his breast. His
| eyes looked out hungrily from beneath
| shaggy brows.
| He took a step into the room. Aunt
| Charlotte rose to her feet.
as it you, Charlotte?" the stranger
said. Charlotte, where is my wife:
Where is the home? Where is your
little Marse John? / left them in your
care"
The old woman gave one cry of hap
piness.
"Marse Cunnel," she cried, "my mar
ster! Bress Gawd dat you come home
Whut dey do to you, ole marse, dat yoI
look dat ole an po'?'
Il want my wife and child" the maj
repeated sharply.
The old woman knelt at his feet.
'Marse Cunnel. dey bofe gone des
many yeahs," she said, her tears be
ginning to fall.
Gone" he said after her-"botl
gomez"
81 done de bes' I could, Marse Gun
nel," she begged. "Gawd knows dat
KEEP dat trus' de bes' / could. l keI
de grabes moughty nice an green, sub.
"The gravesr' this wreck of her oil
master shouted. Dead! Margare
dead! My Godr'
He pushed away Aunt Charlotte's de
tanning hands and rushed out into tn
night. y
"Lawd," Aunt Charlotte whispered
kneeling with upraised hands wher
her master had left her, you know da
l done filled dat 'spons'bility de be:
dat l knowed how. o Lawd. you kno'
} how l wuk with dem grabes an CT
] de grass and fotch de water an kel
um green. Miss Ma'gret, Miss Ma
| gret, Use ole an lonesome. De 'spons
: bility is ober. AK Gawd to lemm
( come erlong wild you an lfr Mars
John"
: They found the colonel next mornin
: lying among the faded roses on h
t wife's grave. And in the old kitche
- on the bed where Miss Margaret ha
] died, Aunt Charlotte lay, her respons
bility over, the years of her trust fu
e filled.
Three days later, when the keepers
i a northern insane asylum came to Ri
g erview in search of an escaped patiel
who had been an inmate of the instit
= ton for more than so years. and wi
l. had never been able TO tell them whe
Y | was his home and who were h
e friends, they found two new graves
e the plat behind the rail fence.
+ Master and mistress and faithf
n servant We're united.-St. Louis Repu
It lie.