A Daughter of the Union

  CHAPTER XVI

  THE VELVET GLOVE CONCEALS THE IRON HAND

  There was an unusual stir in the villa when Jeanne arrived. Madame Vancegreeted her with some eagerness.

  "What has become of the letters?" she cried. "Surely you did not permitthe Yankees to take them?"

  "I could not help it, Cherie," answered Jeanne noting with her newlyacquired insight into the lady's character that her own well-being wasof no importance. "I did not know that the soldiers were near untilFeliciane gave the alarm and thrust the papers into my hand. She shouldhave kept them. Did she escape?"

  "She did. Of course she thought that you would make an effort to do thesame. What did the 'Beast' say when he found that a Yankee girl wasworking against him? It is very droll." And she laughed maliciously. "Iam surprised that you got away from him at all."

  "I would not have done so had he not believed that I was but a tool inyour hands," answered the girl bluntly. "I will never forgive you, Cherie,for the way you deceived me. You told me that your brother was wounded,and that it was only to take him some medicine and food, and you haveno brother at all. Was the information that you sent concealed in mybasket?"

  "Certainly it was," returned Madame lightly. "Was it not for that purposethat you showed me the hiding-place yesterday? Thanks to your clevernessGeneral Thompson is aware of an attack by which Butler meant to surprisehim. That basket of yours is a jewel for hiding contraband articles. Itwill be used again."

  "It shall never again be so used if I can help it," cried Jeanne goadedbeyond endurance by the knowledge of how she had been tricked. "I wouldnot have believed that you would have been guilty of telling an untruth.You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

  "Everything is fair in love and war," said the other mockingly. "It isnot wrong to falsify to Yankees."

  "I will never forgive you. Never!" cried the girl passionately. "I toldGeneral Butler just how you deceived me, and I never can trust you again.To think that such a woman is the wife of my uncle!"

  "Be careful of your words, my little Yankee," and the black eyes of thelady glittered balefully. "I have treated you well heretofore, but I mayrepent of my soft usage. If gentle means will not convince you of theerror of your ways we will try other means."

  "What do you mean? You dare not use me otherwise than well. I would notsubmit to anything else, and Uncle Ben would not allow you to ill treatme."

  "Your uncle will permit anything that I choose to do," retorted Madameangrily, and the girl knew that she spoke truly. Mr. Vance yielded tohis wife in everything. "And listen, girl! I dare anything that I chooseto do. I am sick of your puritanical ways, and I have resolved to changethem. Why did you return if you were not of our way of thinking? Why didyou not stay with 'Beast' Butler since you agree so well? Speak, girl! whydid you come back?"

  "I--I--because----" Jeanne was unable to proceed. The question was sounexpected that she was not prepared to answer it.

  "Aha!" and Madame regarded her keenly. "I see. You came back to spy uponus. Deny it if you can."

  Then as the girl made no reply she called:

  "Feliciane, Feliciane!" The woman entered the room. "Take this girl tothe strong room," she commanded.

  "Don't dare to touch me," cried Jeanne springing away from the woman. "Iwill tell General Butler of this."

  "So?" and Madame's face became purple with rage. "You admit it. I thoughtas much. You have returned as a spy. Oh, he boasts of having his creaturesin every household, but he has a de la Chaise to deal with in me. Awaywith her, Feliciane!"

  In vain Jeanne struggled and cried out against the indignity. She washelpless in the hands of the muscular negress, and was soon carriedstruggling and screaming to the top floor of the house, and pushedunceremoniously into a room, the door closed and locked upon her.

  "Foh de land sake, lill' missy, what you doin' heah?" came in a hoarsewhisper and Jeanne turned to see the face of Snowball peering at her.

  "Snowball, are you here?" she cried stifling her sobs and trying topenetrate the gloom of the darkened chamber.

  "Yes, missy, I is. Dey allers puts us in heah aftah we's whipped. But howkum you heah? You wuzn't whipped, wuz yer?"

  "No;" and Jeanne seated herself by the prostrate form of the girl and tookher hand. "I would rather have been than to do what I did yesterday." Shetold the darky how Madame had beguiled her into taking the trip to theConfederates, and of her subsequent arrest and discharge.

  "I hopes dis Butler will help yer ef de missus got a grudge agin yer,"muttered Snowball. "An' she sut'n'ly hab got one elsen she wouldn't putyer in dis place whar we niggas is put. Why, missy, dis ain't no placefoh yer."

  "But you have to stay here, Snowball. I ought to stand it if you do. Iwish there was some way to get word to General Butler. He would take mefrom here I know."

  "Dere won't be no way, missy," said Snowball with melancholy convictionas Jeanne sprang to her feet and began a hurried inspection of the room."Missus wouldn't leab a mouse hole ef she thought it could be used."

  And Jeanne found her words true. It was a small low room without furnitureof any kind. A pile of straw upon which the darky lay was the only thingin it. There were iron shutters at the windows so strong that it wouldrequire the strength of a man to open them. The door was bolted andJeanne resumed her seat by the girl in a hopeless manner.

