Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-10-12


!, asked Bladen.
There amt none, sir; they just &C
! tired waiting on him, and when the
, began to sue and get Judgment the oil
general would send me word to settl
with them, and their claims passe
} into my hands. was in too deep t
} draw out. But for the last ten year
: his dealings were all with me; FUR
ished the supplies for the place here
1t didn't amount to much, as there wa
only him and the darkies, and the ac
count ran on from year to year."
. He lived entirely alone, saw no one
! understand" said Bladen
"Alone with his two or three oil,
slaves-yes, sir. He wouldn't evel
see me; Joe, his old niger, would fetcl
orders for this or that. Once or twice
I rode out to see him, but / want ever
allowed inside that door; the message
| got was that he couldn't be disturbed
and the last time I come he sent mt
word that if / annoyed him again he
would be forced to terminate our bust
ness relations. That was pretty strong
talk, want it, when you consider thai
| l could have sold the roof from over
his head and the land from under his
| feet? Oh. we'll, Just put it down tc
childishness. There was brie1
pause, then Crenshaw spoke again. 81
reckon, sir, if you know anything about
the old generals private affairs YOU
don't feel 10 call to speak on that
point he observed, and with evident
regret. He had hoped that Bladen
would clear up the mystery, for GER
tainly it must have been some sinister
tragedy that had cost the general his
grip on life and for twenty years and
more had made Of him a recluse, so
that the faces of his friends had be-
come as the faces of strangers.
"My dear sir, know nothing Of
General Quintards private history. I
am even unacquainted with my clients
who are distant cousins, but his
nearest kin--they live in South Caro-
lima. I was merely instructed to rep
resent them in the event of. his death
and to look after their interests
That's business" said Crenshaw,
@All I know is this: General Quin-
tard was conspicuous man in these
parts fifty years ago; that was before
my time, Mr. Crenshaw. and take it,
TOO, it YVES before yours; he married a
Beaufort"
$50 he did" said Crenshaw, land
here was ore child. daughter; she
married South Carolinian by the
lame of Turberyille. | remember that,
% they were married under the gallery
n the hall Great folks, those Tur-
oervilles. rolling rich. My father was
manager then TO- the general-that |
vas nearly forty years ago. There
vas life here then, sir: the place was
live with niggeTs and the house full
If guests from one months end to an
'ther," He drummed on the desk-top.
Who'd q thought it want to last for
vert"
"And what became of the daughter
Who married Turberville?"
Died years ago." said Crenshaw.
She was here the last time about
hirty years back. 1t want so easy
0 get about in those days, no, roads
o speak of and no stages, and BESIDES.
he Old general want much here no.
low; her going away had sort of
broken up his home, reckon. Then
he place stood empty TO- few years,
most of the slaves were sold off, and
he fields began to grow up. No one
lightly knew, but the general was sup
'osed to be travelling up yonder in the
1o'th, sir. AS l say, things ran along
his way quite while, and then one
corning when l went to my store my
Jerk says, There's an old white
eaded niger been waiting round here
o word with you, Mr.. Crenshaw'
was Joe, the generals body servant,
nd when I'd shook hands with him I
aid. 'When's the master expected
ack?' You see. I thought Joe had
cen sent on ahead to open the house,
ut then he says, General Quintard's
t the Barony now and then he says,
The generals compliments, sir, and |
ill you see that this order is filled?'
Veil, Mr.. Bladen, and my father had
nd upward, but that was the first
me the supplies fo the generals
able had ever been toted here in a
zeal sack!
Il rode out that very afternoon, but .
ne, who was zone of your mannerly !
iggers, met me at the door and says,
ar. Crenshaw, the general appreciates
1s courtesy, but regrets that he is
nable to see you, sir After that it {
ant long in getting about that the
eneral was changed man. Other 9
olks came here to welcome him back !
nd he refused to see them, but the t
eason of it were never learned Joe, t
no probably knew, was one of your
ose niggers; there was no getting !.
1ything out of him; you could talk
it'll that darky by the hour, sir. and
? left you feeling emptier than if he'd
spt his mouth shut" 1t
They were Interrupted by a knock t
the door.
Come in" said Crenshaw, a trife {
and in response to his :
dding the door opened and a small
" entered the room dragging after
m long rife. Suddenly overcome q
a speechless shyness, he paused on +,
e threshold to stare with round, Won v
ring eyes at the two men. Well, |,
my, what do you VENT" asked Mr.. /
'enshaw indulgently. "
The boy opened his mouth, but his +;
urage failed him, and with his cour- t.