The ledger. [volume] (Gaffney City, S.C.) 1896-1907, November 01, 1907, Image 2
' ^ ’ VWF '
i* “"7.
■
HORSE-SHOE ROBINSON
A TALE OF THE TORY ASCENDENCY
BY
JOHN P. KENNEDY
CHAPTER XXXIX.
Mildred Begins H«r journey.
flie man who writes the history of
woman’s love will find himself em
ployed in drawing out a tangled
skein. It is a history of secret emo-
and vivid contrasts, which may
well go nigh to baffle his penetra-
and to puzzle his philosophy.
Thera is in it a surface of timid
passion: a seeming caprice that a
breath may shake or a word alarm;
yet all the while an earnest devotion
of soul which, in Its excited action,
holds all danger cheap that crosses
the path of its career. The sportive,
changeful and coward nature that
dallies with affection as a Jest, and
wins admiration by Its affrighted «o»-
ness; that flies and would be follow
ed; that revolts and would be sooth
ed.’ entreated and on bended Imee
implored, before It Is won; that same
nature will undergo the ordeal of the
burning ploughshare, take all the ex
tremes of misery and distress, brave
the fury of the elements and the
wrath of man, and in every peril be
a patient comforter, when the cause
that moves her Is the vindication of
her love. Affection is to her what
glory is to man. an Impulse that In
spires *be most adventurous hero-
i *There had bee® for some days past
In Mildred’s mind an anxious ml -
giving of misfortune to Butler,
was but ill concealed in a quiet and
reserved demeanor. t0
of his safety seemed to have little t
upon, and she could perce
that It was not believed by those who
uttered it. There rose upon he.
thoughts imaginings or P TeBe ® e
ments of ill, which she did not like
Z dwell upon, but which ebo couM
not banish. And now when Horse
Shoe had told his tale, the incident
did not seem to warrant the levity
with which he passed them by. SJf
was afraid to express her doubts,
and they brooded upon ^ “ind,
hatching pah. and secret grief, it
was almost an instinct, therefor^
that directed her resolve when she
announced her determination to go
in person in quest of Cornwallis an
to plead Butler’s cause herself to the
British general. Her soul ^ell
at the gross calumny which had been
?,,ente3 to btlng down vOTgeance un
on Arthur’s head: and she had no
thought of thwarting the acc “® e !*
wickedness, but by an appeal to tne
highest power for that redress whr
anhonorable soldier, in her opinion,
oould not refuse, even to an enemy,
r fo the personal hazard, Inconven-
lence or difficulty of her ProJf*£j
enterprise, no thought of either Tor
a moment occupied her. She saw bu
her purpose before her. and did not
pause to reckon the means by which
^he was to promote it- Sbe reflected
not on the censure of the world .nor
on its ridicule; nor on its want ot
sympathy for her feelings, s e
fleeted only on her power to serve
one dearer to her than a ^ nd ' n P^
her duty, and upon the aK ” n - t
donhts. If her father had bee® at
hand she might have appealed to
him and,.perhaps, have submitted to
his counsel; but he was absent, sb
knew not where, and "he was con-
rinced that no time was to be lost.
“Bren now. whilst we debate, sh
said, “his life may be forfeited to
the malice of the wicked men who
have ensnared him.”
Her conduct in this crisis is not to
he weighed In the scale wherein the
seemly and decorous observances or
female propriety are ordinarily bal
anced. The times, the occasion, and
the peculiar »ositio® of Mildred take
he r case out of the pale of common
events, and are entitled to another
standard. She will be judged by the
purity of her heart, the fervor of her
Attachment, and her sense of the im-
nortance of the service she waa about
to confer. And with the knowledge
of these. I must leave her vindica
tion to the generosity of my reader.
When the morning came and break
fast was over, the horses were
brought to the door. Henry was ac
tive in all the preliminary arrange
ments for the journey, and now be
stirred himself with an increased air
of personal importance. Isaac, a
gray-haired negro of a sedate anu.
like all his tribe, of an abundantly
thoughtful length of visage, appeared
in a suit of livery, ready booted and
spurred for his Journey. A large
portmanteau, containing a supply of
l»aggage for. his mistress, was duly
strapped behind his saddle, whilst a
pair of pistols were buckled upon the
oommel. Henry's horse also had all
the furniture necessary to a cam
paign and the young martialist, not
withstanding his sister’s disapproval,
was begirt with a sword belt, from
which depended a light sabre, with
which Be was in the habit of exhibit
ing in the corps of the Rangers. His
bugle hung gracefully by his side,
and his carbine was already provided
with a strap to sling it across his
, back. Stephen Foster was lost in
wonder at these sudden preparations,
of the import of which he conld gam
no more intelligence from Henry than
^ that a movement towards the arary
w was intended, of a portentous char
acter.
