DANGERS THICKENING
Mr. Baron was scarcely less miserable than his ward, yet from wholly
different causes. His anxieties concerning her were deep indeed, his
very solicitude impelling him toward the plan which he was eager to
consummate. He was distracted by fears and forebodings of every kind of
evil; he was striving to fortify his mind against the dire misgiving
that the Confederacy was in a very bad way, and that a general breaking
up might take place. Indeed his mental condition was not far removed
from that of a man who dreads lest the hitherto immutable laws of
nature are about to end in an inconceivable state of chaos. What would
happen if the old order of things passed away and the abominable
abolitionists obtained fall control? He felt as if the door of Dante's
Inferno might be thrown wide at any moment. There was no elasticity in
his nature, enabling him to cope with threatening possibilities; no
such firmness and fortitude of soul as he might be required to exercise
within the next few hours. To start with, he was wretched and
distracted by the breaking up of the methodical monotony of his life
and household affairs. Since general wreck and ruin might soon ensue,
he had the impulses of those who try to secure and save what is most
valuable and to do at once what seems vitally important. Amid all this
confusion and excitement of mind his dominant trait of persistence
asserted itself. He would continue trying to the last to carry out the
cherished schemes and purposes of his life; he would not stultify
himself by changing his principles, or even the daily routine of his
life, as far as he could help himself. If events over which he had no
control hastened action, such action should be in harmony with previous
purpose to the extent of his power. The plan, therefore, of marrying
his niece immediately to her cousin doubly commended itself to him. It
would throw around her additional safeguards and relieve him in part
from a heavy responsibility; it would also consummate one of the
cherished intentions of his life. Things might take a happy turn for
the better, and then just so much would be gained and accomplished.
Thus he reasoned, and his nephew spared no pains in confirming his
views. The truth urged by his niece that she did not love her cousin
seemed a small matter to the unemotional, legal mind of the old man
when safety and solid interests were concerned. "A child like Louise,"
he said, "must be taken care of, not humored." Mrs. Baron had long
since formed the habit of yielding complete deference to her husband,
and now was sincerely in accord with his views. She had never had much
heart; her marriage had satisfied her ambition, had been pleasing to
her kith and kin, and she saw no good reason why her niece should not,
under any circumstances, form a similar union. That the girl should
revolt now, in the face of such urgent necessity, was mere
perverseness. Sharing in her husband's anxieties and fears, she found
solace and diversion of mind in her beloved housekeeping. Neither of
the old people had the imagination or experience which could enable
them to understand the terror and distress of their niece, whom with
good intentions they were driving toward a hated union.
Dinner was served two hours later than usual--a fact in itself very
disturbing to Mr. Baron; while Aun' Suke, compelled to cook again for
the Confederate troopers, was in a state of suppressed irritation,
leading her satellites to fear that she might explode. Small, pale and
bloodless as "ole miss" appeared, none of her domestics dared to rebel
openly; but if any little darky came within the reach of Aun' Suke's
wooden spoon, she relieved her feelings promptly. In dining-room and
kitchen, therefore, was seething and repressed excitement. The very air
was electric and charged with rumors.
Perkins, the overseer, was at his wits' end, also, about the
field-hands. They were impassive or sullen before his face, and
abounding in whispers and significant glances behind his back. What
they knew, how much they knew, he could not discover by any ingenuity
of questioning or threatening, and he was made to feel that excessive
harshness might lead to serious trouble. Disturbing elements were on
all sides, in the air, everywhere, yet he could not lay his finger on
any particular culprit.
Of all the slaves on the plantation, Chunk appeared the most docile and
ready to oblige every one. He waited on the Confederate troopers with
alacrity, and grinned at their chaffing with unflagging good-nature. In
all the little community, which included an anxious Union scout, Chunk
was about the most serene and even-pulsed individual. Nature had
endowed him with more muscle than nerves, more shrewdness than
intellect, and had quite left out the elements of fear and imagination.
He lived intensely in the present; excitement and bustle were congenial
conditions, and his soul exulted in the prospect of freedom. Moreover,
the fact that he had proved himself to Zany to be no longer a mere
object for ridicule added not a little to his elation. Shrewd as
himself, she was true to her word of keeping an eye on him, and she was
compelled to see that he was acting his part well.
Miss Lou positively refused to come down to dinner. She had buried her
face in her pillow, and was almost crying her eyes out; for in the
confusion of her mind, resulting from her training and inexperience,
she feared that if all her kin insisted on her marriage, and gave such
reasons as had been urged upon her, she must be married. She was sorely
perplexed. Could the Yankees be such ravening wolves as her uncle and
cousin represented them to be? Certainly one was not, but then he might
be different from the others because he had been to college and was
educated.
