MILLY'S RETURN.
The visit of Clayton and his sister, like all other pleasant things, had
its end. Clayton was called back to his law-office and books, and Anne
went to make some summer visits previous to her going to Clayton's
plantation of Magnolia Grove, where she was to superintend his various
schemes for the improvement of his negroes.
Although it was gravely insisted to the last that there was no
_engagement_ between Nina and Clayton, it became evident enough to all
parties that only the name was wanting. The warmest possible friendship
existed between Nina and Anne; and, notwithstanding that Nina almost
every day said something which crossed Anne's nicely-adjusted views, and
notwithstanding Anne had a gentle infusion of that disposition to
sermonize which often exists in very excellent young ladies, still the
two got on excellently well together.
It is to be confessed that, the week after they left, Nina was rather
restless and lonesome, and troubled to pass her time. An incident, which
we shall relate, however, gave her something to think of, and opens a
new page in our story.
While sitting on the veranda, after breakfast, her attention was called
by various exclamations from the negro department, on the right side of
the mansion; and, looking out, to her great surprise, she saw Milly
standing amid a group, who were surrounding her with eager
demonstrations. Immediately she ran down the steps to inquire what it
might mean. Approaching nearer, she was somewhat startled to see that
her old friend had her head bound up and her arm in a sling: and, as she
came towards her, she observed that she seemed to walk with difficulty,
with a gait quite different from her usual firm, hilarious tread.
"Why, Milly!" she said, running towards her with eagerness, "what is the
matter?"
"Not much, chile, I reckon, now I's got home!" said Milly.
"Well, but what's the matter with your arm?"
"No great! Dat ar man shot me; but, praise de Lord, he didn't kill me! I
don't owe him no grudge; but I thought it wasn't right and fit that I
should be treated so; and so I just _put_!"
"Why, come in the house this minute!" said Nina, laying hold of her
friend, and drawing her towards the steps. "It's a shame! Come in,
Milly, come in! That man! I _knew_ he wasn't to be trusted. So, this is
the good place he found for you, is it?"
"Jes so," said Tomtit, who, at the head of a dark stream of young
juveniles, came after, with a towel hanging over one arm, and a knife
half cleaned in his hand, while Rose and Old Hundred, and several
others, followed to the veranda.
"Laws-a-me!" said Aunt Rose, "just to think on't! Dat's what 'tis for
old fam'lies to hire der niggers out to common people!"
"Well," said Old Hundred, "Milly was allers too high feelin'; held her
head up too much. An't no ways surprised at it!"
"Oh, go 'long, you old hominy-beetle!" said Aunt Rose. "Don't know
nobody dat holds up der head higher nor you does!"
Nina, after having dismissed the special train of the juveniles and
servants, began to examine into the condition of her friend. The arm had
evidently been grazed by a bullet, producing somewhat of a deep
flesh-wound, which had been aggravated by the heat of the weather and
the fatigue which she had undergone. On removing the bandage round her
head, a number of deep and severe flesh-cuts were perceived.
"What's all this?" said Nina.
"It's whar he hit me over de head! He was in drink, chile; he didn't
well know what he was 'bout!"
"What an abominable shame!" said Nina. "Look here," turning round to
Aunt Nesbit, "see what comes of hiring Milly out!"
"I am sure I don't know what's to be done!" said Aunt Nesbit, pitifully.
"Done! why, of course, these are to be bandaged and put up, in the
first place," said Nina, bustling about with great promptness, tearing
off bandages, and ringing for warm water. "Aunt Milly, I'll do them up
for you myself. I'm a pretty good nurse, when I set about it."
"Bless _you_, chile, but it seems good to get home 'mong friends!"
"Yes; and you won't go away again in a hurry!" said Nina, as she
proceeded rapidly with her undertaking, washing and bandaging the wound.
"There, now," she said, "you look something like; and now you shall lie
down in my room, and take a little rest!"
"Thank ye, honey, chile, but I'll go to my own room; 'pears like it's
more home like," said Milly. And Nina, with her usual energy, waited on
her there, closed the blinds, and spread a shawl over her after she had
lain down, and, after charging her two or three times to go to sleep and
be quiet, she left her. She could hardly wait to have her get through
her nap, so full was she of the matter, and so interested to learn the
particulars of her story.
"A pretty business, indeed!" she said to Aunt Nesbit. "We'll prosecute
those people, and make them pay dear for it."
"That will be a great expense," said Aunt Nesbit, apprehensively,
"besides the loss of her time."
"Well," said Nina, "I shall write to Clayton about it directly. I know
he'll feel just as I do. He understands the law, and all about those
things, and he'll know how to manage it."
"Everything will make expense!" said Aunt Nesbit, in a deplorable voice.
"I'm sure misfortunes never come single! Now, if she don't go back, I
shall lose her wages! And here's all the expenses of a lawsuit, besides!
I think she ought to have been more careful."
"Why, aunt, for pity's sake, you don't pretend that you wish Milly to go
back?"
