Page:A strange, sad comedy (IA strangesadcomedy00seawiala).pdf/26

14 The very next week after the visitation of the Federal cavalry came a descent upon the part of a squad of Confederate troopers. As the Colonel and Miss Jemima entertained the commanding officers in the library, with the most elaborate courtesy and home-made wine, the shrill quacking and squawking of the ducks and chickens was painfully audible as the hungry troopers chased and captured them. The Colonel and Miss Jemima, though, were perfectly deaf to the clamor made by the poultry as their necks were wrung, and when a cavalryman rode past the window with one of Miss Jemima's pet bronze turkeys hanging from his saddle-bow and gobbling wildly, Miss Jemima only gave a faint sigh, and looked very hard at little Miss Letty, who was about to shriek a protest against such cruelty. Even next morning she made not a single inquiry as to the startling deficit in the poultry yard. And when Aunt Tulip began to grumble something about "dem po' white trash dat cum ter a gent'mun' house, an' cornfuscate he tu'keys settin' on the nes'," Miss Jemima shut her up promptly.

"Not a word, not a word, Tulip. Confederate officers are welcome to anything at Corbin Hall."