Kitty's Conquest

by Charles King

  CHAPTER III.

  Miss Kitty's tongue had been far from idle all the time that the judgeand I had been talking over these matters, but it was only just beforewe reached our destination that I heard her telling Miss Summers of theevents of the evening. The moment she mentioned that our lieutenant washurt, Miss Pauline started and exclaimed,--

  "Oh, Kitty! You don't mean it! What _will_ Major Vinton say?"

  "Who is Major Vinton?" said Miss Kit.

  "Major Vinton is the commanding officer of the cavalry, and Mr. Amory isone of his lieutenants. Father knows them both very well, and the majoris with us almost every day," was the answer.

  Miss Kit's eyes must have been as big as saucers when she heard that. Icouldn't see, but knew it when she exclaimed, in tones almosthorror-stricken,--

  "Oh, Pauline! Do you mean to tell me that uncle and you receive Yankeeofficers! I wouldn't have believed it!"

  "You don't know him, Kitty," was Miss Summers's quiet answer. "Ibelieve that we owe father's life to him, and I know that, but for him,none of us could have remained here. He is a thorough gentleman, andyou'd like him if you only knew him as we do. As for Mr. Amory, he isonly a boy, to be sure; but the major says he is a fine officer, and Iknow that he is a real nice fellow."

  Miss Kit relapsed into amazed silence; the judge added some few gentlewords of reproof for her treatment of the youngster; and I was smilingto myself over the whole affair, when we drove up to the main entranceof their once beautiful home. A tall, soldierly-looking man opened thedoor, exchanged a word of greeting with Miss Summers as he assisted theladies to alight, and then, as they scurried away up the stairs, I wasintroduced to Major Vinton.

  Now, though we had never met before, the major's name was by no meansunfamiliar. We were both New Yorkers; both had struggled throughColumbia, and had many a wrestle with Anthon and Drisler; both hadrushed to arms in heroic style and tramped off for Washington at thefirst call for troops. But I had speedily tramped back again; while heremained, chose the cavalry arm of the service, fought his way up to thecommand of his regiment; and when, in 1865, his services were no longerneeded, sheathed his sabre; put aside his well-worn regimentals; triedhard to interest himself in some civil pursuit; took a brief tourabroad, returned just as the new organization of the regular army wasbeing made, and meeting one night a joyous bevy of his old comrades,regular and volunteer, with whom he had fought over every field fromBull Run to Five Forks, the old fire was fanned into a blaze, and in oneweek he found himself a successful candidate for a captaincy of cavalry.The "major" came afterwards "by brevet," and Vinton had settled downinto contentedly following the old life, though in a less exciting timeand exalted capacity. He greeted me in a frank, warm-hearted way; and wewere in the midst of a comparison of notes as to old college names, whenthe judge interrupted us with,--

  "Vinton, Mr. Brandon brings important news, which I think you ought toknow at once." So once again the story of our little adventure was told.

  The major listened attentively and never interposed a word; but his browdarkened and his face set when I came to Amory's wound and Hank Smith'sparting threat. The instant I finished he turned to a servant, saying,--

  "Be good enough to tell my orderly to bring the horses round at once."

  In vain the judge begged him to stay and have supper, or at least somelittle refreshment. The major said, very quietly, that he must be offto camp at once; asked me one or two more questions in a business-likeway; and the moment the horses came, bade us good night, swung intosaddle, and followed by his orderly, disappeared at a rapid trot. Thejudge and I stood listening on the portico until the hoof-beats diedaway, and then returned to the blaze of the great wood-fire in thesitting-room. The young ladies came fluttering down-stairs. Supper wasannounced. Miss Pauline looked inquiringly around as we walked into thenext room, where a bounteous table was spread.

  "Where is Major Vinton, father?"

  "Gone back to camp, dear. He asked me to present his excuses to you, buthe was obliged to leave as soon as he heard of this affair."

  I fancied that a shade of disappointment settled on Miss Summers's face,but she merely answered, "Indeed, I'm very sorry," and busied herselfwith the tea and coffee.

  Miss Kit looked immensely relieved, and immediately becameradiant;--chattered like a little magpie,--in fact, was as charming andbewitching as possible; but it was already late; good-nights were soonexchanged; and, tired out, the household went to sleep.