Horse Shoe sat qnietlv In the porrfi
looHng o® with a professional un
concern, whilst his trusty Captain
Peter, bearing a pair of saddle-bags,
now stuffed wth a plethora of provis
ions. slouched his head in patient
fixedness, waiting the order to move.
A bevy of domestics hung around the
*cene of preparation, lost in conject
ure as to the meaning of this strange
array, and prosecuting an inquiry to
satisfy themselves, with fruitless
perseverance.
When Mildred appeared at the door
she was habited tor her journey. The
housekeeper, an aged dame, stood
seay her.
"My travel, Mistress Morrison,
i she said, addressing the matron, and
at the same time putting a letter in
to her hand, "I trust will not keep
bm long from home. If my father
should return before I do, be careful
to give him that. Mr. Foster, you
will not forget your promise,” she
added, as she delivered the second
letter, which, notwithstanding her
own expedition, she had prepared*for
Butler in the hope that opportunity
might favor Its transmission by Ste
phen.
“The gold,” said Stephen, putting
his hand in his pocket; "you will
want it yourself, Miss Mildred, and
I can do without it.”
“Never mind that,” interrupted
Mildred. "Keep your promise, and I
hope to be able to reward you more
according to your deserts.”
“Heaven and the saints protect
you, Miss Mildred!” said the house
keeper, as the lady bade her fare
well. "You leave us on some heavy
errand. God grant that you come
back with a gayer face than you take
away!” Then, turning up her eyes,
and raising her hands, she ejaculated,
"This is an awful thing, and past my
understanding!”
Mildred took leave of the rest of
the group around the door, and was
soon in her saddle. This was a sig
nal for the rest to mount, and as
Stephen Foster delivered Henry his
rifle the latter took occasion to whis
per in the hunter’s ear:
‘It is not unlikely, Steve, that we
may meet eaoh other again over
here in Carolina; so remember to
make inquiries for us as you go along
and tell the men I hope to join them
before they fire one shot in spite.
But mum. Steve, not a word about
our route.”
Stephen shook hands with his
young comrade; and Henry, seeing
that the rest of the party had already
left the door and were some dis
tance down the hill, called out with
an elated tone of good humor—"Fare
well, Mrs. Morrison, and all the rest
of you!” and putting spurs to his
horse galloped off to Join his sister.
The route pursued by the travel
ers lay due south, and during the
first three or four days of their travel
they were still within the confines
of their State—-Virginia. To travel
on horseback was a customary feat,
even for ladles, in those days of
rough roads and scant means of loco
motion: and such a cavalcade as we
have described was calculated to ex
cite no particular inquiry from the
passer-by, beyond that which would
now be made on the appearance of
any party of pleasure upon the nign-
roads, in the course of a summer ex
cursion. Mildred experienced severe
fatigue in the first stages of her jour
ney; but by degrees this wore off.
and she was soon enabled to endnre
the long day’s ride with scarcely less
inconvenience than her fellow-travel
lers.
At that period there was but few
Inns In these thinly-peopled districts,
and such as were already establish
ed were small and but meagerly
provided. This deficiency was, in
some degree, coiqpenBated by the
good will with which the owners of
private establishments In the coun
try received the better class of travel
lers. and the ready hospitality with
which they entertained them. Hen
ry took upon himself to obtain in
formation of the gentlemen’s seats
that lay near the route of big Journey,
and to conduct the party to them
whenever his sister’s comfort requir
ed better accommodation than the
common inns afforded.
As our travellers had thus far kept
along that range of country which
lay Immediately under the moun
tains. they wero not annoyed by the
intense heats which, at this season,
orevailed in the lowlands. The
weather, ever since their depature,
had been uncommonly fine, and as
is usual in this district, the month
of September had brought Hs cool,
dewy nights, whilst the early hours
of the morning were even marked by
a little sharpness, almost approach
ing to frost. The effect of this on
Mildred was to recruit the weariness
of travel, end better enable her to
encounter the noon-tkle favors of the
sun; and she had s<rfar endured the
toll* of her journey with an admir
able spirit. Actual trial generally
results in demonstrating how much
we are prone to exaggerate in ad
vance the difficulties of any under
taking. Accordingly, Mildred’s pres
ent experience strengthened her res
olution to proceed, and even com
municated an unexpected increase of
contentment to her feelings.
