sally dows-第3节

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〃You　don't　mean　to　say　that　those　infernal　niggers　would　give　the
preference　to　their　old　oppressors？〃

〃Dollar　for　dollar　in　wagesyes！　　And　why　shouldn't　they？　　Their
old　masters　understand　them　betterand　treat　them　generally
better。　　They　know　our　interest　in　them　is　only　an　abstract
sentiment；　not　a　real　liking。　　We　show　it　at　every　turn。　　But　we
are　nearing　Redlands；　and　Major　Reed　will；　I　have　no　doubt；
corroborate　my　impressions。　　He　insists　upon　our　staying　at　his
house；　although　the　poor　old　fellow；　I　imagine；　can　ill　afford　to
entertain　company。　　But　he　will　be　offended　if　we　refuse。〃

〃He　is　a　friend　of　yours；　then？〃　asked　Drummond。

〃I　fought　against　his　division　at　Stony　Creek；〃　said　Courtland
grimly。　　〃He　never　tires　of　talking　of　it　to　meso　I　suppose　I
am。〃

A　few　moments　later　the　train　glided　beside　the　Redlands　platform。
As　the　two　travelers　descended　a　hand　was　laid　on　Courtland's
shoulder；　and　a　stout　figure　in　the　blackest　and　shiniest　of　alpaca
jackets；　and　the　whitest　and　broadest　of　Panama　hats；　welcomed　him。
〃Glad　to　see　yo'；　cun'nel。　　I　reckoned　I'd　waltz　over　and　bring
along　the　boy；〃　pointing　to　a　grizzled　negro　servant　of　sixty　who
was　bowing　before　them；　〃to　tote　yo'r　things　over　instead　of　using
a　hack。　　I　haven't　run　much　on　horseflesh　since　the　wahha！　ha！
What　I　didn't　use　up　for　remounts　I　reckon　yo'r　commissary　gobbled
up　with　the　other　live　stock；　eh？〃　　He　laughed　heartily；　as　if　the
recollections　were　purely　humorous；　and　again　clapped　Courtland　on
the　back。

〃Let　me　introduce　my　friend；　Mr。　Drummond；　Major　Reed；〃　said
Courtland；　smiling。

〃Yo'　were　in　the　wah；　sir？〃

〃NoI〃returned　Drummond；　hesitating；　he　knew　not　why；　and　angry
at　his　own　embarrassment。

〃Mr。　Drummond；　the　vice…president　of　the　company；〃　interposed
Courtland　cheerfully；　〃was　engaged　in　furnishing　to　us　the　sinews
of　war。〃

Major　Reed　bowed　a　little　more　formally。　　〃Most　of　us　heah；　sir；
were　in　the　wah　some　time　or　other；　and　if　you　gentlemen　will　honah
me　by　joining　in　a　social　glass　at　the　hotel　across　the　way；　I'll
introduce　you　to　Captain　Prendergast；　who　left　a　leg　at　Fair　Oaks。〃
Drummond　would　have　declined；　but　a　significant　pressure　on　his　arm
from　Courtland　changed　his　determination。　　He　followed　them　to　the
hotel　and　into　the　presence　of　the　one…legged　warrior　（who　turned
out　to　be　the　landlord　and　barkeeper）；　to　whom　Courtland　was
hilariously　introduced　by　Major　Reed　as　〃the　man；　sir；　who　had
pounded　my　division　for　three　hours　at　Stony　Creek！〃

Major　Reed's　house　was　but　a　few　minutes'　walk　down　the　dusty　lane；
and　was　presently　heralded　by　the　baying　of　three　or　four　foxhounds
and　foreshadowed　by　a　dilapidated　condition　of　picket…fence　and
stuccoed　gate　front。　　Beyond　it　stretched　the　wooden　Doric　columns
of　the　usual　Southern　mansion；　dimly　seen　through　the　broad　leaves
of　the　horse…chestnut…trees　that　shaded　it。　　There　were　the　usual
listless　black　shadows　haunting　the　veranda　and　outer　offices
former　slaves　and　still　attached　house…servants；　arrested　like
lizards　in　breathless　attitudes　at　the　approach　of　strange
footsteps；　and　still　holding　the　brush；　broom；　duster；　or　home
implement　they　had　been　lazily　using；　in　their　fixed　hands。　　From
the　doorway　of　the　detached　kitchen；　connected　by　a　gallery　to　the
wing　of　the　mansion；　〃Aunt　Martha；〃　the　cook；　gazed　also；　with　a
saucepan　clasped　to　her　bosom；　and　her　revolving　hand　with　the
scrubbing　cloth　in　it　apparently　stopped　on　a　dead　centre。

