Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-26
CHAPTER V.

gentlemen remained at the table after
the ladies had left. to smoke and drink
their wine. The windows of the big din
ing-hall opened like Il door onto the
veranda, and Capt. Wrinkle. faultlessly
attircd in Tuxedo coat. low wastcoat
and snowy shirt and nccktic. watched
the three ladies furtivcly as they arm
in arm. promcnadcd back and forth in
the light of the big kerosene lamp on
post where the carriages stopped. 1t
was not the coloncts habit to dress for
the evening meal, especially in the hot
season, so he still wore his cool suit Of
brown linen, and, in this res ect. Mr..
Hardy was glad to keep him company,
as he had really come TO the country for
an easy, unccrcmonious outing. The
colonel liked nothing better than good
listeners. and. as he slipped his wine
and smoked. his pink complexion fair
~ shonc while he discoursed on favor
lite topic of his-the beauty and many
virtues of the only lady guest in his
house, Mrs. Lancaster, IL snowy haired
widow not far from the colonel's age.
II am glad she came today" he said.
"She is hard TO get at: she travels so cX-
tensively, and am sure We never would
have her now if il were not for Evelyn;
they love each other like mother and
daughter. Why, I'll bet Mrs. Lancaster
doesn't stay in her Charleston home
one winter in five; docs she, Hardy"
NO. | think she likes Italy" said the
gentleman appealed TO. "T think
should have had the pleasure Of meet
ing her before this is she were often at
home, but she goes out very little in
Charleston and has few intimate
friends. ] should say she was by all
odds the most exclusive woman in the
city"
lam pretty sure. remarked the colo
mel. tentatively, that she is very well
to do-that is, l judge so by the life
she leads; it is one of expensive luxury
from beginning to end"
Il happen to know that she is dccid =
edly rich" replied Hardy. 1T seems
that her husband. who was killed in the
war. owned extensive lands in the south
upon which phosphate beds have since
been discovered"
Her husband was not killed while
actually in service explained Has
brooke, land his death was most
tragic one The colonel looked round
the room and seeing james. the black
butler. standing behind his chair hold
ing napkin and corkscrew. he said:
Il shall ring when l want YOU,
James"
When the negro had bowed himself
from the room, Col. IIasbrooke contn-
ued. "Ies. Mrs. Lancaster's life has
been sad one: she has revealed the
great grief of her life TO very few. and
then only to her most intimate friends.
She had been married 10 Lancaster oniy
about two years when the first shot
from Fort Sumter set his blood on
fire. lie was one of the first in South
Carolina 10 offer his services. and as he
had had some military training and was
highly educated he was made a captain
of company. lie made good record
but was taken i'll when his regiment
was stationed at a little town in the
mountains of East Tcnnc. cc and was
ordered home on Il furloEgl. As il was
in the month of August Mrs. Lancaster
thought that the climate Of Charles
ton would not be so good for him aS that
OF Tennessee. so she photographed him o
wait and she would Join him. She met
him with her only child. Il baby in
arms. and they started through the
mountains TO "A retreat that had been
recommended 10 them as a highly suit
able resting place. But on that Journey
they met with the catastrophe which
biohted her whole life. The noun
tains in that section. like the noun
tains here. were infested with bandits
who lived upon plunderirg straCglers,
no matter Of what politics. And ii was
gang OF these reckless rutiians into
which they ran. They were in "A spring
wagon driven by a negro. who had all
along shown himself to be an arrant
coward. The first notification OF dan
ger was the sudden appearance from
the bushes of half dozen armed men,
who demanded that the party alicht
that the vehicle might be searched.
Evidently Capt. Lancaster. W no hap
pcned TO be holding the child in his
arms, thought that immediate obedi-
ence was best, so he got out, telling the
men that he had in his pockets all the
money and valuable> the wagon cor
tanned. He was still holding the child
on one arm and opening his pockets
with another when the negro, seeing
that the robbers were not noticing the
wagon. whipped up the horses and
drove away at full speed. Mrs. Lancas-
ter tried TO stop him. but he was wild
with terror, and As the robbers were
now firing after them, he duckcd his
head and applied the lash. The wom-
an was helpless; the negro was strong
and half insane. She argued with him
and pleaded with him to stop and let
her out, but he drove on like mailman.
1T was not till they had reached farm
house nine miles from the scene Of the
robbery that she induced the negro TO
stop. Here they were received by a fam
lily in which there was one man too old
10 do service in the war. He said he
was willing to do what he could for her,
but that the 'bushwhackcrs.' who were
n power in the land, would hang him if
he molested their plans. He went out
to see if he could get together any Of
his neighbors who would help ,,er, but
when he returned at dusk he brought
the intelligence that he could find no.
body who would dare take a hand in