"He said he would be glad to do me any kindness," she sobbed. "Oh, if
he could only prevent this marriage! Yet what can he do? I could not
even speak to a stranger of my trouble, much less to a Northern
soldier. I wish I could see my old mammy. She's the only one who in the
least understands me and feels a little like a mother toward me. Oh,
what a dreadful thing to be a motherless girl at such a time!"
The powers below stairs concluded that it would be best to leave Miss
Lou to herself for a time, that she might think over and become
reconciled to the need and reasonableness of their action, but Mrs.
Baron considerately sent up her dinner by Zany. The unhappy girl shook
her head and motioned the tray away.
"Hi, now, Miss Lou, w'at you tookin on so fer?" asked the diplomatic
Zany.
"For more than you can understand."
"I un'erstan's a heap mo'n you tink," said Zany, throwing off all
disguise in her strong sympathy. "Marse Whately des set out ter mar'y
you, ez ef you wuz a post dat cud be stood up en mar'd to enybody at
eny time. Hi! Miss Lou, I'se bettah off dan you, fer I kin pick en
choose my ole man."
"Everybody in the world is better off than I am."
"I wudn't stan' it, Miss Lou. I sut'ny wudn't. I'd runned away."
"How could I run away? Where could I go to?"
"See yere, Miss Lou," and Zany sank her voice to a whisper, "dere's a
Linkum man"--
"Hush! how did you know that?"
"Chunk en me's fren's. Don' be 'feard, fer I'd like ter see de gyurl
dat kin beat me playin' possum. Dat Linkum man he'p you ter run away."
"For shame, Zany! The idea of my going away with a stranger!"
"'Pears to me I'se rudder runned away wid one man dan hab anoder man
runned away wid me."
"Don't ever speak to me of such a thing again."
"Well, den, Miss Lou, de niggahs on dis plantashon des lub you, en dey
ain' hankerin' arter Marse Whately. Ef you say de wud, I des belebe dey
riz right up again dis mar'age."
"Oh, horrible!" said the girl, in whose mind had been instilled the
strong and general dread of a negro insurrection. "There, Zany, you and
Chunk mean kindly, but neither you nor any one can help me. If either
does or says anything to make a disturbance I'll never forgive you. My
cousin and the men with him would kill you all. I'd rather be left
alone, for I must think what to do."
"I ain' sayin' not'n, Miss Lou, sence dat yo' 'quest, but doan you gib
up," and Zany took her departure, resolving to have a conference with
Chunk at the earliest possible moment.
The impossible remedies suggested by Zany depressed Miss Lou all the
more, for they increased her impression of the hopeless character of
her position. She felt that she was being swept forward by
circumstances hard to combat, and how to resist or whether she could
resist, were questions which pressed for an immediate answer. She
possessed a temperament which warned her imperatively against this
hasty marriage, nor was there any hesitancy in her belief that it would
blight her young life beyond remedy. She was not one to moan or weep
helplessly very long, however, and the first gust of passion and grief
having passed, her mind began to clear and face the situation. Looking
out of her window, she saw that her cousin and his men were mounted and
were about to ride away again. Having waited till they had disappeared,
she bathed her eyes and then descended to her uncle.
"Where has Lieutenant Whately gone?" she asked.
"Your cousin does not forget, even at such a time, that he is a
soldier, and he is scouting the country far and wide. Moreover, it is
his intention to ask the Rev. Dr. Williams to be here to-morrow
evening, and a few friends also. I trust that by that time your
perverse mood will pass away, and that you will unite with your kindred
in their efforts in your behalf."
"Is there no use of reasoning with you, uncle--no use of pleading with
you?"
Perkins stood in the door and knocked to announce his presence.
"Well, what is it?" asked Mr. Baron, nervously.
"Have you heard anything, sir?"
"Good heavens, no! Heard what?"
"Well, sir, I dunno. The field-hands are buzzing like bees, en I kyant
get nothin' out of 'em."
"Well, Perkins, be watchful. Do your best. God only knows what's
coming. You are well armed, I suppose?"
"You may reckon that, sir, en I'll use 'em too, ef need be. The hands
are cute, mighty cute. I kyant lay my finger on any one in particular,
but they're all a sort of bilin' up with 'citement."
"Best to stay among them and be stern and vigilant." When Perkins
withdrew Mr. Baron said to his niece with strong emotion, "You see we
are beset with danger, and you talk of reasoning and pleading against
my best efforts for your safety. There! I'm too harassed, too
overwhelmed with weighty subjects for consideration, to discuss this
matter further. I must give my attention to securing some papers of
vital importance."
Miss Lou departed with the feeling that dangers were thickening on
every hand, and that she was only one of the causes for anxiety in her
uncle's mind. She knew it would be useless to say anything to her aunt;
and with a longing for a little sympathy and advice, she resolved on
another visit to her old mammy, Aun' Jinkey.
The Union soldier had a remote place in the background of her thoughts,
and yet she felt that it was preposterous to hope for anything from him.