Red Rock: A Chronicle of Reconstruction

by Thomas Nelson Page

  CHAPTER XLIV

  MIDDLETON REVISITS RED ROCK, AND AN OLD SOLDIER LAYS DOWN HIS ARMS

  The account of affairs in the South that Middleton had got fromSenator Rockfield had decided him to go down there. It awakened oldrecollections, and recalled a time in his life which, though therewere many things in it that he would have had otherwise, was on thewhole very pleasant to him. He had tried to do his duty under veryadverse circumstances, and, though he had not been sustained, eventshad justified him. He happened to be present in the gallery during thedebate in which one Senator asked, “Who is this man Leech?” and anotherreplied, “He is a man who will soon be your compeer on this floor.” Thestatement had astounded Middleton. Could it be possible that Dr. Cary,Jacquelin Gray, and General Legaie were in jail, and that Leech wasabout to become a Senator of the United States? It seemed incredibleto the young man. He had in a way kept himself informed as to the oldCounty, and he knew that there had been trouble there; but he hadhad no idea that things had reached this pass. That night he had theconversation with Senator Rockfield about Dr. Cary, and soon afterwardhe got a letter from Thurston which finally decided him to go South andsee for himself.

  His arrival at Brutusville was regarded very differently by differentpeople. The Welches were delighted to see him, and so was ReelyThurston. Leech met him with a show of much cordiality—extended hishand, and greeted him with warmth which somehow cooled Middleton.Middleton could not for his life help having that old feeling ofrepulsion. He was conscious of a change in Leech. Instead of his formerhalf-apologetic manner that was almost obsequious, Leech now was livelyand assertive. His air was that of an equal—indeed, almost of asuperior.

  The strangest greeting, however, Middleton met with was from “Dr.Moses.” Moses had returned to the County after the arrival of thetroops, and had been much in evidence about the court-house, where heappeared to be in Leech’s employ. The day after Middleton arrived,Moses came out of a yard just ahead of him, and advanced to meet him,hat in hand, grinning and showing his repulsive teeth and gums. It wasalmost a shock to Middleton to see him.

  “How’s Mass’ Middleton? My young master? Glad to see you back, suh.Does you ’member Moses—ole Moses?”

  “Yes, I remember you,” said Middleton, almost grimly. The negro burstout into a loud guffaw.

  “Yas, suh. I knows you ’members Moses. Yaw-yaw-yaw-ee. Done lay de whupon Mose’ back too good not to ’member him, yaw-yaw-yaw-ee. Dat wuzright. Now you gwine gi’ me a quarter for dat.” He held out his hand,his eyes oscillating, in their peculiar way.

  Middleton pitched a dollar into his hand and walked on hastily,followed by the thanks and protestations of gratitude of the negro. Hedid not see the look that Moses shot after him as he followed him at adistance till Middleton went into Mrs. Dockett’s.

  As the trick-doctor turned back, he muttered, “Yas, done lay de whup’pon Moses’ back. Dollar don’ pay for dat. Ain’ _Cap’n_ Middleton now,jes Marse Middleton. Ump!” He disappeared with his uneven gait aroundthe rear of Leech’s law-office.

  When Middleton mentioned to Mrs. Welch his meeting with Moses, to hissurprise she spoke of him with unmitigated detestation, and, equally tohis surprise, she spoke of Captain Allen with much less reprobationthan from his knowledge of her views he had anticipated.

  Most of the other friends of Middleton received him with even greatercordiality than he had expected. Mrs. Dockett invited him to come andoccupy his old quarters, and made him understand distinctly that it wasto be as her guest. She did not board any Yankees now—except CaptainThurston, of course. The Captain was an old friend, and she had totake him in for old times’ sake; she could not let him be starved orpoisoned at that miserable hole of a hotel.

