The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-11-24

tlOil.
Cousin Dyas volunteered to ascend
ladder; he was agile and used to climb
| ing. He came back in cold horror,
and took the doctor by himself to tell
what he had seen.
We did not lie down again. Itseemed
as if morning would never come. In
that strange hush that in tropical coun-
! tries precedes the dawn, we strained
our ears to listen, but could not hear
sound overhead. Our fancies were not
pleasant.
As DIR. Parmalee had predicted, Shul-
tas was too unwell to rise at the usual
room, and took the key. Then we
strolled round to the back of the house
and peered down into the cellar.
Through the grating we saw the metal
lie case. He was killing her by inches
he was waiting for her to die. Before
this, no doubt, he had hoped to marry
the octoroon.
1t was evident that Pitkin was not in
the hideous secret. He talked over the
matter OF the coming ceremony as he
played-and he really played surpris-
ingly WELL
"Pepperpot, tell the niggers to get
that hole dug" he said, significantly, to
the giant, after breakfast.
At II Shultas came down, carefully
dressed, but shaking. need not say
with what loathing we met him.
4" hope you slept comfortably? he
said. You must avail yourselves of
every pleasure possible to this poor
place. | have put twenty FIVE men on
the lawn and garden; it will be quite
trim here by tomorrow. Those fellows
NOV WELL"
He stood looking out of the win
dow
" Pepperpot will take you to the cot
fee-feld; it's all in scarlet now. Then
there's the pineapple plantation that's
a curiosity to strangers. don't know"
he shook harder as he turned from
the window l shall take your
advice, doctor. believe / have fully
made up my mind to marry. lists
rather peculiar case, you know.
suppose | shall be overlooked and ne
glected but, as ! said, I've fully made
up my mind to that. One should secure
ones happiness, you know"
felt myself growing white. Cousin
Dyas left the room abruptly; Mrs. Par
malice clutched my dress. Cousin Dyas
came back again.
"Shultas, what did your wife die of? ?"
asked the doctor, suddenly. 81 have
never heard, think"
"This cussed atmosphere, fancy
Beg your pardon, ladies'" said Pitkin
gravely.
"She died of-well, suppose, apop-
lexy. There was no doctor; nobody but
niggers in the house-and-decay set in
SO soon (you know all about that, doc
tori that as could get no female help,
placed herin a box myself. That's
the way we poor devils have to Go here
| / got metal coffin as soon as | could
She never wanted to be buried in this
heathenish place; so-I-keep her,
hoping every month to be able to carry
her back. Why, if you believe me, at
the funeral-for we had the show of
one-l could only find niger preach
er to conduct the service. Fact, upon
my word"
His word! and he stood there, his
lips black with lies.
"Shultas," said the doctor, rising
Cttll see you u StdllS
The doctors voice was so changed
that ! started and Pitkin, in the midst
Of delicate pianissimo passage, held
his bow suspended.
Shultas never answered. He turned
q livid gray, and his teeth ratified
harder. The doctor had reached the
door. Shultas crept after him, utterly
ignoring our presence, his great, cavern
Gus eyes fastened upon Dr. Parmalee
And so together they passed out Of our
sight.
We three listened, professedly, for an
hour to the rapt and delighted Pitkin,
but really agonizing to catch the sound
Of returning footsteps. Cousin Dyas
walked the floor, tanning himself with
a huge dried palm leaf
Pepperpot came in and replaced the
dirty cloth with one clean and shining.
Pitkin played on.
Then entered the doctor. He looked
pale and grave.
Ladies, you will be ready to leave
in an hour" he said. ~ have found
some boatmen to take us back"
Not goingp said Pitkin with
flourish of his bow. "Why, the funeral
i mean the burying-"
Can | see you alone for a minute,
STRIP asked the doctor; and his voice
was so strangely solemn that the violin
suddenly laid on its back and snapped
an f string.
Well, we got ready in silence and in
haste. The doctor said but little as we
walked to the landing. Pitkin watched
us off with a wretched, frightened face.
He knew all and the last object we
saw on the Java Plantation was poor
Pitkin, elbows disconsolately bowed and
hands in his pockets.
Then the doctor told us that poor
Mrs. Shultas was really dead, and that
she must have died that night.
81 left that wretch half dying" he
said; "and if | thought there was
months life in him l would blaze the
whole matter abroad. He has lost every
thing. The plantation is going to the
dogs, and Miss Terry knows ALL That
cuts him to the quick. | counseled
with Pitkin and Pepperpot chats a