  Next morning when we assembled in the breakfast-room, our little heroinelooked fresher, prettier, and _tinier_ than the day before. This timeher hair was "fixed," and that was the only point that in my eyes wasno improvement. All day long the judge and I roamed about the premisesor pored over the cases he had on hand. All day long the young ladieslaughed, chatted, flitted about from one room to another, played andsang. No news came from the camp. Late in the afternoon, when we wereall standing on the portico, a solitary trooper came cantering up theroad along which the major had disappeared the night before. Withoutknowing why, I found my eyes turning upon Miss Summers. She waslistening abstractedly to Miss Kit's account of a visit to the MammothCave, but _her_ eyes were fixed upon the horseman as he rapidly nearedthe gate,--neared it, and, never drawing rein or checking speed, rodestolidly past on the road to Sandbrook depot. The wistful, almost eagerlight faded from her soft brown eyes; the full lip quivered one littlebit; but quickly rallying, she plunged into a blithe wordy skirmish withher cousin about some alleged flirtation of the summer previous.

  Evening came, and with it Harrod Summers and Mr. Peyton; both makingmuch over Miss Kit; both bemoaning the accident which had preventedtheir meeting; and both apparently pleased to know that "Mr. Brandon was_so_ kind and attentive." I had known Harrod slightly before, as he wasaway much of the time of my previous visit; but I knew him to be hisfather's son, a man to be honored and respected. Of Peyton, the lesssaid the better. He was a rash, foolhardy, and, I feared, criminallyreckless boy, a violent "reb" and unsparing hater of every Yankee. I hadheard grave stories concerning his connection with some of the acts ofviolence committed upon the Union-loving people in the vicinity, and hadnoticed the troubled look on the judge's face every time his name wasmentioned. I knew that he had been arrested, and that there was strongpresumptive evidence as to his guilt; but he had been immediately bailedout and released. After this occurrence, the judge had managed topersuade him to take a trip to Havana and New Orleans; but the moment heheard of Miss Kitty's projected visit he came hurrying back. They weresecond cousins, and had met abroad. Rumor had it that Peyton had offeredhimself; that Miss Kit had a girlish fancy for him; that his suitpromised favorably until Aunt Mary became suddenly aware of this nicelittle family arrangement, and, being a woman of the world, andpossessed of a keen sense of what constituted the eligible andineligible in a young man, swooped remorselessly down upon the blissfulpair; hustled Master Ned into immediate exile; and, gathering her onechicken under the shadow of her protecting wing, bore her in triumphaway to a realm uninfested with dangerous young men. Miss Kit is saidto have shed bitter tears one week; sulked the next; pouted another; tohave made a vigorous and romantic attempt at pining in all three; butthe effort was too much for her; and, being wisely left to herself, itwas not long before Peyton and his escapades were to her matters ofserene indifference.

  Not so with him, however. To do him justice, Peyton was probably verymuch in love; and at all events had a very correct idea of the unlimitedbenefits to be obtained through the medium of Miss Kit's solid bankaccount. He was no fool, if he was a reprobate; and was as handsome andnaughty a wolf as could be found infesting Southern sheepfolds; and herehe was, primed and ready to renew the attack. The judge didn't like it;Miss Summers didn't; nor Harrod; nor I; but it only took a few hours toconvince us all that our beauty had just enough feminine mischief in herto enjoy the prospect of another flirtation with her old flame; and soto all but Peyton and to her, the evening passed gloomily enough. Thejudge retired to his l
ibrary; Miss Summers played soft, sad music at thepiano; and Harrod and I smoked cigar after cigar upon the porch.

  Ten o'clock came and still the pair were cooing away in the corner;Kitty's low, sweet, bubbling laugh floating out through the opencasement to where we sat. Miss Summers closed her piano abruptly; cameout to our nook on the portico; and, declining the offer of a chair,stood leaning her hand upon her brother's shoulder.

  Harrod looked fondly up at her for a moment or two as she gazed outtowards the gate; then a teasing smile played about his mouth as heasked,--

  "Anybody been here to-day, Paulie?"

  "No-o-o-o! That is, nobody to speak of."

  "No major, then?"

  Pauline looks squarely down into her brother's eyes as she answers, "Nomajor, if you refer to Major Vinton." A little heightened color,perhaps, but that's all. She is as brave as Harrod and not easy totease.

  Harrod turns to me: "Do you think he has gone after those men with histroop, Mr. Brandon?"

  "I don't know, colonel; he said nothing about it, but rode offimmediately. I shouldn't wonder, though; for the judge tells me he isover here almost every day."

  "Ye-e-es?" (inquiringly.) "How is that, Paulie?"

  Paulie has no reasons to allege; probably he wouldn't come if he didn'twant to.

  "True enough," Harrod suggests; "and still less unless he knew he waswelcome. He is awfully proud, isn't he, Paulie?"

