The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-08-16

UlS uOuSc ANAtSS Audl aiCe " "oeSASo h'uA
and Charlotte held the colonel's little
son up in her arms that he might
watch the erect figure on the big horse
out of sight beyond the bend in the
levee road.
"Charlotte," Colonel Murray had
said, II know you are faithful. leave
your Miss Margaret and your little
Marse John in your especial care.
Until l come home again 1 will hold
you responsible for their welfare"
After her master had ridden away
Aunt Charlotte took up her trust.
How faithfully she had fulfilled it only
Miss Margaret and little Marse John
could have told-Mlss Margaret and
little Marse John who slept beneath
the roses.
The colonel had never come back to
Riverview. The tide of war swept
over the plantation and the soldiers
left desolation behind them. When
they burned the big house, the flames
spared the brick kitchen, that, after
the southern fashion, stood at some dis
tance from the main building. And
here, while the flames from the house,
the outbuildings and the negro cabins
in the quarters lighted the level delta
country for miles, Aunt Charlotte car
ried her mistress and little Marse John.
And here she had lived ever since.
The little boy died of a slow fever
the last year of the war. Aunt Char
lotte herself dug the little grave near
the house so that Miss Margaret might
still have her boy close to her. Miss
Margaret lived three years after the
war, a broken woman, for whom
the faithful negress cared tenderly and
patiently, as for an ailing, fretful child.
When at last Charlotte turned from
the new grave beside little Marse
Johns, it was to new responsibility
to wait for Marsc Colonel; to keep the
grave fresh and green; to give back to
him the trust she had kept. She had
waited now for more than 80 years and
though to every one else the colonel's
name was only memory Aunt Char
lotte still believed that he would come.
On the night after Captain Terrill
had stopped at the fence on his way to
the fields Aunt Charlotte sat by the
hearth in the kitchen. As always,
her thoughts were in the past. For
her door. damp and sweet, was heavy
with the fragrance Of the roses that
bloomed 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 the old care free, irresponsible,
happy life.
ave gwine fix dis heah place up
wen Marse Cunnel come home," Aunt
Charlotte mused. "Miss Dell say
Marse Cunnel daid. She say he amt
nevah gwine come back. Law! Miss
Dell amt know my marster. Miss
Dell,' 1 say, my Marse Cunnel ne>ah
bruk he wud yit.' He done low lie
gwine come back, an he comm. Spec
he done chase dem Yankees dat fur
norf dat hit TUX i'm all dis time to get
back. But he sho' gwine come. l
spec i'm erlong emmy time. Law,
Law, 'twouldn't 'sprise me none to see
Marse Cunnel walk in dat 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 fickered
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 be.
meath shaggy brows.
He took 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? l left them in your
care.'
The old woman gave one cry Of
happiness.
"Marse Cunnel," she cried, "my
marster! Bress Gawd dat you come
home. Whut dcy do to you, ole marse,
dat you look dat ole an po'?'
II want my wife and child the
man repeated, sharply.
The old woman knelt at his feet.
"Marse Cunnel, dey bofe gone desc
many yeahs," she said, her tears be-
ginning to fall.
"Gone,' he said after her-"both
gomez
81 done de bes' | could, Marse Cum
nel," she begged. "Gawd knows dat
| KEEP dat trus' de bes' l could. l
KEEP de grabes moughty nice an green,
suh."
"The gravesl' this wreck Of her old
master shouted. "Dtadi Marraret