The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1905-02-04
THE LITTLE
......GR AV e

tlS SOuth. Uc WOuldu
carries under her arm an oblong metal
box long enough to contain an infant,
the man spade. Not far from the
house is a plot of ground in which the
bones Of the Ashieys for generations
lie buried. The two 60 10 this spot; the
man digs a grave, the coffin Is lowered
and the earth thrown back. In due
tme a small headstone IL erected bear
ing the name Alexander Ashley, aged
eight months and seven days.
Twenty years pass. Leonard Hunt.
man OF thirty, is in possession Of the
Ashley estate He is the son Of CaInu-
Ia Hunt, nee Ashley. and the planta-
ton passed into his hands. his uncle
Charles Ashley dying childless. Leon
ard Hunt has inherited whatever Is
bad ia the Ashleys. They are high
strung race, made domineering by the
possession Of slaves, and In Leonard
this feature is abnormally exaggerat-
ed. He is feared by the planters in
bis neighborhood because he will brook
no will but his own and enforce his ar
rogant demands at the mouth of the
pistol.
One afternoon a rear door Of the
Ashley manor opened, and Leonard
Hunt. followed by three Others stepped
out on to the veranda and walked
hastily toward bit Of ground sur
rounded by trees. There was hard look
, on his face. for he was bent Oh putting
out of his way the man next behind
! him, young Harry Beckwith, who had
come between him and the woman he
would make his wife. The men had
met for social enjoyment at Ashley
! Manor. and Hunt had deliberately i'll
( suited his guest The two principals
were going to settle their affair the
two other men, Gridley and Stone. to
Get as seconds. Gridlcy carried small
box containing pistols, and as soon as
the ground was reached he and Stone
paced Off the distance. Then the com
batants were placed in position and the
signal given. Beck with fired into the
branches Of tree above his antago-
nists head aud received bullet in his
breast.
The party were bending over him,
stanching the blood. when an old negro
woman came out of the manor house
and made her way hurriedly to the
group. When she saw Beckwith lying
, on the ground in Il pool of blood she
began to wiring her hands and wall:
'Wha' d missy make me sw'ar I'd
never tell till he was twenty-onc? And
to think he'd "a been twenty one mex
month! heard yo'. Mars Hunt; heard
yo' calm him names no gentleman
would bear to near. And he yo' guest.
! VIVA all the Ashleys think to know
one of EN- killed Il guest, and they the
most hosptHbie men in the s'uth!"
"Whut's tie matter with you, Liz
zie:" growlcd Hunt. Il couldn't help
1t that the quarrel arose in my house"
"Yo' killed him because Missy Agnes
loyel Lin, ana 20 know ii"
Won internal niger. shut un.'
"NJ'I have Il hl"l time sl.uttin me
Up. Mars Hunt. az. ROW il it is too
lat" I'm co.n' 10 "."Hk - yo' see that
@";'rn """r ,.'""r: 20 Think lit,le
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70 t".".l... I i.;.; the coffin in tie
gr"CUG ...s"f vas Missy Ashley $
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