Show I A PA poTS WIFE BY EVERETT T TOJILINSON One warm morning In the spring of 1870 Mrs Slocumb was sitting on the broad piazza about her home on a large plantation in South Carolina Her husband hus-band and many of his neighbors Irene with Sumter fighting for the struggling colonies but on this beautiful morning there were almost no signs Qf war to b seen As yet this plantation had not been molested and a Mrs Slocumb I I glanced at her little child playing near I her or spoke to her sister who was i her companion or addressed a word to the servants there was no alarm manifest But in a moment the entire scene was changed There come some soldiers said her sister pointing toward an officer and 20 troopers who turned out of the i highway and entered the yard Irs I-rs Slocumb made no reply although al-though her face became pale and there was a tightening of the lips as I she watched the men Her fears were not allayed when she became satisfied that the leader was none other than I the hated Colonel Tarleton Thai short thickset body dressed in a gorgeous goreous scarlet uniform toe florid face and cruel expression proclaimed the approaching ap-proaching officer only too well But the mistress gave no sign of fear as 4 4 4t 1 I t I lj I L is 3 BOWING TO HIS HOBSES NECK she arose to listen to the words of the i I leader who soon drew his horse to a halt before her 1 Raising his cap and bowing to his horses neck he said Have I the I pleasure of addressing the mistress of this plantation I I is my husbands disiSn he Tiere I He is not He is a rebel is he No sir He is ja soldier in the army I of his country and fighting her invaders ersHe must be a rebel and no friend of dnsOnly his country if he fgM against his I Only slaves have masters here replied re-plied the undaunted woman Tarletons face flushed but he made no reply and turning to one of his companions gave orders for a camp to I be made in the orchard near by Soon I the 1100 men in his command had pitched their tents and the peaceful plantation took on the garb of war I Returning to the piazza f and again bowing low the British colonel said I Necessity compels his majestys troops to occupy your place for a time and I I will have to make my quarters in your house that is if i will not be too I great an Inconvenience to you My family consists at present of only myself and child and sister besides be-sides the servants and we must obey your orders In less than an hour the entire place was transformed oWhhe white tents I covered the lawn horses were tied to i > the high rail fences soldiers in bright uniforms were moving here and there I Before entering the house the British i colonel called some of his officers and gave sharp orders for scouring the J I I I L I c I r I I I q j 1cr I I 4L I 7 > 1 t L t 1 iY I r 4 HO ON 1IASSA country within tht neighborhood of 10 I or 15 miles This sharp command was not lost upon Mrs Slocumb nor was she slow I to act upon it herself as we soon shall see But for the present trying to I stifle her fears she determined to make the best of the situation and avert all the danger possible by providing for I the comfort of Tarleton and his men and accordingly she had a dinner soon I ready fit for a king and surely far to good for such a cruel and bloodthirsty man as TsTrleton soon was known to be When the colonel and his staff were summoned to the diningroom they sat down to a table which fairly groaned beneath the good things heaped upon it It was such a dinner as only the South Carolina matrons know how to prepare and the men soon became jovial under its Influences We shall have few sober men by morning said a captain if this is the way we are to be treated I suppose when this little war is over all this country will be divided amongst the soldiers Eh I colonel Undoubtedly the officers will occupy Tarleton large portions of tie country replied Yes I know hoW much they wilt each occupy said Mrs Slocumb unable un-able to maintain silence longer And how mu h will that beam low be-am inquired arl t9 bowing lowSix feet two I The colonels face again flushed with anger as he replied Excuse me but I shall endeavor to have this very plantation made over to me as a ducal seat < I seatI have a husband whom you seem to forget and I can assure you he is not the man to allow even the kin I himself to have a quiet seat on his I himsel ground I But the conversation suddenly was interrupted by the sounds O firing Some straggling scout running away said one of the men not quite willing to leave the table No sir There are rifles there and a good many of them too said Tar leton rising quickly and rushing to the piazza an example which all including in-cluding Mrs Slocumb at once followed She was trembling now for she felt assured that she could explain the cause of the commotion May I ask madame said Tarle ton turning to her as soon as he had given his orders for the action of the orers troops whether any of Washingtons I forces are in this neighborhood on nbt You must know that General Green i i and the marquis are in South Carolina and I have no doubt rou would be pleased to see Lee once more He shook I your hand very warmly the last time I he met rou I am told An oath escaped the angry colonel a lips and he glanced for a moment at the scar which the wound Lee had i made had left on his hand but hQ turned abruptly and ordered the trcops to form on the right and he dashed down the lawn A shout and the sound of firearms drew the attention of Mrs Slocomb to the long avenue that led to the house A cry escaped her at the sight for there was her husband followed by two of her heigh bars pursuing on horseback a band of five tories whom Tarleton had sent to scour the countv On and on they came and i was evident evi-dent that the pursuers were too busy r to have noticed the arm of Tarleton Broad swords and various kinds of I weapons were Hashing in the air and it I was plain that the enraged Slocomb saw nothing but the tories nothing he was pursuing Could nothing be done I Would they run into the very heart of the camp Mrs Slocomb tried to I scream and warn her husband butS not a but-S could I she make One of the Wn I nO f3 tories had Just fallen when she saw her husbands horse suddenly stop and swerve to one side What was the cause Sambo the slave whom Mrs I Slccomb had dispatched as soon as Tarleton had come to warn her hus I band had started promptly on his I errand but the bright coats of the i British had so charmed him that he I had lingered about the place and when I the sound of the guns was heard I Sambo had gone only a far as the I hedgerow that lined the avenue Discretion Dis-cretion became the better art of valor then and the negro in his fear had crawled beneath neg i shelter but I when his frightened face beheld his master approaching he had mustered i I courage enough to crawl forth from his hiding place and startle the hoses as I they passed Hoi on massar Hoi on he shouted I Recognizing the voice Slocomb and his followers for the first time stopped and glanced about them Off to their left were a thousand men within pistol wihin shot As they wheeled their horses they saw a body of horsemen leaping 0 the hedge and already in their rear Quickly wheeling again they started directly for the house near which the guard had been stationed On they swept and leaping the fence of lath latl about the garden patch amid a shower of bullets they started through the open lots Another shower of bullets fell about them as their horses leaped the bread brook or ill as it was i wa called and then almost caled almCt before the guard had cleared the nces belor they had I gained the shelter of the woods beyond arm were safe ant The chagrin of the British Tarleton was as great as the relief of Mrs Slo cumb and when on the following day the troops moved on the cordial aahu of the hostess led the colonel to aalu The British are not robbers madam We shall pay you for all we have taken I am so rejoiced at what what you have not taken that I shall not com plain if I do not hear from you again And she neither heard plained neiher nor com J |