"Wife, I"m mad clar through and if Captain Barbour warn"t an old friend of the family, I declar" to G.o.d I"d a.s.saulted him today."
"Heaven forbid," pleaded the wife, "I know Captain Barbour surely would not wound your feelings intentionally."
The Colonel explained that they were talking over their troubles, bewailing their helplessness, when Captain Barbour said: "Why Colonel Charlotte, you"re better off than any of us, you have the means at your command to not only make a living but to lay a little money by."
"And wife, when I asked him how, what do you think he said? That I had a carriage and horses and I could open a livery stable. Open a livery stable!" And the hot blood of the Charlottes" reddened his temples again as he clinched his fists and walked up and down in his anger. "Me, a Charlotte, engage in the livery business. Why, wife, I could scarcely keep my hands off him. Me, a Charlotte, in the livery business. Pollute that old family carriage that bears on its panels the crest of the Charlotte family, whose blood runs back to the men of Cromwell."
The facts are the old family carriage was about the only relic of the Charlotte family"s former greatness; imported from England years before, held as almost sacred by succeeding generations of the Charlotte family.
To have one intimate that the sacred old vehicle should be used to convey the common herd was a heavy blow to the pride of the Colonel.
"Well, Colonel," soothingly spoke the wife, "I know your pride has been hurt, I know just how badly you feel. I know you are proud and I really fear that Captain Barbour in his zeal to a.s.sist you was indiscreet. He should not have spoken so abruptly but should have given you time to consider the motive that prompted him. I know--he--he--meant--well--and--and--perhaps--you--should--consider his advice. Can"t we talk it over?" As she approached him, looking up into his face with a half smile and a half cry, she pleaded: "I would hate to say one word that would humble your pride, but--but those children--you know they ought to have schooling.
And I declare, Colonel--I do not know--what we"re going to do for something to--to--eat." And here the wife broke down.
The Colonel folded her in his arms as he soothed her, stroking her hair.
He declared he would sacrifice all the pride of the Charlottes that she and his did not suffer.
The negroes were sent to the corn patch to fetch the old horses, pluck the burrs out of manes and tails, smooth them up by currying the long hair off their s.h.a.ggy coats. The old family carriage was hauled out of the shed, washed, the bra.s.s mountings brightened, the coat of arms, the panels scoured until they shone again.
The sting was somewhat removed from the Colonel"s feelings by the painter making the sign read "Liberty Stable." The word "Livery" was not in the painter"s vocabulary. When he a.s.sured the Colonel that the sign was proper the Colonel was more satisfied.
Four or five days wore away. The Colonel, from his seat in front of the store, like Enoch Arden patiently watching for a sail, grew more despondent each day.
One November evening, the rain gently falling from the weeping clouds seemingly in sympathy with the Colonel"s dismal feelings, a young negro was seen coming towards him. Colonel Charlotte recognized Sam, a former slave, the son of an old house servant.
The Colonel returning the salutation in a manner none the less cheery said: "Why, Sam, how you all has growed up. I declare I wouldn"t knowed you only your voice is so much like your father"s. How"s all? Whar you livin" and what you a-doin" for yourself? Come on boy, tell me about you eh?"
Sam explained to the Colonel that "he was working on de new railroad buildin" down Raleigh way an" wus doin" tolerable well. A dollar a day, not countin" Sundays an" I gits my fodder."
"Well, Sam, if you can stow vittles away like you all done when I fed you, you"re gettin" well paid."
The Colonel laughed at his own joke, the first laugh he had indulged in for days. Sam was encouraged by the Colonel"s good humor. Doffing his hat, he addressed the Colonel in a sort of patronizing manner:
"Cunnel, I dun heard you all gone into the liberty business."
This flattered the Colonel slightly and he straightened up, replying:
"Yes, Sam, I just got tired of seeing my horses and vehicles around doing nothing and I wanted something to occupy my time. I don"t count much on what I"ll make but it will keep me from rusting out."
"Well, Cunnel, I"se jus come all de way down yar to see you. Dar"s gwine to be a dance down to Townsley"s tonight an" me an" my company an" my friend an" his gal wants to go, an" I k.u.m to ask you all how much you gwine fur to ax us to carry us all to de dance an"----"
Like a flash the Colonel jumped to his feet, the old rickety, split-bottom chair was hurled after Sam with the words:
"You dam black scoundrel, I"ll break every bone in your black body if I get hold of you."
This speech was hurled after the thoroughly frightened Sam as the Colonel pursued him. Giving up the chase the Colonel stalked home. His wife observed his anger as he entered.
"Wife, I"ve never in my life sustained a worse shock than today. To think of it after all these days of waitin", after I have been in the liberty business all these days, the first human being to come to me"--and the Colonel choked with rage--"the first human being to come to me to hire that old family carriage, was a dam n.i.g.g.e.r."