  Middleton laughed as he thanked her. He knew which way the wind wassetting with Thurston. He was staying with his cousins, he said. Buthe hoped Mrs. Dockett would be good enough to let him come to dinnersome time and eat some of her fried chicken, which was the very bestin all the world, as he knew by experience. Mrs. Dockett declared thathe was flattering her; but this Middleton stoutly repudiated. He hadsaid so in every country he had visited, and there was no reason why heshould not say so now. In fact, he so flattered Mrs. Dockett that thegood lady declared at the table that evening—gazing hard at CaptainThurston—that Captain Middleton was quite a model now that he nolonger wore that horrid blue coat, but dressed like a _gentleman_. “ByJove! Larry,” said Thurston, “you’ve been acting on the lessons I gaveyou. You’ve captured the brigadier first charge. Keep on, and you maycapture the whole army, my boy.”

  “You blackguard!” said Middleton. “You yourself flatter and humbugevery woman you meet, so that you think everyone else must be playingthe same game.”

  “Have you told the Senator’s daughter about the chickens in thiscountry?” drawled Thurston.

  For reply, Middleton shied a pillow across at his friend. “Of course Ihave, and how about you?”

  “Oh! I like Mrs. Dockett’s chicken too.”

  To Middleton’s surprise Thurston actually flushed a little.

  “Reely!”

  Thurston’s eyes twinkled, and he grew red.

  “Well! And she?”

  Thurston met his gaze this time.

  “Larry, how could any sensible woman resist my charms?” he laughed.

  “Are you engaged?”

  “Only in a military sense—as yet.”

  “But she likes you?”

  “Larry, she’s the most unaccountable creature.”

  “Of course.”

  “You don’t know how clever she is.”

  “To discover your good qualities?”

  “And sweet and kind-hearted.”

  “To like you?”

  “Yes, such a vagabond as I am. And how charming she can be! She’s aboutsix girls in one—one minute one thing, the next another.”

  “That just suits you. You need just about that many to be in love with.”

  “She’s the only girl in the world I ever was in love with,” assertedThurston, boldly.

  Middleton whistled.

  “Here, you are not talking to her now, but to me. Have you told RuthWelch that?”

  “She’s my confidante.”

  “She is? That accounts for it,” said Middleton.

  “She likes Allen,” said Thurston, explanatorily.

  “Oh!”

  “And Miss Cary likes Gray.” This with a keen look at Middleton.

  “Ah?” After a pause: “Who told you so?”

  “I have it from the best authority.”

  “Miss Cary, or Gray?”

  “No, Miss Elizabeth.”

  “Oh!” laughed Middleton. “Reely, what a humbug you are.”

  “No, only a diplomatist, my dear boy. It’s necessary, to accomplishanything with the dear creatures.”

  The morning after Middleton’s arrival he was driving to the countyseat, when at a turn in the road he met Dr. Cary walking. It had rainedthe night before, and the road was muddy and heavy; but the Doctor wastrudging along with his old black saddle-pockets over his shoulder.Middleton pulled up, and sprang out and greeted him.

  The Doctor returned his greeting cordially, and invited him to come andsee them.

  “What are you doing walking?” asked Middleton. “Has your horse gotaway?”

  The Doctor smiled half-grimly. “Yes, some time ago.” The smile diedslowly out. “I have no horse now,” he said, gravely. “I lost my horsesome time ago, and have not been able to procure one since.” Middletonlooked so shocked that the Doctor added, “Usually my patients, who areable, send a horse for me; but sometimes I have those who are no betteroff than myself.” Once more the smile flitted across his worn face.

  “Steve sent me his horse when he gave himself up, but Leech has takenhim. He has a brand on him, and Leech claims, I believe, that hebelongs to the Government, and Leech now is the Government.”

  “I will see if he is,” said Middleton, with a sudden flush of an
ger.“I’ll put a brand on him.”

  Middleton asked to be allowed to take the Doctor to his destination.The old fellow at first demurred; but on Middleton’s insisting,yielded. It was a little warm walking, he admitted.

  “Why don’t you borrow the money to buy a horse?” asked Middleton,presently. “I wish you would let——” He was going to ask the Doctor tolet him lend him the money; but the Doctor interrupted him.

  “Ah! sir, I have borrowed too much money already. I thought then Icould pay, I know now I could never pay.”

  When they reached the place to which the Doctor was going, it was anegro cabin.

  “I have to look after them, sir,” explained the old fellow. “I don’tknow what they will do when I am gone.”

  The deep sincerity in his face took away any suggestion of egotism.