Drummond；　whose　gorge　had　risen　at　these　evidences　of　hopeless
incapacity　and　utter　shiftlessness；　was　not　relieved　by　the
presence　of　Mrs。　Reeda　soured；　disappointed　woman　of　forty；　who
still　carried　in　her　small　dark　eyes　and　thin　handsome　lips
something　of　the　bitterness　and　antagonism　of　the　typical　〃Southern
rights〃　woman；　nor　of　her　two　daughters；　Octavia　and　Augusta；　whose
languid　atrabiliousness　seemed　a　part　of　the　mourning　they　still
wore。　　The　optimistic　gallantry　and　good　fellowship　of　the　major
appeared　the　more　remarkable　by　contrast　with　his　cypress…shadowed
family　and　their　venomous　possibilities。　　Perhaps　there　might　have
been　a　light　vein　of　Southern　insincerity　in　his　good　humor。
〃Paw；〃　said　Miss　Octavia；　with　gloomy　confidence　to　Courtland；　but
with　a　pretty　curl　of　the　hereditary　lip；　〃is　about　the　only
'reconstructed'　one　of　the　entire　family。　　We　don't　make　'em　much
about　yer。　　But　I'd　advise　yo'　friend；　Mr。　Drummond；　if　he's　coming
here　carpet…bagging；　not　to　trust　too　much　to　paw's　'reconstruction。'
It　won't　wash。〃　　But　when　Courtland　hastened　to　assure　her　that
Drummond　was　not　a　〃carpet…bagger；〃　was　not　only　free　from　any　of
the　political　intrigue　implied　under　that　baleful　title；　but　was　a
wealthy　Northern　capitalist　simply　seeking　investment；　the　young
lady　was　scarcely　more　hopeful。　　〃I　suppose　he　reckons　to　pay　paw
for　those　niggers　yo'　stole？〃　she　suggested　with　gloomy　sarcasm。

〃No；〃　said　Courtland；　smiling；　〃but　what　if　he　reckoned　to　pay
those　niggers　for　working　for　your　father　and　him？〃

〃If　paw　is　going　into　trading　business　with　him；　if　Major　Reeda
So'th'n　gentlemanis　going　to　keep　shop；　he　ain't　such　a　fool　as
to　believe　niggers　will　work　when　they　ain't　obliged　to。　　THAT'S
been　tried　over　at　Mirandy　Dows's；　not　five　miles　from　here；　and
the　niggers　are　half　the　time　hangin'　round　here　takin'　holiday。
She　put　up　new　quarters　for　'em；　and　tried　to　make　'em　eat　together
at　a　long　table　like　those　low…down　folks　up　North；　and　did　away
with　their　cabins　and　their　melon　patches；　and　allowed　it　would　get
'em　out　of　lying　round　too　much；　and　wanted　'em　to　work　over…time
and　get　mo'　pay。　　And　the　result　was　that　she　and　her　niece；　and　a
lot　of　poor　whites；　Irish　and　Scotch；　that　she　had　to　pick　up
''long　the　river；'　do　all　the　work。　　And　her　niece　Sally　was　mo'
than　half　Union　woman　during　the　wah；　and　up　to　all　No'th'n　tricks
and　dodges；　and　swearin'　by　them；　and　yet；　for　all　thatthe　thing
won't　work。〃

