Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-06-20
PRIsCILLA's PRISONER.

Il
the negro servants. The master OF the
plantation and his overseer were with
Lee at the front.
And from the front one day came a
message. The master was lying wound
ed in field-hospital, begging, in his de-
lirium, for his wife and child. Mrs.
Richmond went alone; to take a young
girl away from home, to endure the pri-
vations of war and soldiers fare, was
not to be thought of.
To Nanny" Jane, the old nurse,
Mrs. Richmond said, on departing, re
member, Nanny, leave Miss Priscilla
in your care. Watch over her as you
know would do. Remember that ex-
pect you all to obey your young mistress
as you would me-
To Priscilla she said, "My daughter,
do you look carefully after all the ser
wants, and see that they want for nothing;
carry the keys and give out the stores
and the medicine; see that old Aunt
Phoebe has her meals from the kitchen,
and give Liza's twins their whooping-
cough syrup. Don't trust Liza to do it (;
she's too careless. Have Nanny Jane
or Candacy sleep in your room. Antony
will sleep on pallet downs stairs, where
he will be at hand if you should need
him. And now goodbye, darling. Be
sure will bring father back just as soon
as he is able to travel. Don't worry about
him more than you can help, and be
sure"-she drew the dark head to her
bosom and whispered softly in the girls
ear-''that if there is anything you want
advice about, and mother is not here to
ask, there is always One ready to help
you. Always ask His advice when you
are in doubt about anything"
%'ll remember, mother" said Priscilla,
striving, in spite OF quivering lips, to smile
into the dear face. "And you are not to
worry about us; we'll be all right. Give
father my dear love, and tell him I'll al
| ways keep his bed aired and ready, and
Aunt Nancy shall save all the young
chickens to make him broth-We can eat
bacon-and bring him back the very min
ute you can !"
So Priscilla was left, the only white
person on the plantation, which was the
home of a hundred souls. Antony, the
foreman, steady and trustworthy, super
intended the farm hands, while Nanny
lane overlooked the house servants; but
Priscilla was the acknowledged head OF
the plantation. All her mothers injunc-
tions she faithfully carried out. Sick old
Aunt Phoebe received her meals from the
"big house" table with punctual regular
ity, and the careless Liza's twins, who
were both "whooping," took their cough
syrup from Priscilla's own hand. The
wheels OF the domestic machinery turn
ed smoothly in their accustomed grooves.
But the days dragged wearily enough,
for the hearts of the household were
heavy with anxiety.
Nanny Jane was paramount over the
servants the next in importance was
Candacy, the weaver. She was mid
dle-aged woman with the nature OF a
child, who reveled in romance; her
keenest delight was TO have "little missy
read out'n de novel-books. Beginning
with fairy-tales when Priscilla was a very
little girl, they had now reached Scotts
novels, and mistress and maid were both
entranced with the wonderful romance OF
"Ivanhoe.
Many long hours they pleasantly spent
in the loom-house, an outbuilding OF
massive hewn logs, divided into two
rooms. One of these was large apart
ment for the weaver, with great fire
place at one end, and wide window to
throw plenty of light on the loom; the
other was a small windowless room that
could be entered only from the larger
one. This was used to store not only
the cloth woven for the servants cloth
ing, but also various other articles not
needed in the house.
One afternoon, when the house serv-
ants, having finished their tasks, had gone
to their cabins in the quarters. and the
men were at work in the fields, Priscilla,
leaving Nanny Jane dozing comfortably
over her knitting on the back porch, took
her book and started to the loom-house
for the daily reading.
Noticing on her way an unusual COM
motion among the fowls in the barn-yard,
she turned aside to find out what was the
trouble. Arrived at the barn, Priscilla
climbed up OH great heap of straw, the
favorite nesting place of the hens, ,thatlay
on the floor; she expected to find new
nest. At the top of the mound she found,
instead, a man, lying halt buried in the
straw and sound asleep! Her heart gave
a wild throb of fear-the man was clothed
in the blue uniform of Federal soldier.
Priscilla Richmond came OF lighting
stock. After the first shock OF surprise,
she felt rising within her some of the old
battle spirit of her ancestors, men who
had fought the English on land and ocean,
and the Indians in the woods. Why not
take him prisoner
In her room was her fathers pistol.
Swiftly and silently she slipped down
the straw-pile, ran to the house, which
she entered on tiptoe to avoid waking
Nanny Jane, got the weapon, and in a
very few minutes was back in the barn,
and standing over the sleeping soldier.
"Getup, man |" she commanded, firmly.
But the man slept on. lost in the heavy
sleep of utter exhaustion.
Now here was quandary! How could