  Middleton drove on in deep meditation, trying to unravel the tangle ofhis thoughts. As he drove into the village, he was passed by a carriageand pair. In the carriage sat Leech and a negro. They were both dressedin long black broad-cloth coats, and the negro wore a shiny new beaver.

  That very afternoon Middleton began to negotiate for a horse that hethought would suit an old man. His intention was to buy the horse, andwhen he went away ask Dr. Cary to keep it for him and use it.

  As he was looking at a horse, Leech came by. He stopped and looked on,a smile on his sallow face.

  “If you want a good horse, don’t buy that one. I’ve got a lot on myplace, and I’ll lend you one,” he said.

  “Thank you, I prefer to buy,” said Middleton, coldly, examining thehorse.

  “All right, I’ll sell you one—cheap. I’ve got the finest lot you eversaw. Some of the old Cary stock,” he added.

  “I’ve no doubt you have,” said Middleton, dryly, a frown gathering onhis brow.

  “You used to be a better judge of a horse than that,” laughed Leech.

  Middleton straightened up and turned on him so angrily that Leechstepped back involuntarily. The next instant, however, he recoveredhimself.

  “Find a good many changes since you went away, I guess?” His voice wasfull of insolence, and his face wore a provoking smile. Middleton wastrying to control himself. Leech misinterpreted his silence.

  “Some of your friends sort of gone down the hill?” He nodded his headin the direction of the jail beyond the court-green. His insolence wasintolerable.

  “Are you trying to be insolent to me?” demanded Middleton. He steppedup close in front of Leech. “If you are, you are making a mistake.” Hismanner and his face, as he looked Leech in the eyes, abashed even him,and he changed his tone. He did not mean to offend him, he said; he wasonly “jesting when he called them his friends.”

  “I don’t wish to be jested with,” said Middleton, coldly, turning away.

  As Leech went on he smiled to himself. “Ah, my young man, times arechanged,” he muttered to himself, softly; “and if you stay here longyou’ll find it out!”

  Middleton concluded his purchase, and the following evening rode hisnew horse up to Dr. Cary’s.

  That day Leech called Moses into his office. “I see your friend CaptainMiddleton is back?” he said. Moses uttered a sound that was half alaugh, half a snarl.

  “Yas—all dat comes don’ go, and all dat goes don’ come”; he snickered.

  “You better not fool with him,” said Leech. “He knows how to manageyou.” He made a gesture, as if he were cutting, with a whip, andlaughed, tauntingly.

  Moses’s eyes moved swiftly. “Nor I ain’ forgit; I’se done learntsome’n’ sense den. He better look out.”

  “You think the Ku Klux would trouble him?” asked Leech.

  Moses stole a swift look at him. “He better look out,” he repeated.

  “Have some whiskey,” said Leech.

  There was one man in the County besides Leech who was not overjoyedto see Middleton. When Jacquelin Gray heard of his arrival, hiscountenance fell. Perfect love may cast out fear, but it does not castout jealousy; and Jacquelin was conscious of a pain in his heart. Hedid not know whether Blair Cary liked Middleton now very much or not,but he feared she did; and Middleton had been the cause of his rupturewith her. When, therefore, he met Middleton he could not pretend thathe was glad to see him. So he greeted him distantly, though with markedcivility. Middleton was unusually cordial to him; but this only gratedon Jacquelin. There was a smile in his eyes which Jacquelin, torturinghimself as every fool under like circumstances does, interpreted as aglance of triumph, if not of positive compassion. This was the morebiting to Jacquelin because it was at Dr. Cary’s that they met, andBlair was unusually gay that evening. Her cheeks, which were sometimespale, were now flushed, Jacquelin felt, with pleasure at Middleton’spresence. She talked mainly to Middleton, to Jacquelin scarcely at all.At length Jacquelin rose and said he must go.

  “Why, aren’t you going to stay to tea? I thought you were?” Blairasked, in genuine surprise. Her color had suddenly vanished, and shelooked at him with a vague trouble in her eyes.

  “Thank you, no,” said Jacquelin, shortly. “Good-evening, CaptainMiddleton.” He bowed ceremoniously.

