Connecticut western news., 1909-11-11
OUT OF THE TRENCH.
By F. A. MITCHELL.


 The one wore the long hair and son. brero that marked him for southern CT; the other was black as the ace of spades.
 "Fo' de Lawd. Marse Geo'ge!" ex- claimed the negro, with eyes and mouth open wide.
 Ben. yo' black rascal. what are you doing up here in Yankee landT'
 "Wha' l doin' up hyar? I wouldn' be hyar if you war alive"
 But am alive"
 Don know bout dat Spec yo' may be yo' ghoS'. How come yo' be Twin when de fambly all tink yo was killrL at de battle O Sharpsbu'g? If yo' be livin', how bout dat awful rakedowh l got from Missy Alice?"
 What rakedown?
 "Mebbe yo' don know dat when y,.' go off to de wah an l go with you orst"nSnately to take keer O yo' hoss war really set up 10 go by Missy Alice fo to take kcer O yoself spp- cially if yo' got sick or wounded. De night befo' de regiment marched avHy Missy Alice she come to my cabin an she say, Ben, yo' internal niggah' "-
 ''Oh. no. she didn't"
 "WelI. cnny way. she said: Ben, Is mighty glad yo' goin with yo' Marsa Geo 'ge. If he sick or wounded 70 write me ebery day I cain't write. Missy Alice,' says. And she says. says she: Well. get some one else to write fo' yo' or send me word if lie needs me and I'll come mighty quick to muse him. If yo' stick to him an bring him back safe an soun' to me I'll see that yo' git yo' freedom An says: Missy Alice, don't keer bout my freedom. 1. don want my free dom. Is alluS lived in this fambly an don want to live anywhere else. But I'll watch Marse Geo'ge fo' yo' an let yO' know if be needs nussin'. don promise to bring him back safe an soun' to yo', but if be gifts killed or dies O camp fevah or any O them Sojers' disPasrs l promise yo' on my wO'd O honah as Turnoir nigga dat hasn't nevah belonged to no udder fambly dat I'll bring his body back fo' yO' to weep ovah an be buried in de fambly buryin ground
 Den Missy Alice she say. Ben. yo'S debish fine niggah' -
 No, she didn't. but go on."
 "She say, says she: Ben. 1 b'lievc you. If yo' do dat nebcr fo'git it. But if yo' don bring him back either libin' or dead yo'd bettah nevah been bon. How come yo' up hyar in New YO'k. MarsP Geo'ge. when yo' war Kill ed-l mean miSsin'-- in de battle O SharpSbu'g. an yO' cunnel said yo' body was throWCd into de trench?"
 Go on with your story. Never mind my part of It."
 "I hunted dat battlefield all ovah. turnin' ebery man layin' on his face, even de Tanks. and l didn' see yo' no- whar. MarSe Gcp'ge. Den de cunnpl he sent an orderly fo' me an he say: Ben. vo' maStah he been killed, an he body must a been throwed into de trench. Yo' go home an tell bis people bout it. Wha' be know bout me an dat l war a Turnoir niggah:"
 ''I asked him 10 do all that. Go on. I'm anxious to hear the rest"
 "Yo' tell him to do dat? Wha' fo' yo uO uaC, AldFSe NeO Se
 I'll tell you my story when you get through with yours. Go on, say"
 My story's puffin mo- n de drubbin' I got from Missy Alice. I went home to de plantation one mornin'. and Missy Alice she saw me comin' way up de road. She flied out of de house an run to nc. out O pref. an she f. .nh TC An l breaked it sofly 10 her. I says. says 1: 'Marse Geo'ge. he wha' he don suffah no mo. Missy Alice. Deed he don't. 'Wha' is he?' she mOaned, stagge'n back. Tn de trench I say. 'Dey throwed him in befo' l could git him?
 "Fo' dc L.awd. MarsP Geo'gc, though I broke de news as sof'ly as 1 knew how. she iis' drop right down wha' she stan with shivah. l helped her up an toted her into de house. Den when she come to herself she said. with voice dat sounded lak a ha'nt in de tomb: Ben, go way from me an doan' let me evah see yo' ag'in. Yo'S been onfaithful to de trus' re- posed in yo'. Go way. you debliSh uiggah. Yo'"-
 Hold oD. there! Don't put words you said to yourself into her pure mouth"
 Yes. Marse Gco'ge. I said 'em. heap of 'cm-wo'sc an wo'S2. An l turned roun'. as dc men do when de battery's sendin' out shot an shell an' grape in their faces. an lef' de plan tation. an I hain't nebber been back dar frum dat day to this. An l suf- fpred all this on yo' account. An yo' wasn't in de trench alter all. Whn' deblSh bad iuck!"
 Ben" said the other, much affected. "y0u'vc hit it exactly. It would have been better if had been put into the trench. was stupid enough to be- come the victim of a diabOlical story. l There was another girl-well, l was engaged to be married to her long be- fore-who wrote me that a Yankee off