  "What can we do, Snowball?"

  "Nuffin. Can't do a bressed thing tell de missus ready ter let us out.'Tain't so bad when yer gits usen ter de dahk."

  "Does your back hurt much?"

  "Not now, honey. It did huht awful when dey pouhed de brine on tho'."

  "The brine! Not salt water, Snowball?"

  "Yes'm. It did huht shore nuff when dey pouhed dat on. Dey does it kasedey think de whip won't make no scahs when dey heal. But it do huht awful."

  This new horror held Jeanne silent, and her tears fell fast. A fierceindignation foreign to her usually gentle nature shook her from head tofoot. "And father used to say that abolitionists were extremists," shethought. "Oh, if ever I get home again I'll cry out on the streets againstslavery."

  "Is yer cryin', lill' missy?" exclaimed Snowball, as the warm drops fellupon her hands. "Done yer do it. It done mattah 'bout a pore nigga laikme. Heah you is tiahed mos' ter def, I reckon. Can't yer sleep?"

  "I'll try, Snowball," and Jeanne crept beside the girl on her straw. "Iam tired. I almost wish I could die."

  "Done yer be downhahted, missy. Dey'll take me outen heah soon. Jes' assoon as ma back gits well, kase dey can't 'ford ter lose a val'able niggalaik me, and ef dey doesn't take you outen dis 'fore den I'll run awayter de Gin'ral. Heaps of de cullah folks go ter him."

  "Will you, Snowball?" A gleam of hope stole into Jeanne's heart. Shesnuggled down into the straw and soon fell into a deep sleep.

  When she awakened she was alone in the room. During her slumber Snowballhad been taken away, and Jeanne missed her companionship sorely. Apitcher of water and some bread had been placed by her side, and thegirl ate ravenously for she had taken no food since the day before.Then once more she wandered about the room trying to find some meansof escape. Realizing that her efforts were useless she sank back on thestraw and gave herself up to thoughts of home and her dear parents.

  How little any of them thought that her journey would turn out as it had.She pictured her father's indignation when she should tell him of thetreatment she had received and her mother's anxiety concerning her. Well,even if Snowball did not get to see General Butler he would seek her justas soon as he heard from her father. Perhaps when he found that he didnot hear from her he would come to see what the matter was. And so thehours passed drearily by.

  No one came to the room and no sound reached her from below. By thedeepening of the gloom she knew that it was drawing near night, and shelooked forward with some dread to spending the long hours of darknessin that cheerless place. But summoning all her fortitude she composedherself for slumber.

  "I have the flag," she said to herself a
nd took it from her bosom. "Iam so glad that the General gave it back to me. How is our side doing, Iwonder? Why didn't I think to ask him? It has been so long since I heard.So long!"

  With the flag clasped to her breast she fell asleep once more. As before,while she slept food and drink were placed beside her, and it began tolook as if she was to be condemned to solitude. In this manner two dayspassed. On the morning of the third day she was rudely awakened by someone shaking her.

  "Get up," cried Madame, who stood by her side. "Get up! We are going."

  "Going? Going where?" cried Jeanne, dazedly.

  "We are going to your home," answered Madame Vance. "Get up and come withme if you care to go too."

  "Home!" repeated Jeanne thinking that she still slept. "Home!"

  "Yes; don't sit there like a silly, but come at once. That Yankee beasthas ordered that all of the registered enemies of the United States shallleave the city. And we must go."

  "Are you really going to take me home?" asked the girl now thoroughlyawake. "Oh, if you will, I will forgive everything!"

  "Then get ready quickly," said Madame, a cruel light in her eyes which thegirl unfortunately did not see. "We must go at once. The 'Beast' will onlypermit us to take what we can carry with us. The rest of the propertymust go to enrich him and his brother. Oh, they are a nice pair, but mafoi! what can one expect of Yankees?"

  Jeanne made no reply, but followed her to her own room where Snowball waswaiting to dress her.

  "Mus' you go, lill' missy?" whispered the girl as Madame left them for themoment alone. "I'se 'feerd foh yer ter go."

  "Are you going too, Snowball?"

  "Missus say I is, an', ob couhse, I long ter huh I'se got ter ef she sayso. But I done want ter."

  An hour later Mr. and Madame Vance, Jeanne, Feliciane, Snowball and Jeffleft the city in company with a number of others. General Butler, weariedwith the intrigues of these avowed enemies of the government, had orderedthat they should leave his lines for the Confederacy, and imposed thecondition that they should not return.

  In all the throng that waited to see the Confederates depart Jeanne sawno sign of the General. There were plenty of aids and members of hisstaff who looked closely after the articles carried away by the departingpeople, but of the General himself she saw nothing. And so the girl wasallowed to depart with the refugees without a word from the Unionists.Blinded by her desire to get home, she left freedom and the protectionof the flag and went without question into the heart of Secessia.