Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-31
>H
BY MRS. BURTON HARRISON

Virginian Winwoods held on TO il religousy,
and Molly had the fancy TO press It to her lips
as she handed it to be laid with the rest. over
The cases containing all the smaller relics she
had slipped bags Of cbamois skin, and above
them was now spread a layer of antique parch-
ments and papers, letters, ndentures and other
yellow documents including a pompous pedi-
| gree, its earliest part engrossed in Eli2abethan
days, with later additions These had been
taken by lapfuls from the escritoire in the il
brary, where they had long gathered dust. And
lastly, filling both chests, we're slowed away Old
Busbrod's pride, the silver plate whose lustre
had known no hand but his
! Candeabra, urns, tea and coffe sets, jugs,
bcakers, loving cups and salvers, dishes and the
smaller articles of the tablc-the full array OF
the famous Winwood silver that had first crossed
! the when the acres Of Wnwood Manor were
primeval forest, granted to tho immigrant an.
cestor by the British crown, then represented by
Colonial Governor.
Bushrod, who had seen with cquonimity both
jewels and papers thus encoffned groaned aloud
when these darlings of his familiar companion
ship were consigned to their strange resting
place, curtains Of faded yellow brocade serv-
ing them as winding sheets.
'T feel mos lax l did when I was buryip
Mandy--or lilly; dsremember which 'oomau
it was | TUX so hard" he observed reminiscently.
Then the chests-iron- banded, oak-ribbed, of an
ancient English maSe-were padlocked, the keys
received by Mrs Sandys and thrust into her
bosom. The old butler, aching in back and
loins stretched himself preparatory to filling in
the pits. BERTHE, with woful yawn, wished
he were we'll a-bed. Molly wondered il the nurse
would hear the baby if it cried. Then all set
to again with will. Even Molly did her share
with broken fire shovel found in a corner; and
at cock.crow all was finished.
As much of the earth as could be filled in
above the chests and rammed down to level the
graves with the floor elsewhere was recovered
with heterogeneous of discarded household
stuff they had removed from the spot of entomb-
ment. The remainder was carefully put into
sacks to be carried out at night and empted
in the garden. The cellar was in other respects
restored to its former condition and appear.
ance and left to the tenancy of Ned's land turtle.
Then wearily the three crept up the stairs
Bushrod first, the upper half of him. emerging
into open air to see if the coast clear,
resembling jack-in-the-box much the worse for
usage.
Through the forest that closed in around the
old timber and plaster house, svatched in ivy
dawn, bringing with it to the ear the sound
of birds stirring upon branches and the murmur
of awakening nature everywhere. Over in the
eastern sky, above cluster of black farm build
ings surrounded by an orchard, rosy pink was
putting out the stars And from an open win
dow somewhere above her head Molly Sandys
heard low, cooling note that filled ker tired
face with rapture.
lot,. l,,. elo ott-tf'
she whispered Fastening her steps; then paused.
''Im not going to thank you, Uncle Busbrod, -
she said gravely. "You are one of us, you know
But I want to charge you and BERTHE to keep
what we have just done a secret from everybody
in the world but my father and mother and my
brother Ned, I have acted according to my best
Judgment in burying these things instead of
sending them into the court house for safe keep
ing as I had at first proposed My husbands
warning that raid is likely to occur there made
me afraid to risk it. You both agreed with
me- you know, that this is the better plan
Indeed I did, Molly replied BERTHE; "and
l think you've done splendidly. I shall relieve
my mind by telling mother or father Ned.
whichever I meet first inside the Confederate
lines, but no one else, 1 swear"
''I won't swar, Miss May" said the old negro
taking off his straw hat and standing before
her in proud humility; "but you can trus me
to be faithful to de Winwood family long as
dere's breff in my body. And / reckon you
and NIarse BERTHE know'd it when you sot me
onto dis job
"Then lie there old chests" added Molly
with a wave of her white hand "tl happier
days, when the war is over and we ask you TO
give us back our Luck"
The days went by. At last Molly Sandys was
to be rewarded for her long, solitary vigil in
the old, deserted house. The first note she had
received from Hugh since their separation had
come to Winwood by the hand Of gaunt coun-
tryman driving a load of market stuff in n rude
cart drawn by rusty mule. When she had read
the bit of paper torn from cavalrymans note
book, upon which were inscribed a few words
in French, she had forthwith begun to cry; then,
seizing his horny hand IN hers, she led the
messenger within doors and gave him the best
food and drink her buffet could afford.
For this was none less than scout from Cap
tain Sandys famous troop of horsemen, who
had harried the Union pickets and Taiding par
ties in that vicinity till the news of their dar-
ing had gone far and wide, and great oath
had been sworn by valiant fighters to be even
with Sandys or die in the attempt Molly knew
by repute John Dodd, the tall man with the
little piping voice, who was her husbands eyes
and ears and strong right hand in his feats
of guerrilla warfare. Before Dodd left she had
managed to give him peep at the baby's nose
with a pink fist beside it, emerging from flannel
cowl. $50 he might tell the Captain" And
Dodd, in return for this privilege, had informed