  “I had hoped to have the pleasure of riding back with you,” saidMiddleton.

  “I am walking,” said Jacquelin, grimly. He went out. Blair excusedherself hurriedly to Middleton. “Oh! Jacquelin,” she called, “will youtake this letter for me, and mail it to-morrow morning?”

  “Can’t I take it?” asked Middleton. “I am going by the office.”

  “Oh! Jack will take it, thank you.”

  As she gave Jacquelin the letter she glanced up in his faceinquiringly. But Jacquelin’s eyes avoided hers. He took the letter andstalked out. How he hated Middleton! And how he hated himself for doingit!

  He strode down the road full of bitterness, weaving himself anettle-web that stung him at every step. The moon was just rising abovethe tree-tops, and its silvery beams were struggling with the lastlight from the slowly fading west; but Jacquelin was all in darkness.All his plans had come to naught, overthrown by this smiling outsider.He groaned in his helpless anguish. Had he not waited; tried to keephis ideals ever before him; served faithfully; never for a momentfaltered or turned aside for anyone else! And what had it availed him!Here was a lifetime of devotion flung away for the facile addresses ofthis interloper.

  At a point in the road, he caught, for a second, just on top of a hillsome distance before him, the outline of a man’s figure clear againstthe sky in the cleft between the trees. It moved with a curious dipor limp that reminded him for a moment of Moses the trick-doctor. Thenext second the figure disappeared. When Jacquelin reached the spot,he stopped and listened; but there was only silence and a momentarycrackle of a piece of bark as some night-animal moved up a tree deepwithin the shadows. Jacquelin walked on once more, in the dusk of theroad and the deeper gloom of his own thoughts. He could not go home,because he had told his aunt he would stay at Dr. Cary’s to tea, andshe would wish to know why he had not done so, and when she heard ofMiddleton would want to hear all about him, and he could not talk ofMiddleton then. So he wandered on.

  When he reached home Miss Thomasia had retired, and he went silently tohis room, cursing his fate and Middleton.

  Early next morning, Jacquelin was awakened by voices in the yard.Someone was talking to Miss Thomasia. All Jacquelin heard was thatCaptain Middleton had been shot the night before at the fork of theroad that led to Dr. Cary’s. Jacquelin lay still for a second—quitestill—and listened. Could it be a dream! The body had been found rightat the fork by Dr. Cary as he was going home from seeing Sherrod’swife, and he had sent for Mr. Jacquelin.

  Jacquelin’s heart stopped beating. He sprang from bed and threw open awindow. Old Gideon was the speaker.

  “What’s that?” asked Jacquelin.

  Gideon repeated the story, with further details.

  “Is he dead?”

  “Nor, suh, he ain’ dead yet; but de Doctor say he ain’ got much show.Ef he hadn’t happen
ed to git dyah pretty soon after he was shot, he’dbeen dead pretty soon.”

  “Thank God!”

  Jacquelin had felt like a murderer. The thought of Blair, stricken inthe moment of her joy, came to him like a stab in his heart. His heartgave a bound that he was able to rejoice that Middleton was not dead.

  Old Gideon was giving particulars.

  “Some thinks ’twas dem Ku Kluxes—some dat dee wuz after somebody else,whoever ’twuz. I don’ know who ’twuz,” he asserted, with manifestveracity. “But I sholy don’ ’prove of folkes’ shootin’ ’roun’ at folksdataway, dat I don’t! Dee done sen’ for Mr. Welch and de Capt’n at thecote-house.”

  When Jacquelin reached Dr. Cary’s he was met by Blair, white-faced andtearful.

  He walked straight up to her and held out his hand.

  “Blair.” His voice had all the old tenderness. The lover haddisappeared. It was only the old, old friend—the brother.

  “Oh! Jacquelin!” And she burst into tears.

  Dr. Cary’s providential appearance on the spot where Middleton lay hadundoubtedly saved Middleton’s life; and although at first the woundappeared very desperate, his splendid constitution stood him in goodstead, and in a very short time he began to rally. “It is in suchinstances as this,” said Dr. Cary, “that a man’s habits tell. Natureconducts her campaign with less than half her forces in action; it iswhen an accident comes that the reserves tell.”

