The Colonel's Dream Read online

  _Ten_

  The deed for the house was executed on Friday, Nichols agreeing togive possession within a week. The lavishness of the purchase pricewas a subject of much remark in the town, and Nichols's good fortunewas congratulated or envied, according to the temper of eachindividual. The colonel's action in old Peter's case had made him aname for generosity. His reputation for wealth was confirmed by thisreckless prodigality. There were some small souls, of course, amongthe lower whites who were heard to express disgust that, so far, only"niggers" had profited by the colonel's visit. The _Anglo-Saxon_,which came out Saturday morning, gave a large amount of space toColonel French and his doings. Indeed, the two compositors hadremained up late the night before, setting up copy, and the pressmanhad not reached home until three o'clock; the kerosene oil in theoffice gave out, and it was necessary to rouse a grocer at midnight toreplenish the supply--so far had the advent of Colonel Frenchaffected the life of the town.

  The _Anglo-Saxon_ announced that Colonel Henry French, formerly ofClarendon, who had won distinction in the Confederate Army, and sincethe war achieved fortune at the North, had returned to visit hisbirthplace and his former friends. The hope was expressed that ColonelFrench, who had recently sold out to a syndicate his bagging mills inConnecticut, might seek investments in the South, whose vastundeveloped resources needed only the fructifying flow of abundantcapital to make it blossom like the rose. The New South, the_Anglo-Saxon_ declared, was happy to welcome capital and enterprise,and hoped that Colonel French might find, in Clarendon, an agreeableresidence, and an attractive opening for his trained businessenergies. That something of the kind was not unlikely, might begathered from the fact that Colonel French had already repurchased,from William Nichols, a worthy negro barber, the old French mansion,and had taken into his service a former servant of the family, thusforeshadowing a renewal of local ties and a prolonged residence.

  The conduct of the colonel in the matter of his old servant was warmlycommended. The romantic circumstances of their meeting in thecemetery, and the incident in the justice's court, which were mattersof public knowledge and interest, showed that in Colonel French,should he decide to resume his residence in Clarendon, his fellowcitizens would find an agreeable neighbour, whose sympathies would bewith the South in those difficult matters upon which North and Southhad so often been at variance, but upon which they were now rapidlybecoming one in sentiment.

  The colonel, whose active mind could not long remain unoccupied, wasbusily engaged during the next week, partly in making plans for therenovation of the old homestead, partly in correspondence with Kirbyconcerning the winding up of the loose ends of their former business.Thus compelled to leave Phil to the care of some one else, he had anexcellent opportunity to utilise Peter's services. When the old man,proud of his new clothes, and relieved of any responsibility for hisown future, first appeared at the hotel, the colonel was ready with acommission.

  "Now, Peter," he said, "I'm going to prove my confidence in you, andtest your devotion to the family, by giving you charge of Phil. Youmay come and get him in the morning after breakfast--you can get yourmeals in the hotel kitchen--and take him to walk in the streets or thecemetery; but you must be very careful, for he is all I have in theworld. In other words, Peter, you are to take as good care of Phil asyou did of me when I was a little boy."

  "I'll look aftuh 'im, Mars Henry, lak he wuz a lump er pyo' gol'. Mean' him will git along fine, won't we, little Mars Phil?"

  "Yes, indeed," replied the child. "I like you, Uncle Peter, and I'llbe glad to go with you."

  Phil and the old man proved excellent friends, and the colonel,satisfied that the boy would be well cared for, gave his attention tothe business of the hour. As soon as Nichols moved out of the oldhouse, there was a shaking of the dry bones among the mechanics of thetown. A small army of workmen invaded the premises, and repairs andimprovements of all descriptions went rapidly forward--much morerapidly than was usual in Clarendon, for the colonel let all his workby contract, and by a system of forfeits and premiums kept it going athigh pressure. In two weeks the house was shingled, painted inside andout, the fences were renewed, the outhouses renovated, and the groundsput in order.

  The stream of ready money thus put into circulation by the colonel,soon permeated all the channels of local enterprise. The barber, outof his profits, began the erection of a row of small houses forcoloured tenants. This gave employment to masons and carpenters, andinvolved the sale and purchase of considerable building material.General trade felt the influence of the enhanced prosperity.Groceries, dry-goods stores and saloons, did a thriving business. Theease with which the simply organised community responded to so slightan inflow of money and energy, was not without a pronounced influenceupon the colonel's future conduct.

  When his house was finished, Colonel French hired a housekeeper, acoloured maid, a cook and a coachman, bought several horses andcarriages, and, having sent to New York for his books and pictures andseveral articles of furniture which he had stored there, beganhousekeeping in his own establishment. Succumbing willingly to thecharm of old associations, and entering more fully into the sociallife of the town, he began insensibly to think of Clarendon as anestablished residence, where he would look forward to spending acertain portion of each year. The climate was good for Phil, and tobring up the boy safely would be henceforth his chief concern in life.In the atmosphere of the old town the ideas of race and blood attaineda new and larger perspective. It would be too bad for an old family,with a fine history, to die out, and Phil was the latest of the lineand the sole hope of its continuance.

  The colonel was conscious, somewhat guiltily conscious, that he hadneglected the South and all that pertained to it--except the marketfor burlaps and bagging, which several Southern sales agencies hadattended to on behalf of his firm. He was aware, too, that he had felta certain amount of contempt for its poverty, its quixotic devotion tolost causes and vanished ideals, and a certain disgusted impatiencewith a people who persistently lagged behind in the march of progress,and permitted a handful of upstart, blatant, self-seeking demagoguesto misrepresent them, in Congress and before the country, byintemperate language and persistent hostility to a humble but largeand important part of their own constituency. But he was glad to findthat this was the mere froth upon the surface, and that underneath it,deep down in the hearts of the people, the currents of life flowed, ifless swiftly, not less purely than in more favoured places.

  The town needed an element, which he could in a measure supply byresiding there, if for only a few weeks each year. And that elementwas some point of contact with the outer world and its more advancedthought. He might induce some of his Northern friends to follow hisexample; there were many for whom the mild climate in Winter and therestful atmosphere at all seasons of the year, would be a boon whichcorrectly informed people would be eager to enjoy.

  Of the extent to which the influence of the Treadwell household hadcontributed to this frame of mind, the colonel was not conscious. Hehad received the freedom of the town, and many hospitable doors wereopen to him. As a single man, with an interesting little motherlesschild, he did not lack for the smiles of fair ladies, of which thetown boasted not a few. But Mrs. Treadwell's home held the first placein his affections. He had been there first, and first impressions arevivid. They had been kind to Phil, who loved them all, and insisted onPeter's taking him there every day. The colonel found pleasure in MissLaura's sweet simplicity and openness of character; to whichGraciella's vivacity and fresh young beauty formed an attractivecounterpart; and Mrs. Treadwell's plaintive minor note had soothed andsatisfied Colonel French in this emotional Indian Summer which markedhis reaction from a long and arduous business career.