On the fifth day the party crossed
the river Dan, and entered the prov
ince of North •Carolina. A small
remnant of Gates’ shattered army my
at Hillsborough, at no great distance
from the frontier; and as Mildred
was anxious to avoid the inquiry or
molestation to be expected in pass
ing through a military post, she re
solved to travel by a lower route, and
Horse Shoe, therefore, at her sug
gestion, directed his journey towards
the little village of Tarborough.
Cornwallis, it was nndeFstood.
since the battle of Camden, had re
moved his headquarters into the
neighborhood of the Waxhaws. some
distance up the Catawba, where he
was supposed to be yet stationary,
distance up the Catawba, where he
The whole country in the neighbor
hood of either army was in a state
of earnest preparation: the British
commander recruiting his forces for
further and immediate operations—
the American endeavoring to reas
semble his feeble and scattered aux
iliaries for defense. At the present
moment, actual hostilities between
these two parties were entirely sus
pended, In anxious anticipation of
the rapidly apprrtaching renewal of
the struggle. It was a breathing
time, when the panting combatants,
exhausted by battle, stood sullenly
eyeing each other and making ready
the one to strike, the other to ward
Off another staggering blow.
The country over which Mildred
was now to travel was calculated to
lax her powers of endurance to the
utmost, ft was & dreary waste of
barren wilderness, covered with an
endless forest of gloomy pine, through
which s heavy, sandy road crept in
lurid and melancholy shade. Here
and there a miserable hut occurred
to view, with a few ragged Inmates,
surrounded by all the signs of squalid
poverty. The principal population
were only to be seen along the banks
of the rivers which penetrated into
this region, some twenty or uhirty
miles distant from each other. The
alluvial bottoms through which these
streams found a channel to the ocean,
were the only tracts of land of suffi
cient fertility to afford support to
man—all between them was a sterile
and gloomy forest.
Still, these regions were not de
serted. Bodies of irregular troops,
ill clothed and worse armed, and
generally hearing the haggard feat
ures of disease, such as mark the
population of a sickly climate, were
often encountered upon the road, di
recting their wearied march towards
the headquarters of the republican
army. The rigors of the Southern
summer had iiot yet abated; and it
was with painful steps in the deep
sand, amid clouds of suffocating
dust that these little detachments
prosecuted their journey.
Mildred, so far from sinking under
the weariness and increasing hard
ships of her present toils, seemed to
be endued with a capacity for sus
taining them much beyond anything
that could have been believed of her
sex. Her courage grew with the dif
ficulties that beset her. She looked
composedly upon the obstacles be
fore her. and encountered them not
only without a murmur, hut even
with a cheerfulness to which She
had hitherto been a stranger. The
steadiness of her onward march, her
unrepining patience, and the gentle
solicitude with which she turned the
thoughts of her companions from her
self and forbade the supposition that
hep powers were overtaxed, showed
how deeply her feelings were en
gaged in her enterprise, and how ma
turely her mind had taken its reso
lution.
"One never would have guessed.”
said Horse Shoe, towards the close of
the second day after they had enter
ed North Carolina, "that a lady so
daintily nursed as you was at home,
Mistress Mildred, could have ever
borne this here roughing cf it
through these piney woods, But T
have made (hie (observation. M8ss
Lindsay, that no one can tell what
they are fit for till they are tried:
and on the back of that I have an
other, that when there’s a great stir
that rouses up a whole country, it
don’t much signify whether they are
man or woman, they all get roused
alike. Ton my word, ma’am, I have
seen men—who think themselves sod-
gers too—that would be on wiling to
trust themselves at this time o’ year
through such a dried up piece of
pine barren as we have been travel
ling over for two days past. ”
‘You remember the fable of the wil
low and the oak, Mr. Robinson,” re
plied Mildred, smiling; "the storm
may bring down the sturdy tree, but
the supple shrub will bend before It
without breaking.”
"I’m not much given to religious
taklngs-on,” said the sergeant, "but
sometimes a notion comes into my
head that looks a little that way. and
that is, when God appoints a thing
to be done, he gives them that’s to
do it all the wherewithals. Now, as
Major Butler is a good man and a
brave sodger—God bless him!—it
does seem right that you. Mistress
Lindsay,—who, I take on me to un
derstand enough of your consarns
and hls’n. without offence, to say has
a leaning towards the Major.—I say
it does seem right and natural that
you should lend a hand to help him
out of tribulation; and so you see the
cause being a good cause, the Lord
has given you both wisdom and
strength to do what is right.”
"We owe, sergant, a duty to our
country; and "w© serve God and our
country both, when we strengthen
the hands of its defenders.”