  "Indeed, Harrod, I don't know; but he is welcome, and any man who hasrendered us the service he has in protecting our father against thefury of that mob on court-day, ought to be welcome among us!"--Colorrising and a perceptible tremor of the hand on Harrod's shoulder. Hetakes it gently and leans his cheek lovingly upon it as he looks up atthe flushing face, whose dark eyes still gaze unflinchingly into hisown.

  "You are right enough, dear, and you know I agree with you. He _is_ anoble fellow, Brandon, and I hope you'll meet and know him better.Father's decision against two or three Ku-Klux raised a terrible rowhere; and as he attempted to leave the court-house with one or twofriends the mob hooted him; and even his long residence among thesepeople would not have saved him. They call him traitor and Yankee now.Well, father tried to speak to them, but they wouldn't listen. A fewmore friends gathered round him; a blow was struck; and then the mobcharged. Shooting ensued, of course, and two of their own men were badlywounded, while father and his party of six barred themselves in thecourt-house. Old Jake Biggs dashed out to camp, luckily meeting MajorVinton on the way, and in five minutes from the time the first shot wasfired, and before those howling devils could break down the door, Vintondarted at a gallop into their midst,--not a soul with him but hisorderly,--rode up to the door as though he were built of cast iron, andthen turned squarely and confronted the whole mob. There's only onething on earth these people are afraid of, Brandon: they don't care afig for law, sheriffs, or marshals, but they would rather see the devilthan the Federal uniform. And for ten minutes Vinton and his one mankept that mob at bay; and then young Amory with half the troop cametearing into town, and if the major hadn't checked them, would have gonethrough that crowd in ten seconds.

  "The mob skulked off; but they hate father and the cavalry mostbitterly, and would wreak their vengeance if they dared. I was away inMobile at the time, and knew nothing about the affair until next day,when my sister's telegram came; but the sheriff never tires of tellinghow the major rode into that crowd; and how mad Mr. Amory was becauseVinton stopped his charge."

  "No wonder you all think so much of him, colonel," I answered. "He comesof a noble old race, and whether as enemy or friend you cannot fail torespect him; and I'm glad to see a cordial feeling springing up betweenour sections in this way. I would to God it were more general!"

  "Ah, Brandon, it is not the soldiers, not the men who did the fighting,who are bitter now. Our enemies in the North are the men who sat at homewondering why your Army of the Potomac didn't move. Your enemies arethose who never felt the shock of Northern arms. We would have had peacelong ago could the soldiers have been allowed to make the terms."

  And so we sat and talked, until the clocks throughout the house werechiming eleven, and then Miss Summers declared we must retire. Thecorner flirtation was broken up; Peyton and Miss Kit exchanging alingering and inaudible good-night at the stairs. Harrod and I closedand bolted doors and windows. Peyton stuck his hands in his pockets andwalked nervously up and down the hall buried in thought until we hadfinished our work; and then, on receiving Colonel Summers' somewhat coldintimation that it was time to go to bed, wished us a sulky "pleasantdreams," took his candle and disappeared.

  Harrod waited until he was out of hearing and then said to me, "They areall out of the way now, Brandon, and I want to see you one moment. It isa hard thing to say of one's own kinsman, but Peyton can't be trusted inthis matter. Here is a letter that was left for father at thepost-office in town, but I have opened and withheld it, knowing that itwould only cause him unnecessary trouble. I'm worried about it, and hadhoped that Vinton would have come over to-day; we're safe enough withhim and his men."

  Saying this he handed me the letter. I had seen them before; Ku-Kluxanonymous rascalities,--a huge, coarse, brown envelope, directed in asprawling hand to the "Honerable Judge Summers," and embellished in redink with numerous death's-heads, K. K.'s, and in the upper left-handcorner a flaming scroll, on which appeared in bold relief the words"Blood! Death! Liberty!" The whole affair was ludicrous enough inappearance, and, throwing it to one side, I read the inclosure. It beganwith the usual "Death to Traitors," and wound up, after one or twoincoherent "whereases" and "therefores," by informing the judge that ifhe remained in that vicinity twenty-four hours longer "all the damnedYankees this side of hell couldn't save him," and intimating that thelives of the Federal officers upon whom he relied "weren't worth theirweight in mud."

  Harrod and I sat for some time talking over this elegant document, anddecided that nothing should be said until we could see Major Vinton onthe following day. The camp was six miles away, and on the outskirts ofthe county-seat where the court-house row had taken place; and Sandbrookwas nearly as far in the opposite direction. He anticipated no dangerfor that night; but such had been the reckless nature of the Klan, thatwe agreed it best to be on the safe side and to look well to our arms;then we parted, each to his own room.