Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-02-24
CHAPTER v.

Shax LEN We
After supper that night the three
gentlemen remained at the table after
the ladies had left, 10 smoke and drink
their wine. The windows of the big din
ing-hall opened like door onto the
veranda, and Capt. Wrinkle, faultlessly
attired in Tuxedo coat, low waistcoat
and snowy shirt and necktie, watched
the three ladies furtively as they, arm
In arm, promenaded back and forth in
the light of the big kerosene lamp on
q post where the carriages stopped. 1t
was not the colonel's habit to dress for
the evening meal, especially in the hot
season, so he stip wore his cool suit OF
brown linen, and, in this respect, Mr..
Hardy was glad to keep him company,
as he had really come to the country for
an easy, unceremonious outing. The
colonel liked nothing better than good
listeners, and, as he slipped his wine
and smoked, his pink complexion fair
ly shone whKe he discoursed on favor
ite topic of his-the beauty and many
virtues of the only lacy guest in his
house, Mrs. Lancaster, a snowy-haired
widow not far from the oolonels age.
~ am glad she came to-day" he said.
"She Is hard to get at; she travels so ex-
tensively, and am sure we never would
have her now II it 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 N five; does she, Hardy?"
mo, l think she likes Italy," said the
gentleman appealed to. 81 think I
should have had the pleasure Of meet
ing her before this IL 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"
liam pretty sure" remarked the colo
mel. tentatively, "that she is very we'll
to do-thst is, judge so by the life
she leads; It is one Of expensive luxury
from beginning to end"
81 happen to know that she Is decid-
edly rich," replied Hardy. at 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 a most
tragic one" The colonel looked round
the room and seeing James, the black
butler, standing behind his chair, hold
ing a napkin and corkscrew, he said:
II shall ring when / want you,
James"
When the negro had bowed himself
from the room, Col. Hasbrooke contin-
ued. Eyes, Mrs. Lancaster's life has
been a sad one; she has revealed the
great grief Of her life to very few, and
then only 10 her most intimate friends.
She had been married to Lancaster only
about two years when the first shot
from Fort Sumter set his blood on
fire. He was one of the first in South
Carolina to offer his services, and as he
had had some military training and was
highly educated he was made captain
Of q company. He made good record
but was taken i'll when his regiment
was stationed at q little town in the
mountains Of East Tennessee and was
ordered home on furlough. AS 1t 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 telegraphed him to
wait and she would join him. She met
him with her only child. a baby in
arms, and they started through the
mountains TO a retreat that had been
recommended to them as highly suit
able resting place. But on that journey
they met with the catastrophe which
blighted her whole life. The noun
tains in that section, like the noun
tains here, were infested with bandits
who lived upon plundering stragglers,
no matter Of what politics. And 1t was
a gang Of these reckless rufians into
which they ran. They were in spring
wagon driven by 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 alight
that the vehicle might be searched.
Evidently Capt. Lancaster, who hap
pened 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 valuables the wagon con.
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 al 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 ducked 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 10 stop and lei
her out, but he drove on like a mailman.
II was not till they bad reached farm
house nine miles from the scene OF the
robbery that she induced the negro to
stop. Here they were received by fam
ily in which there was one man too old
to do service in the war. He said he
was willing to do what he could for her,
but that the 'bushwhackers,' who were
a power in the land, would hang him II
he molested their plans. He went out
to see II he could get together any OF
his neighbors who would help her, out
when he returned at dusk he brought
the intelligence that he could find no.
body who would dare take a hand In
such an enterprise. She spent that
night in the farmhouse and the next
day she drove back absolutely alone in
search Of her husband and child. Near
the spot where she had been separated
from them she found her husbands hat,
the little cap worn by the baby, stained
with blood, and pool Of blood by the
roadside. She spent all that day alone
on that road and returned at night to
the farmhouse. Here she stayed q
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