"Oh, no, of course I don't; but, then, it's a pity. It will be a great
loss, every way."
"Why, aunt, you really talk as if you didn't think of anything but your
loss. You don't seem to think anything about what _Milly_ has had to
suffer!"
"Why, of course, I feel sorry for that," said Aunt Nesbit. "I wonder if
she is going to be laid up long. I wish, on the whole, I had hired out
one that wasn't quite so useful to me."
"Now, if that isn't just like her!" said Nina, in an indignant tone, as
she flung out of the room, and went to look softly in at Milly's door.
"Never can see, hear, or think of anything but herself, no matter what
happens! I wonder why Milly couldn't have belonged to me!"
After two or three hours' sleep, Milly came out of her room, seeming
much better. A perfectly vigorous physical system, and vital powers all
moving in the finest order, enabled her to endure much more than
ordinary; and Nina soon became satisfied that no material injury had
been sustained, and that in a few days she would be quite recovered.
"And now, Milly, do pray tell me where you have been," said Nina, "and
what this is all about."
"Why, you see, honey, I was hired to Mr. Barker, and dey said 'he was a
mighty nice man;' and so he was, honey, most times; but, den, you see,
honey, dere's some folks dere's _two_ men in 'em,--one is a good one and
t'oder is very bad. Well, dis yer was just dat sort. You see, honey, I
wouldn't go for to say dat he got drunk; but he was dat sort dat if he
took ever so little, it made him kind o' ugly and cross, and so dere
wan't no suiting him. Well, his wife, she was pretty far; and so he was,
too, 'cept in spots. He was one of dese yer streaked men, dat has
drefful ugly streaks; and, some of dem times, de Lord only knows what he
won't do! Well, you see, honey, I thought I was getting along right
well, at first, and I was mighty pleased. But dere was one day he came
home, and 'peared like dere couldn't nobody suit him. Well, you see, dey
had a gal dere, and she had a chile, and dis yer chile was a little
thing. It got playing with a little burnt stick, and it blacked one of
his clean shirts, I had just hung up,--for I'd been ironing, you see.
Just den he came along, and you never heerd a man go on so! I's heerd
bad talk afore, but I never heerd no sich! He swore he'd kill de chile;
and I thought my soul he would! De por little thing run behind me, and I
just kep him off on it, 'cause I knowed he wan't fit to touch it; and
den he turned on me, and he got a cow-hide, and he beat me over de head.
I thought my soul he'd kill me! But I got to de door, and shut de chile
out, and Hannah, she took it and run with it. But, bless you, it 'peared
like he was a tiger,--screeching, and foaming, and beating me! I broke
away from him, and run. He just caught de rifle,--he always kep one
loaded,--and shot at me, and de ball just struck my arm, and glanced off
again. Bless de Lord, it didn't break it. Dat ar was a mighty close run,
I can tell you! But I did run, 'cause, thinks I, dere an't no safety for
me in dat ar house; and, you see, I run till I got to de bush, and den I
got to whar dere was some free colored folks, and dey did it up, and kep
me a day or two. Den I started and came home, just as you told me to."
"Well," said Nina, "you did well to come home; and I tell you what, I'm
going to have that man prosecuted!"
"Oh, laws, no, Miss Nina! don't you goes doing nothing to him! His wife
is a mighty nice woman, and 'peared like he didn't rightly know what he
was 'bout."
"Yes, but, Milly, you ought to be willing, because it may make him more
careful with other people."
"Laws, Miss Nina, why, dere is some sense in dat; but I wouldn't do it
as bearing malice."
"Not at all," said Nina. "I shall write to Mr. Clayton, and take his
advice about it."
"He's a good man," said Milly. "He won't say nothing dat an't right. I
spect dat will do very well, dat ar way."
"Yes," said Nina, "such people must be taught that the law will take
hold of them. That will bring them to their bearings!"
Nina went immediately to her room, and dispatched a long letter to
Clayton, full of all the particulars, and begging his immediate
assistance.
Our readers, those who have been in similar circumstances, will not
wonder that Clayton saw in this letter an immediate call of duty to go
to Canema. In fact, as soon as the letter could go to him, and he could
perform a rapid horseback journey, he was once more a member of the
domestic circle.
He entered upon the case with great confidence and enthusiasm.
"It is a debt which we owe," he said, "to the character of our state,
and to the purity of our institutions, to prove the efficiency of the
law in behalf of that class of our population whose helplessness places
them more particularly under our protection. They are to us in the
condition of children under age; and any violation of their rights
should be more particularly attended to."
He went immediately to the neighboring town, where Milly had been
employed, and found, fortunately, that the principal facts had been
subject to the inspection of white witnesses.
A woman, who had been hired to do some sewing, had been in the next room
during the whole time; and Milly's flight from the house, and the man's
firing after her, had been observed by some workmen in the neighborhood.
Everything, therefore, promised well, and the suit was entered
forthwith.