  One of the first things done, after it was known whether Middletonwould survive the immediate shock, was to telegraph to Miss Rockfield.

  The sudden shock appeared to have driven away all the cloud ofmisunderstanding that had so long settled between Jacquelin andBlair; and although Jacquelin felt that all was over between them,his self-abnegation brought him a content to which he had long been astranger. Every moment that he could spare he was at Blair’s service;but she was most of the time at Middleton’s bedside, with Ruth, and allJacquelin could do was to show by his silent sympathy how deeply hefelt for her.

  One afternoon she came and asked him to go to the station for MissRockfield.

  “Who is Miss Rockfield?” asked Jacquelin. “I know she is related toMiddleton; but who is she?”

  “She is Captain Middleton’s _fiancée_,” said Blair, quietly.

  “What!” Jacquelin turned hot and cold by turns. “Blair!”

  Blair’s eyes were dancing, and her mouth was trembling with the effortto suppress the sign of her triumph.

  Jacquelin positively staggered. He hitched up Middleton’s horse andwent for Miss Rockfield; but how he reached the station and whathappened that evening he always vowed he could never remember. WhenMiss Rockfield arrived, Middleton was already out of danger. Thestrain, however, had told heavily on Dr. Cary. Still he refused to rest.

  A night or two later, the Doctor had just come home from a round ofvisits. He had come by the court-house, and had paid Steve a visit.Every effort had failed to put off Steve’s trial. Leech had broughtthe judge, and they were together at Still’s. The Doctor was muchdepressed. He would write to Senator Rockfield, and see if he couldnot make one more attempt. He looked so fagged and worn that Mrs. Caryand Blair urged him to put off the letter. But he said it must be doneat once. The day for the trial was approaching, and every hour wasprecious now. So he wrote the letter. Then he lay down on a lounge.

  The next moment there was the clatter of horses’ feet outside, and aman riding one horse and leading another dashed up in the yard at agallop and gave a shout:

  “Aw—Dr. Cary.”

  Mrs. Cary’s countenance fell. The Doctor’s face, which had just beforebeen expressive of extreme fatigue, suddenly took on a new expression.

  “You cannot go; it is impossible,” declared Mrs. Cary. The Doctor didnot answer. He was listening to the conversation going on outsidebetween the messenger and Mammy Krenda.

  “Leech!” exclaimed Mrs. Cary, and sprang to the door. “He says thatLeech is dying.” A light almost of joy had come into her face. TheDoctor rose and passed out of the door by her.

  “What’s that? What is the matter?” he asked. His face was as calm as astatue’s!

  Mrs. Cary reported what she had heard: “Leech was ill—had been takenwith violent cramp, and was having fit after fit. He was supposed to bedying. He was at Birdwood.”

  “You cannot go; you are worn out,” urged Mrs. Cary, imploringly as theDoctor straightened himself.

  “I must go,” said the Doctor. He turned back to get his saddle-bags.

  “It is the visitation of God,” murmured Mrs. Cary to herself.

  “Not until all medical means have failed,” said Dr. Cary, gravely. Theman on the horse, thinking that the delay meant that the Doctor was notcoming, said:

  “They told me to tell you he’d pay you anything in the world you asked.”

  The Doctor turned and faced him.

  “He has not money enough—the Government has not money enough—toinduce me to go, if he were not ill,” said he, slowly. “I am goingbecause he is sick and I am a physician.”

  He leant down and kissed his wife, and walked down the path toward thehorses. Mrs. Cary went out with him, and saw him mount the horse themessenger had brought and ride away in the darkness. Then she went intothe house with a white face. She did not retire that night. Blair andshe sat up waiting for him.

  The sun was almost rising when they saw him come riding up through theorchard. As they went out to meet him, he sat up very straight. The skywas all pearl, and he seemed to be riding in the sunrise.

  As he dismounted he almost fell, but recovered himself and tied thehorse. A messenger would come for him, he said.

  “How is he?” asked Mrs. Cary.

  “Out of danger,” he said. “I am glad I went. He would have died if hehad not been relieved.”

