South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-17

CONTINUED from Tuesday,
The colonel clustered a bit. but the
lessons were arranged as Francois
the winter he rode over from Carni
fax 10 give them. And little by little
he came 10 know the small mistress
Of the manor as few had known her.
People thought Lucy Hampton too
serious and staid for "A young girl
no one realized that. her mother be-
ing dead and her father such as he.
was. the clear-headed little person
had begun at ten or twelve Jears ola
TO know that she must make her own
decisions, and many of her fathers
also. AT fourteen she had taken the
keys and the responsibility of the
house, and now, at sixteen, she was in
reality the head Of the whole great
plantation. The colonel who would
have been most indignant to- be told
so. leaned on her In every detail and
It was she who planned and decided
and often executed the government Of
the little kingdom
Those who think OF southern ladies
OF the old regime as idle do not un-
derstaud what their life was. The
position of mayor Of a city would
approach fdleness as nearly Ii was
for the woman at the head Of such
place TO guide the household work
of q great numb of servants; TO
train new servants as they were added
TO the CORPS; TO manage the commits
sariat for all this army; 10 see that
the fruits Of one season were cooked
and made into the sweets and pickles
and drinks OF another; to look after
the clothing of hundreds Of Negroes
on faa raIu ~ N "a r
ranging with her own hands. Be
yond this, TO the mind OF a cOnscienti-
Gus southern woman. such as was
young Lucy Hampton. the souls of
her slaves were her charge az well as
their bodies. AS she stood slim ana
fair and young in the great, shadOwy,
sunshot hall of Roanoke house, and
read and explained the Bible or led
the singing. while all the eSrnest, rev.
erent, black faces turned to her
trustingly. IL was a great power to be
given into such hands. and she felt
it So In addition TO all this lady
of Virginia must entertain and go into
society and be a grande dame as
well as. if it so happened a devoted
wife and mother.
All this, except the last lay on the
slender shoulders of Lucy Hampton,
and besides all this she had begun
in very childhood to hold up the hands
and do the thinking OF an incompe-
tent father. II was not wonderful
that she was graver and slower to
frOlic than other girls Of sixteen. Her
conscientious young brain was full of
care. and light of youth
had never had q chance 10 grow in
that crowded place. Her cousin had
come &c live with them only the year
g efore, when his mother had died. his
Father. heiEg. dead long ago; and Lucy
knew quite we'll that her father had
eplanned that the two should marry
and unite the broad acres of the
champions.
But the young longing for romance
which was in her in spite of the
choking sober business OF her life,
rebelled at this. She would not give
herself as well as all her thought and
effort for Roanoke. She wanted 10
love somebody. and beloved for her
self as other girls were; she would
NOT marry Harry because he and her
father considered IL a good arrange
tment. So strongly had this determi-
enation seized her that looking entire
ely down that way of thought, she
failed TO see that Harry might not be
clasSed with the colonel in his view
OF the plan. She failed to see that
il she had not been heiress to Roam
Oke house. or TO anything at all.
Harry Hampton would still have been
in love with his cousin Lucy. For
Harry saw how the young life had
been pressed into a service too hard
for it almost from babyhood: Harry
saw how unselhsh she was and trust
worthy: how broad-minded and
warm hearted: how she would like 10
be care free and irresponsible like
other girls Of her age. only that the
colonel and the estate were always
there, always demanding her time and
her attention. He could do little to
help her as vet. but he longed TO lift
the weight and carry it with her. not
away from her, for the fairy of a
person was net the sort To lean on
others or TO he happy without her