Then the Colonel in more moderate language described the scene between himself and Sam. The good wife listened to the Colonel until he concluded. Then in a conciliatory tone, she said: "Well, Colonel, it does seem as though fate is cruel to you. I do hope you will bear up bravely. I think it just awful that the first customer should have been a n.i.g.g.e.r. I do hope we will have others soon."
Then after a pause, she resumed, "Insofar as I am concerned I would willingly die before I"d ask you, a Charlotte, to sacrifice your pride further. But when I think of our children I don"t know what to say.
Colonel," and she trembled as she spoke, "do you--do--you think--Sam had money to pay for the hire of the carriage?"
"I done heard the money jingle in his pocket when he run."
"Well, Colonel, I wouldn"t even suggest that--that--you carry those n.i.g.g.e.rs to the ball, but if--if we only had the money--it would do us so much good. Those children--."
The Colonel waited to hear no more. Out into the chilly autumn evening, more briskly than he had moved in weeks, stalked the Colonel. Reaching the Liberty Stable, he ordered one of the boys to locate Sam. "Make haste," was his parting order.
The boy soon returned escorting Sam who seemed somewhat afraid to get too near the livery stable proprietor. The Colonel a.s.sured Sam that he desired to talk with him. Leading the way he walked until well out of hearing of his stable boy.
He began inquiringly, "So there"s a big ball at Townsley"s tonight. It"s the fust I"ve heard of it, an" you an" your company wants to go. Well Sam, you work hard fur your money an" you ought not to spend it too freely because winter"s coming on and these reconstruction laws the Yankees have put on us will make it hard on all of us."
"About how much do you reckon it will cost you all to go to the ball in a first cla.s.s livery turn out?"
"I dunno sah," meekly answered Sam.
"How much you got?" was the Colonel"s next question.
"Five dollars," and Sam jingled the coin in his pocket, showing a set of ivories that would have been the envy of any society belle in the land.
"Give it to me," and the Colonel reached his long arm out towards Sam, the palm of his hand up. Sam placed the five dollars in it.
"Sam, I want to see you have your pleasure. Five dollars is less than I ever charged for a carriage to a ball before. Being"s it"s you I"ll let it go fer that figure providin" you never mention to any person on earth that you hired a conveyance from Colonel Charlotte."
"Yes, sah. I"ll promise an" I"ll neber tell airy livin" soul "bout it,"
answered Sam, showing signs of fright.
The Colonel looked about to a.s.sure himself that there were no witnesses and commanded Sam to raise his right hand and kneel on the ground. Sam hesitated, the ground was wet and he had on his new store pants, but down he knelt.
"Now swear by all the laws of reconstruction that if you ever tell you rid in Colonel Charlotte"s kerrige, you will be whipped by the Ku-Klux, haunted by ghosts and burned by witches until you are dead and buried in a grave as deep as h.e.l.l."
The thoroughly frightened boy a.s.sented to the oath. The Colonel ordered him to arise, get his company together, "mosey" down to where the big road crossed the branch and wait until the carriage arrived.
The Colonel never entered the livery stable, content to leave the conducting of the same to his help. However, he was not content to trust the old family carriage to them. Ordering the horses. .h.i.tched to the sacred vehicle, the Colonel hastened to the house, "to plant the tin, afore some dam Yankee carpet-bagger grabbed it," as he expressed it.
He returned to find the carriage ready for him. Two tallow dips burning dimly in the big, old-fashioned lamps on either side of the driver"s seat were the admiration of the boys who lighted them. The Colonel ordered them to "blow them thar candles out," saying that they only blinded him. The real reason was that the Colonel did not desire any light shed on the transaction that would disclose his part in it.
Once down the hill he halted the team under the big oak tree where four dusky figures, two males and two females, stood. In a voice he intended to sound other than his own, the Colonel ordered the waiting group to "git in quick, pull down the curtains and don"t airy dam n.i.g.g.e.rs poke your heads out till we git to Townsley"s."
The horses moved off, the Colonel soliloquizing as they trotted along the sandy road: "S"pose I meet a white man an" he asks me where I"m goin", what will I tell him? Was there ever a white man, was there ever a Charlotte put to this test before. If ever a Charlotte knew that I engaged in this business what would I say to him? Did I ever think I"d come to this? Me, Colonel Charlotte, hauling n.i.g.g.e.rs to a ball." And he again cussed the reconstruction laws.
Arriving at the country store the dance was already under full headway.
The fiddles and sc.r.a.ping of feet could be plainly heard.
The voice of the caller, "Swing your partners; all hands around; first gent lead off to the right," floated out on the damp air.
"Git out," was the Colonel"s orders to his fares. "Now, don"t stay all night or you"ll walk back," were his last words to Sam and his company as they ran upstairs to the ball room.