Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-12-06
he nebber 'spect ter see Marse VIII

| dlouS. DoIle our loves GOWN mig
gers said dey was gwine ter run
away an jine de army when dey got
ter Atlanty. When de Linkum men
did git dar, dey 'stroyed things aw-
full. 1t was a mighty purity town
when dey marched in, but it look
lax yearthquake struck it fore dey
lef'.
Ole marster knowed dey was com
in out ter his plantation, an so he
'cluded ter bury all his money an
watches an juelry where dey
couldn't find 'em. So he put all OBJ
de silver spoons an SIGH like wild
de money an watches in a tin box
an put dat in 'bakker box, an one
night jes' afore day he slipped down
ter de spring an dug hole at de
root OBJ a ole chestnut tree dat leant
right ober de spring, an he berried
it in de hole an kivered it wild rocks
an throwed water all ober ter hide
de fresh dirt. Ole marster didn't
even tell ole miss whar he gwine ter
berry it.
Den he went ter de house an tole
Miss Sallie dey was safe fer ivin'
eff de niggers was sot free.
Pore ole marster thought nobody
was runnin' erway ter Atlanty an
didn't see him dat night; but, chill
lens, dar was an ole Jezebel OBJ a
niger 'oman down at de spring. She
when she heer somebody comm
hide an watch an see ole marster
hidin' sumfen, an when he go home
she goes ter de tree an digs down
an fms de box an think it war
'bakker dat he hid dar. She was in
SIGH hurry ter get off she jes' xiv
cred up de box lax it was an went
on ter Atlanty. Mex day erbout
eleben o'clock we see big cloud oh
dust an heer horses stampin' an
men hollerin, an we knowed de
Linkum men was a-comin'. Ole
marster an Miss Sallie look pow'f full
'sturbed an uneasy. Here dey come
froo de big gate, horses an all,
trampin' ober de purity flower beds
an breakin' up de conkshelIs erlong
de front walk, an gets off dere
bosses an comes right in de nice
wax hall wild dere muddy boots an
didn't chen take off dere hats ter
ole miss.
What yer say, chile? Was yer pa
wild 'em? No, honey; yer pas
nice man. Dem men was de shah |
best lookin' fellers, not ossifer
'mungst 'em-jes' stragglers, ole
marster said, dat follered de ahmy |
ter steal. Dare was mighty fine
men 'mungst de sojers at Atlanty, |
an Miss V'leria was dar when the !
sojers marched in Atlanty, an she
say dar was lots oh nice men wild |
'em. Desc men kilt ole Nero, Miss |
V'leria's pet dog, cause he barked |
at 'em an den went froo de house
an tuck all de blankets an bruck
de peanner an de big speer glass in
de parler an rip de fodder beds an
shake 'em out de winders an kill de
tuckeys an hawgs an 'stroyed de
corn an drink up de cider an den
tell Maum Phebey ter cook dinner
fer 'em.
After dey eat dinner one sojer asst
ole marster eff he had emmy "store
'bakker." He say, no; he not saw
emmy store 'bakker fer ebber so
long. Now, dat ole Jezebel what
watched him dat night had follered
de sojers out ter de plantation, an
she heerd ole marster say he didn't
hab no 'bakker, an she say: eyes,
he hab got 'bakker. He's got
whole box berried at de spring."
Ole marster turn white as a sheet
when he see her gwine ter de spring
an de sojers wild her. Bimeby SIGH
hollerin' an shoutin' down at de
spring | nebber heer! We know
dey'd foun' it, an pore old marster
1ebber seed dat money agen. 'Twan't
long after dat we heerd pore Marse
Will got kilt at Gettysburg. Ole
marster kept gettin' punier an act
in strange tell he jes' lost his mine
an go erbout pokin' in de leaves wild
his cane lax he huntin' fer sum-
fen, an he tell Miss Sallie de So
jers didn't get de money; dat he got
it hid sumwhar, but he can't t'ink
whar it is.
After de wah was ober who should
come ridin' up but Marse Tom Cur
tbs! Ole marster done fergit erbout
he fit on de odder side, an he ak
him whar he left Marse VIII. Miss
V'leria cry, an Marse Tom cry, an
she ak him how he could fout agen
her folks, an he said dat honor
made him do it. Den he see his ring
On her finger, an he ak her can she
Lub him yet an say eff she'll marry
him dat he'll be ole marster's son