"That’s a valiant speech, young la
dy and it’s a noble speech,” said
Horse Shoe, with an earnest empha
sis. "I have often told the major
that the women of this country had
as honest thoughts about this here
war, and was as warm for our cause
as the men; and some of them, per
haps, a little warmer. They could
be pitted against the women of any
quarter of the aqueous globe, in far
ing and forbearing both, when it is
for the good of the country.”
"Henry is asleep os his horse,”
said Mildred, looking at her brother,
who now. Jaded and worn with the
effort of travel, was nodding and
dropping his bead forward, and al
most losing his seat. “What. Henry,
brother!” she added loud enough to
rouse nj) the young horseman. ‘My
trusty cavalier, are you going to fail
from your horse? Where is all that
toasted glorification upo n which you
were disposed to be so eloquent only
a week ago? I thought a man on
horseback, was naturaly proud; I iea.'
it was only on holiday occasions you
meant. Henry. Havep’j you a word
for a sunny day and a dry journey?
You lag more like a miller’s toy with
his bag of meal, than a young sol
dier setting out on his adventures."
“Ah. sister.” said Henry, waking
up. “this is nothing but nine—(tine—
and sand, without end. There is no
game in the woods to keep a man on
the lookout, except here and there a
herd of wi’d hogs, that snort and run
from us, like a squadron of cavalry,
with their bristles set up on
backs as fierce as the back fin of a
sunfish. There ,1s not even gra; * to
lock rt- von might see a black snake
riming half a mile amongst the trees.
And then there are such great patch
es of burnt timber, even* trunk star-
lug right at you, as black as thunder.
I'm tired of it all—T want to see the
green fields again.” /
“And. in troth, brother/ so do I.
But not until we can bring merry
faces to look upon them. How far
are we from Tarborough?”
“We should be drawing nigh to
the town." replied Horse Shoe, "for
you may see thdt we shall syon be
out of these woods, by thg signs of
open country ahead. The last squad
of sodgers that passed us and that
when we came to the farms we
shouldn't be more than five miles
from the town, and the sun isn’t
above an hour high.”
"In the hope of being housed, then,
Mr. Robinson. I may confess to yon
I am somewhat wear}’; but a good
National Pure Food Law, Guarantee No. 2041, filed at Wadungtoo.
Advice of the largest coffee dealers
m the world is always to buy the old-
fashioned Arbuckles* ARIOSA Coffee in ^ _
t r d k Javo ’ °' buy -^
unless you pay too miir}. fnr Mo* of the Jw^ihat'orUvrCrf' 1 —
niasqoerading, and is no. nearly a, good coffoe t„ yai ARIOSa'/ tS
loob * nd A™*™ P«P^ VThe
The principal difference is (hat Arbuckw’cOTt's youths BSV P*^ 1 * <!n"h Brazilian hot p. |
quality. When you buy AAucUe.'AKluSA Coffee vn„ S’, h n ’ n “ Uk ', ,0 "“d » M> price guanufeesf
world. Its sales for 37 yean are (neater than the condTV l ^ 'T 1 ^ tf 1 ' Coffee of *e
Coffee for the ntoney, we haveTuik^buune« ez^jlhrl-l^ik' ^ CoB '“- ^ be««>
m the whole weld, [f your dealer will not MppSe genu'S^te 7““ ^ ^
■ - * FF y g nuine, write to t arbuckle Bros.. New g*.
Cures Biliousness, Sick
Headache, Sr^.r Stom
ach, Torpid Liver and
Chronic Constipation.
Pleasant to tahe
F«r t> > Cnaros** Oruy C«
I
GRIND
native Frnit Syrnp
‘'sr Bats by Cbsrakss Drug Co.
Cleanses the system
thoroughly and clears
sallow complexions of
pimples and blotches.
It is guaranteed
F«r Sals by Chsrokso Drug Co.
night's rest will put me in fair condi
tion for tomorrow’s ride again."
“After the lapse of an hour, the
party were safely sheltered in a tol
erable comfortable inn at the village;
and Mildred, aided by the sedulous
care of Henry, found herself well be
stowed in the best chamber of the
house.
(To be concluded.)
tilAman drank with him-
And That, Too, After an Uncompli
mentary Remark.
(Portland, Ore., Dispatch to Seattle
FXpt-Intelllgencer.)
