The bee., 1902-06-26


of the night. The children were
put to bed and were soon sleeping
soundly. The three sisters, aunt
and cousin were seated around q
blazing fire in the dining room
The negro women, except few OF
the older ones, were standing around
two or three in a cluster, talking
low to each other when they spoke
at all.
The young officer, VINO seemed to
stand guard ov er the family, stood
leaning on his sword not far from
the fire. He appeared such a gen.
tleman that Fanny ventured to ask
him about the great noise they had
heard, and to tell him how they had
been frightened so they could stay
at home no longer, but had come a
half mile through the fields to be in
company with their aunt and cou-
sin.
The young man laughed at their
fight and told them candidly that
they were retreating before Forest
and were retreating In q hurry too,
and the great noise, and yelling was
the teamsters driving their teams
through the river bottom, where the
roads were so bad that it was al
most impossible to get through with
wagons, .canons, ambulances, etc.
Black Whiskers came in, while
he was telling all this, and seemed
dIspleased that he should tell it,
and began denying it, but the officer
told him there was no use to deny
it, for he knew it was SO, and SO
would the people all know it soon.
Then Black Ministers turned to
Mrs. Adkins and demanded that
supper should be prepared for six
men. He added that there were
forty more soldiers just at the foot
of the hill, that could be called in a
moment if needed, but he would not
call them up to supper.
Mrs. Adkins told him, she could
not call her cook up at midnight, to
get supper.
"Well 1 WILL" he said, ''give me
the keys to the meat house." IT
am not going to leave here without
my supper. I'll soon have a negro
up and in that kitchen. 1 know
how to get work out Of "niggers, -
for was driver in the south ten
years. "Glve me the keys 1 say"
Mrs. Adkins preferred keeping her
keys, but calling to woman to go
with her, they went with the man to
the meat house, unlocked the door,
pushed it open and told him to enter.
He took down nice, large ham,
cut out the round and carried it him.
self to the kitchen, where he had al
ready ordered a fire made and the
cook called. The sleepy old cook,
with her two girl helpers, were In
the kitchen, the old darkey grum-
bling at being called at that time of
night.
The man gave his ordt RS for coffee,
biscuit, ham and eggs and told the
old woman to have it on the table
I'm 30 minutes by his watch"
"The quicker you gifts yo' supper
the quicker you leaves, does yer?"
mo, L shall stay as long as 1
please, but it won't be good for you,
if you don't hurry and do as l tell
you"
Mrs. Adkins nau come back in the
house and had left BLACK Whis-
kers' to order as he pleased. She
knew she could not prevent his do
ing so.
The other men were walking idly
around, talking to each other and
sometimes to the negroes who were
in the yard.
The girls got the table ready and
had the smoking hot supper on 1t in
very short time. The guard and
the man who was holding the hors-
es were called in. The horses were
led close to the house and left in
care of two negro boys.
After all were seated at the table
and had begun their midnight meal,
"Old Rachel" who was part Indian
and part negro, entered at O side
door, dressed In her best, with a sun
bonnet pinned together so as to look
something like a tall hat, standing
straight up hat-like from her head.
She took her stand behind Black
Whiskers, folded her arms across
her breast and stood as If she were a
fixture there, not moving a muscle.
No one noticed or spoke to her, but
the hearts of mistress and relatives
were almost paralyzed with fear.
They were expecting each moment
that she would begin and tell all the
family secrets: how her Marse Ben
and young Mr.. Gray were just es-
capped from the house as the soldiers
came up and were now in hiding