The bee., 1902-07-03

he KEEP his mouf shot, and dey
march him off and Elvina a scream
ing and a begging Mac to tell, and
cum back"
"Is that all they did Jack?"
"All, it amt a beginning, dey load
ed wagins wild ebryting dey could
lay hands on, dat de black folks
didn't claim, and dey knowed
mighty we'll what dev oughter claim
it pears like"
II am sorry for cousin Will and
Mac. / don't see how they are to
run the farm over there without
him."
"Oh he'll cum back Miss Kate
see if he don't. De very fust chance
Mac is gwine to get away and cum
home"
Aimee gave Jack his breakfast,
while the sisters and children start
ed for the front rooms to see what
damage had been done there, Mrs.
Adkins leading the way, dreading,
yet anxious to see the extent of her
loss.
Nothing had been intercepted in
the hall, but in the rooms on either
side confusion reigned. Books were
lying around in piles of eight or ten
as if taken from the library by the
armful and hastily taken back and
put down anywhere convenient.
Armfulls of clothes had been taken
from the wardrobe and left lying in
heaps on floor and chairs. Beds
were stripped and the clothing lying
around promiscuously. Pillows, boil
sters and featherbed ticks had been
ripped, and feathers partially emp
tied.
Everything had the appearance of
beginning to destroy, when a COM
mand from a superior had caused
the destroyers to desist Immediately.
The sisters could not imagine why
things were left so, till chance di-
rected their attention to an open
book on the center table, which had
written on the fly leaf the name of
Mrs. Kate Adkins" and just be-
low, written with pencil, was the
name of "COl. Stephens" with the
number of his regiment.
Here was the explanation. This
to Col. Stephens was the home of
his young boy friend, Jimmie Ad-
kins, and because of his friendship
for the boy, his men should not de-
stroy his mothers property, so he
gave orders for everyone to put
back what they had taken out, and
leave the house.
On the white door facing, he had
written his name again, so that his
little friend might know that he had
been there, or rather, the sisters in
terpreted 1t in that way.
While they were commenting on
the kindness of the Colonel, Aimee
came In. Hearing the version put
by the sisters on the state of
things, she drily remarked: "YOu
amt been to de pantry, has your"
"What is the matter there?" they
asked, and all made a rush for the
pantry. What a sight met their
eyes! The faucet of the mOlasses
barrel had been turned, and the floor
was a sea of molasses. Then the
sugar from another barrel and a few
bushels of peas had been emptied
into the molasses, and just such a
pea pudding had never been mixed In
that pantry before. They were care
full to leave out one necessary ingre-
dent Of a pudding, and that was
eggs. There was q water bucket full
of them on the pantry shelf, but
they preferred taking them away
with them to stirring them into the
pudding batter.
"What do you thinks now?" asked
Aimee. The rest had turned away
in silence.
"That these poor little children
will cry for sugar and molasses be-
fore 1 can get any more," said Mrs.
Adkins, sadly. 1t would have been
better to have lost books and
clothes" Let the pantry alone for
today, Aimee, and we will straight
en- up things in the house first"
"Well'm; soon as I clear away the
breakfast things and put a fire
round my soap, I'll be dar to help"
1t took several hours to get every
thing placed back in order, feathers
picked up and put back in place, and
ripped seams sewed up again. II
was all done at last and late din
ner eaten. The family were gather
ed around the fire, talking over again
the happenings of the night before
and wondering if there were any
stragglers from the army through
the country, or should they hang
out the signal for the men to come
home.
Jack had gone back to his hiding
place-which was huge hollow log
/ 4. Al Il s.fA Lwn..