Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-31
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"A slender, hieh-bred lad-whom she re-
{ sembled rs delicate copy in pastels
k@2E&BI resembles a strong portrait in oils
we're. with an aged whitc-haired ne
gro, at work by the light of lanterns in a cellar
of an old Virginiap home.
To was past midnight, and the task they had
set themselves was nearly accomplished. The
man and tho STRIPPING were digging, with picks
and shovels, two rude pits.
To this unaccustomed labor the youth brought
fiery determination. the negro patient fidelity.
In all his pampered life old Bushrod bad never
been called upon for manual exercise OF such
cxaction. His most laborious duty in the house
hold had been to polish the mahogany dining
table, TO make the silver and glass outshine any
other in the county, TO dragon and tram gen
crations of understrappers who were now IN serv-
ice in alien families.
As the sweat bedewed the tonsure on his an
cient head and poured down his chocolate-coor-
cd face, the young lady again and again besought
him to let her take his place.
The expression of wounded sensibility in his
meek eyes protested against the thought that his
beloved 'Miss May" otherwise Mrs Hugh
Sandys should believe he would permit her
TO so exert herself.
Tive done" cried the lad, climbing up from
his finished excavation. "Now, Molly, your turns
come Let Unc' Bushrod help me to haul one
of the chests into this hole, and You can be
handing me down the things to pack.
Before Molly began the part so assigned her
in the enterprise, she looked cautiously into the
shadows and up at the slanting double doors
closed at the top of rough stairway leading
into the still room yard without. The cellar had
been little used, except for piles of lumber and
old barrels and boxes that now filed its recesses,
and the rafters we're fringed with a venerable
drapery of cobwebs. At this hour, by the glim-
mering light, with two new-made graves yawning
at her feet, it was an eerie place. But she did
not blench or quver.
"You are quite sure, Uncle Bushrod," she
ql1eried, chat Judy has no idea there are only
books in those two boxes you took this morning
over to the court house in the cart?
Miss May" answered the old chap with dig
nifty, 'T done had three wives; an Judy's de
las, I reckon. An jes' tell you dis, honey,
dom trus no OF 'ooman's tongue"
Molly smiled as she stopped to drag the rag
ged coverings from something hidden beneath the
cellar steps.
''Wel, hope she's sleeping the better for
not sharing our secrets. Oh, BERTHE, what is
that?"
very feminine little scream brought her
touched her pretty foot in its morocco slipper,
with the lacng of narrow black ribbon crossed
over a fine white stocking.
"What a goose you are sisterl It's one of
our land turtles-Ned's and mine-that we carv-
ed our initials on and turned loose in here
Look!" he went on, capturing and holding to the
light the reptile, that drew head and wriggling
feet into its horny case of mottled brown and
yellow. Here's Ned's e. W. you see; and
old Ned's been off with the army whole year.
when I've been tied at Winwood. ] know
had to stay here, at first, because my father
ordered me not to go; and / know that lately
have had to take care of you. But when moth
or was called away to nurse my father in Rich
mond, she had no idea we'd be having these
alarms about raids in the neighborhood. Even
my father thinks I should go and volunteer now
and mother ought to be back soon-though II
don't like your stopping on here a single day
after me; and I wish you'd pack up that new
baby and come away with me tomorrow"
"And lose my chance of showing Hugh his
daughter?" exclaimed Molly Sandys. "No, Ber
tie! Now that / know my husbands command
is SO that he may get off to see me any
day, I don't stir from here till I have my orders
from headquarters. I'll stay at Winwood so long
as Uncle Bushrod and Judy stand by me-"
held his head up and looked valiant; and then at
thought of the scattered household and the
changed prospects of the family, choked and
shifted to hide his feelings.
"To work! To work." cried his young mis-
tress, her eyes too filed with sudden tears.
Until break of day they toiled Two chests,
lowered into the pits prepared, were filled with
valuables. In the bottom of one of these were
laid first Mrs. Winwood's Jewels a spray ear
rings, and necklace of magnificent old rose dia-
monds, also a string of costly pearls with a
number of rings, bracelets, watches and brooches
all heirlooms in the family. Sentimentally con-
sidered, the gem of the collection was sort
Of amulet, an aqua-marina stone, set in a marvel
of Milanese goldsmith's work, and inscribed
with the legend, "Winwood's Luck" This had
drifted down from some English forebear who
had neglected to send with it on the stream of
time an explanation OF its history. But the