〃But　isn't　that　partly　the　reason？　　Isn't　her　failure　a　great　deal
due　to　this　lack　of　sympathy　from　her　neighbors？　　Discontent　is
easily　sown；　and　the　negro　is　still　weighted　down　by　superstition；
the　Fifteenth　Amendment　did　not　quite　knock　off　ALL　his　chains。〃

〃Yes；　but　that　is　nothing　to　HER。　　For　if　there　ever　was　a　person
in　this　world　who　reckoned　she　was　just　born　to　manage　everything
and　everybody；　it　is　Sally　Dows！〃

〃Sally　Dows！〃　repeated　Courtland；　with　a　slight　start。

〃Yes；　Sally　Dows；　of　Pineville。〃

〃You　say　she　was　half　Union；　but　did　she　have　any　relations　or
orfriendsin　the　waron　your　side？　　Anywhowere　killed　in
battle？〃

〃They　were　all　killed；　I　reckon；〃　returned　Miss　Reed　darkly。
〃There　was　her　cousin；　Jule　Jeffcourt；　shot　in　the　cemetery　with
her　beau；　who；　they　say；　was　Sally's　too；　there　were　Chet　Brooks
and　Joyce　Masterton；　who　were　both　gone　on　her　and　both　killed　too；
and　there　was　old　Captain　Dows　himself；　who　never　lifted　his　head
again　after　Richmond　was　taken；　and　drank　himself　to　death。　　It
wasn't　considered　healthy　to　be　Miss　Sally's　relations　in　those
times；　or　to　be　even　wantin'　to　be　one。〃

Colonel　Courtland　did　not　reply。　　The　face　of　the　dead　young
officer　coming　towards　him　out　of　the　blue　smoke　rose　as　vividly　as
on　that　memorable　day。　　The　picture　and　letter　he　had　taken　from
the　dead　man's　breast；　which　he　had　retained　ever　since；　the
romantic　and　fruitless　quest　he　had　made　for　the　fair　original　in
after　days；　and　the　strange　and　fateful　interest　in　her　which　had
grown　up　in　his　heart　since　then；　he　now　knew　had　only　been　lulled
to　sleep　in　the　busy　preoccupation　of　the　last　six　months；　for　it
all　came　back　to　him　with　redoubled　force。　　His　present　mission　and
its　practical　object；　his　honest　zeal　in　its　pursuit；　and　the
cautious　skill　and　experience　he　had　brought　to　it；　all　seemed　to
be　suddenly　displaced　by　this　romantic　and　unreal　fantasy。　　Oddly
enough　it　appeared　now　to　be　the　only　reality　in　his　life；　the　rest
was　an　incoherent；　purposeless　dream。

〃IsisMiss　Sally　married？〃　he　asked；　collecting　himself　with　an
effort。

〃Married？　　Yes；　to　that　farm　of　her　aunt's！　　I　reckon　that's　the
only　thing　she　cares　for。〃

Courtland　looked　up；　recovering　his　usual　cheerful　calm。　　〃Well；　I
think　that　after　luncheon　I'll　pay　my　respects　to　her　family。　　From
what　you　have　just　told　me　the　farm　is　certainly　an　experiment
worth　seeing。　　I　suppose　your　father　will　have　no　objection　to　give
me　a　letter　to　Miss　Dows？〃


CHAPTER　II。


Nevertheless；　as　Colonel　Courtland　rode　deliberately　towards　Dows'
Folly；　as　the　new　experiment　was　locally　called；　although　he　had
not　abated　his　romantic　enthusiasm　in　the　least；　he　was　not　sorry
that　he　was　able　to　visit　it　under　a　practical　pretext。　　It　was
rather　late　now　to　seek　out　Miss　Sally　Dows　with　the　avowed　intent
of　bringing　her　a　letter　from　an　admirer　who　had　been　dead　three
years；　and　whose　memory　she　had　probably　buried。　　Neither　was　it
tactful　to　recall　a　sentiment　which　might　have　been　a　weakness　of
which　she　was　ashamed。　　Yet；　clear…headed　and　logical　as　Courtland
was　in　his　ordinary　affairs；　he　was　nevertheless　not　entirely　free
from　that　peculi