The prospects did not seem very bright at that moment. But they might have been worse, so I made up my mind to face my position as bravely as I could. I did not see Randolph any more that day or night, but the next day, after lunch, he came for me and we looked at several houses in various parts of the city.
I shall not lengthen my story by telling you of our house hunting; it will suffice to say that eventually he bought this house, furnished it throughout and engaged a couple of white female servants. I afterwards sent them away and got two colored women, whom I have at this moment in my service. I find them much easier to get on with, and also far more faithful than white servants.
When everything was in order, Randolph brought me here one afternoon, handed over the title deeds of the house and gave me a thousand dollars. We then sat down and had a chat while he drank a glass of wine and smoked a cigar. When he had finished, he rose from his seat, saying with a laugh:
You know, Dolly, that I am fond of whipping a woman’s bottom. Now I don’t suppose that I shall ever have a chance of doing such a thing in Europe, so you must let me give you a farewell spanking, a real smart one.
I did not like the idea at all, and a cold shiver ran down my back, for I knew that he would hurt me dreadfully. But I had not the strength of mind to refuse his farewell request, so, in a rather faint voice, I said: I will let you spank me, but do not be too hard upon me. You know that I cannot bear pain.
Taking a handkerchief from his pocket, he tied my wrists together, a proceeding which alarmed me. Oh don’t tie me! I exclaimed.
He laughed, saying: I am going to whip you as if you were a naughty slave girl, so your hands must be tied to prevent your putting them over your bottom during the spanking.
Thoroughly frightened, I made some feeble remonstrances, but he seized me and, sitting down on a chair, placed me in the orthodox position across his knees. Then he turned up my petticoats and took down my drawers.
Now, he said, stroking my bottom, don’t make too much noise, or the servants will hear you.
Then, holding me firmly, he began to spank me very severely. Oh how hard his hand was, and how it did sting!
I burst into tears, wriggling and squirming about on his thighs. I could distinctly feel his stiff member pressing against my belly. Clenching my teeth and holding my breath, I suppressed for a short time the cries which rose to my lips. But at last the stinging pain became so intense that I began to squeal shrilly, kicking my legs about in anguish and begging him to stop.
He went on spanking me until my bottom burned and throbbed in a most agonizing way and I screamed out as loudly as I could. Then he stopped, and, laying me in a stooping position over the end of the sofa, he poked me while I was still crying and smarting with the pain of the horrid spanking.
When all was over, he untied my wrists and laid me on the sofa, while he stood beside it, looking down at me with a smile on his face as I lay with the tears trickling down my cheeks, all my clothes rumpled and my drawers hanging about my ankles. My face was red, but I am sure that my poor bottom must have been much redder judging from the way it was throbbing and tingling. (It was black-and-blue the next day.)
Bending down he gave me a kiss, saying laughingly: There, Dolly, that is the last spanking-
and the last poke you will ever get from me.
It was very cruel of you to have spanked me so severely, I said tearfully. I cannot understand why you should have taken pleasure in giving me such dreadful pain.
He was not a bit sorry for having whipped me with such wanton severity. He said: Oh, you soon will find that many other men besides me are fond of spanking a woman till she squeals.
(I since have found that such indeed is the case: many men are very fond of taking a woman across their knees. I often have been asked to allow myself to be spanked, but I have never consented. Randolph is the only man who ever has taken me on his knees for a spanking.) He went on, laughing at his own poor joke: You know, Dolly, when a man sets up a new establishment, he generally gives a housewarming. Well, I have given you a bottom-warming instead. I have always admired your bottom, and I shall always have a pleasing recollection of it as it appeared today. It looked very pretty while the plump white cheeks were blushing at the touch of my hand.
He then kissed me again on my tear-bedabbled face, bade me goodbye and calmly left the house, leaving me lying on the sofa, sore, angry and indignant. Fortunately, the servants had not heard the shrieks which I had uttered while being spanked.
I lay there quietly till the intense smarting pain of my bottom had somewhat subsided, then I fastened up my drawers and, going into the bedroom, bathed my flushed face, thinking to myself what an utterly heartless man Randolph was. There certainly had never been any sentiment in the relations between us, but I thought that he might have parted with me in a more tender way. However, I had no tender feeling for him after the way he had treated me, and so the only tenderness there was about our parting was the tenderness of my sorely spanked bottom.
Randolph sailed for Europe the next day. I have neither seen him nor heard from him since.
But I know that he remained abroad until the war was over, then returned to Woodlands, and I believe that he is there now.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
An soon as I had got fairly settled in my new home, I put five-hundred dollars in the bank and went on housekeeping with the remainder of the money. At first I did nothing but amuse myself, and I thoroughly enjoyed being mistress of a house of my own without anyone to bother me. But, after a time, money constantly was going out and none was coming in, and, since I had determined not to touch the five-hundred dollars in the bank except in case of absolute necessity, I saw that I should have to replenish my purse. There was only one way for me to do it.
I did not like having to adopt the wanton life, for notwithstanding all I had gone through, I still was to a certain extent a modest woman. But I made the plunge and, since I had a pretty face, a well-shaped figure, good clothes and handsome jewelry, I attracted admiration and soon made a number of friends.
I hated the life at first, and I dislike it still, but I have new grown accustomed to it-like other women in the same position. Nearly four years have passed since that time, and I have done well in the profession. I have many good friends, some of whom are rich and liberal. I have saved money and am still saving, and I have had a couple of offers of marriage. Perhaps I will get married some day if I get an offer from a man whom I could love, for, though I am what I am, I will never marry a man unless I love him.
About a year ago, I paid a visit of a couple of days to Philadelphia and, while there, I heard that Miss Dean still was unmarried and that she was as charitable as ever. It had never got to be known that she had been shamefully whipped during her stay in the South. I need hardly tell you that I did not call upon her, though I should have liked to have seen and spoken to the sweet woman again.
My story is finished, and now you know why I said that I hated the Southerners. Don’t you think I have good reason to hate them? They were the cause of all my misfortunes. If they had not whipped me and ridden me on a rail, I should not have been outraged by three ruffians, and I should not have been compelled to adopt my present life.