  Mrs. Cary said nothing. Her eyes were searching his face, which seemedto have grown thinner in one night. She threw her arm around him tosupport him. They walked up to the door, and he sat down on the stepand passed his hand over his brow. “I am very tired. I have fought—”he began; but did not finish the sentence. The next second he sankforward on the steps.

  With a cry to Blair, Mrs. Cary caught him. She raised him up; his eyesopened once and rested on Mrs. Cary’s face, and a faint smile came intothem. His lips murmured his wife’s name, and then Blair’s; and then hiseyes slowly closed, and, with a sigh, his head sank on Mrs. Cary’s arm,and the long fight was done. John Cary, of Birdwood, had laid down hisarms.

  Jacquelin was absent from the County when the news of Dr. Cary’s deathreached him. At first he could hardly grasp it. It seemed as if itcould not be true. He had never thought of Dr. Cary’s dying, or ofthe County existing without him. All of Jacquelin’s own family exceptRupert and Miss Thomasia had passed away, and he was accustomed todeath. Many friends had gone. Dr. Cary had sat at their bedsides andclosed their eyes; but, somehow, it had never occurred to Jacquelin tothink of Death striking him. He seemed to be a part of the old life—inall the County, its best and most enduring type; and, now that he hadgone, Jacquelin felt as though the foundation were falling out—asthough the old life had passed away with him.

  The next thought was of Blair. The two had been so absolutelyassociated ever since he could remember. He could hardly think of heras surviving. He hurried home. As he neared the neighborhood, everyman he met was talking of the Doctor. They all felt like Jacquelin.They wondered what would happen, now that the Doctor had gone. Atone place, where Jacquelin had to wait a little while, a group werediscussing him. They were talking of him as they remembered him in thewar. They were all poor men; but they had all been soldiers, and theyspoke of him as of a comrade. He was always at the front, they said;he could hardly have been there more if he had been the Colonel. If aman was shot, before they knew it there was Dr. Cary. He said he couldsave at any time those not badly wounded; those who were badly shot hecould only save on the firing-line. And he was as quick to look aftera wounded Yankee as after a Confedera
te, they asserted. “A wounded manwasn’t an enemy,” he had said; “he was a patient.” They all had storiesof his courage, his endurance, his kindness. One told how he had sent afresh cow over to the speaker’s wife on a time when the children weresick; another mentioned how he had come around once to collect somemoney, but, finding that they did not have a cent, had lent them somehe had just collected from Andy Stamper. A third related how he hadkissed and prayed with a wounded Yankee boy, who was dying and wantedto see his mother. “He leant down by him,” said the man, “and put hisarm around him, and said ‘Now I lay me,’ just for all the world like awoman. And, next minute, after the boy got quiet, he was leaning overgetting a ball out of a man right by him.”

  There was a long pause after this simple recital, which had beendelivered in a quiet, monotonous tone.

  “They say Leech was as good as dead when he got to him.”

  “I’d ’a’ let him die a thousand times,” swore one, with deep sincerity.

  “Yes. Well, so would I. But, somehow, the Doctor, he always wasdifferent. Seemed like, big as he was, he couldn’t bear any illfeelin’s.”

  There was a silence after this.

  It was broken presently by one of the auditors.

  “And that was the man they put in jail,” he said, bitterly.

  “Yes, and murdered,” responded the others.

  Jacquelin rode on. He, too, felt that Dr. Cary had been murdered.

  When he reached Dr. Cary’s, the first person he met was Mammy Krenda.The old woman was the picture of grief. She did not utter a word, nordid the young man. She simply opened the door and stood aside whilehe softly entered the little room where rested the silent form of herold master. The quiet figure, the calm, upturned face, had suddenlyennobled the little apartment. The hours that had passed had smoothedout the traces of care and pain, and the Doctor lay in perfect rest.There was, perhaps, a trace of scorn of the ills he had so long faced,but Jacquelin did not note it. What he saw was only perfect peace, anda face of undisturbed nobility. Gazing down on it, his heart softened;his bitter thoughts passed away, and he sank on his knees, and thankedGod for such a life.

  He became conscious presently that someone was standing by him, and herose and faced Blair. Neither spoke a word; but he took her hand andheld it, and the next second she sank on her knees, and after a momenthe knelt beside her.