Seneca pouts, a young Portland
lawyer, was sitting in the lobby of
the Oregon Hotel when a Triend call
ed his attention to Senator Tillman,
engaged in conversation at the oppo
site side of the hall. Fouts inquired
the identity of the ugly personage on
the left, and when informed that it was
Senator Tillman, merely remarked:
“Well, the newspapers certainly have
flattered him highly.” Fouts was then
taken to Tillman and introduced, af
ter he had wagered a bottle of wine
against the identity of the person to
whom he had referred.
"Senator,” said the lawyer, “I have
just lost a bottle of wine on you, but
I am willing to pay the price to be
permitted to make the acquaintance
of a man of whom I have heard so
much and tor whom I entertain so
high a regard. I just bet that you
were not Senator Tillman, because
the newspapers always publish the
picture of a handsome man and label
it with your name, while I thinb you
must be the homeliest man in the
world.”
For a moment there was a husn,
and everybody else present stood
aghast at Pouts’ audacity.
Then a smile rippled across the
face of the South Carolina celebrity
"Well,” he pleasantly reiterated, "you
are nothing if not frank.”
"True,” admitted Fouts; "and yet
I believe your reputation is largely
built on your frankness.”
“That’s right, that's right,’ , exclaim
ed Senator Tillman, laughingly, "and
just to show you that I appreciate
your frankness, I will go and help
drink that bottle of wine with you.”
Candidates Galore.
(Chester Lantern.)
It appears that there will be sev
eral candidates for Congress from
this district next year. Among the
number are mentioned M. L Smith,
of Camden; T. B. Butler, of Gaffney;
and D. E. Finley, of Yorkville. who
will be a candidate for re-election. All
th re" of these are strong and would
make a close and interesting race.
A number of others also have been
mentioned and it Is highly probable
that there wMl be several more in by
next summer.
Real Estate For Sale.
One lot 80x120, west side Oakland Ave., Price I500.00.
Two lots 80x200 and one 140x200, west side Victoria Ave., $650 each.
House and lot on west side Limestone St. Lot 80x200, with eight
room house .electric lights and water works! and all modern conveniences.
Price $3,500.
One house and lot fronting on Robinson St. Lot 136x152, with four
room cottage and city water. Price $750.00.
House and lot on south side Robinson St. Lot 80x104, with twelve
room tiouse, four departments, three rooms to a department. Price$2,500.
One two-story nine room honse. Lot ir and 2-5 acres, with good barn
and also servant house, situated north-west side of Frederick St. Price
$5,500.00.
This property must be sold at once. Call and see us if you are interest
ed.
Before placing your Fire Insurance phone No. 170.
Gaffney Trust Go.
Office in National Bank Building
SHE DID NOT FEAR DEATn.
An old lady on her seventy-third
I birthday once said, “I do not mind
! getting old. and I do not fear death,
' but 1 live in constant dread of pa
ralysis.”
"For some time I have been want-
ling to tell you of the great good your
wonderful Sloan’s Liniment is doing
here.” writer Mr. James F. Aber
nathy. of Rutherford College, N. C.
"In fact all your remedies are doing
noble work, but your Liniment beats
all. In my eight years’* experience
with medicine I find none to go ahead
of it having tried it in very many
cases. 1 know of on© young man, a
brlcb mason, who suffered from a par
tial, yes, almost complete, paralysis
of one arm. I got him to use your
Liniment, and now he can do as much
work as ever, and he tings your prais
es every day. 1 get all to use it I
possibly can and know there is great
virtue in it I have helped the sale
of your noble remedies about here
greatly, and expect to cause many
more to buy them, aa I know they
can’t be beat.”
Think—See
You will make no mistake in seeing us before
you buy. Taink well, and give us a call, and
see the best and largest line of Jewelry, Dia
monds, all kinds of Watches, Silverware,
Clocks, China, Cut Glass and Novelty Goods.
The fact of the matter is we are the biggest
hotise in Gaffney. Bring us your Watches for
repairs. In every department and line we give
you your moneys worth. Glad to see one and
all just any time.
Gaffney Jewelry Company, Larpst Jmtirs.
FIRM AND TIMBER LANDS FOR SALE
In Old Virginia.
1
Do you want a grass, grain, stock, cotton, tobacco or combination farm? If so,
we have it. We have the chocolate, red and gray soil with red day subsoil. No
land in the South is naturally better or more easily improved than the land around
Chase City in Mecklenburg and adjoining counties. It can be bought at from fgr 00
to $15-00 per acre. Why continue to work poor, small, high-priced farms wheu we
are offering for sale such land at such prices? Come to see ns at once or write for
land and timber dreniar. Oct 29-2taw-3ma.
JEFFREYS, HESTER * CO., Ino.
CHsm CHy,
MooAdonhwrg Co.,
Virginia.