New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-29

vorite seat Before him lay his broad
spread fields; near by, his lordly mansion;
and being srill-perhaps by female contact
somewhat sentimental, he tell to muslng on
his past. 1t was hardly worthy to be proud
| Of All it's morning was Redeemed with
mad frolic, and far toward the meridian it
was marred with elegant riOting. Pride
had kept him we'll nigh useless, and des-
pissed the honors won by valor; gaming had
dimmed prosperity; death had taken his
heavenly wife; voluptuous ease had mort
still stood. his sweet smelling fields
were still fruitful, his name was fame
enough; and yonder and yonder, among the
| trees and flowers, like angels walking in
Eden, were the seven goddesses of his only
worship.
just then a slight sound behind him
| brought him to his feet. He east his eyes
anxiOusly to the outer edge OF the little
| strip OF bank between the levees base and
the river. There was nothing visible. He
| paused with his ear toward the water. his
face full of frightened expectation. Ha !!
There came a single FLASHING sound, like
some great beast slipping into the river, and
| little waves in a wide soml-clrcle came out
from under the bank and spread over the
| water!
my God"
| He plunged down the levee and bounded
through the low weeds to the edge OF the
bank. 1t was sheer, and the water about
four feet below. He did not stand quite ON
the edge, but fell upon his knees couple
of yards away, wringing his hands, moan
| ing and weeping and staring through his
watery eyes at fine, long crevice just dis
cernible under the matted grass, and
curving outward on either hand toward the
| river.
"My God" he soboed aloud-"My God ~
| and even while he called, his God ans wered;
| the tough Bermuda grass stretched and
| snapped, the crevice slowly became cape,
| and softly, gradually, with no sound but
| the closing of the water at last, ton or
| more of earth settled into the boiling eddy
| and disappeared.
At the same instant pulse of the breeze
brought from the garden behind, the Joy
GUS, thoughtess laughter of the fair mis-
| tresses of Bellies Demoiselles.
The old Colonel sprang up and clambered
over the levee. Then forcing himself to
more composed movement, he fastened into
the house and ordered his horse.
"Tell my children to make merry while l
am gone" he left word. II shall be back
tonight" and the big horses hoofs CHATTER
ed down a by-road leading to the city.
Charlie" said the planter, riding up to
window, from which the old mans nightcap
was thrust out, What you say, Charlie
my house for yours, eh, Charlie, what you
say"
"Ellow said Charlie; from where you
come from dis time of tonight"
Il come from the Exchange" "a small
fraction of the truth)
what you want p said matter of fact
Charlie.
Il come to trade
The low down relative drew the worsted
off his ears. "Oh! yass," he said with an
uncertain air.
well, old man Charley, what you say;
my house for yours-like you said-eh,
Charlie p
Il Dunno" said Charlie, otis nearly mine
now. Why you don't stay dare yOuse'f!"
Because don't want!" said the Colonel
savagely; lis dat reason enough for you
you better take me in de notion, old man,
tell yOu-yes -
Charlie never WINGED: but how his an
swer delighted the Colonel quoth Charlie
II don't care-I take him. Mais, pos
session give right off,
Not the whole plantation, Charlie
only"
Il don't care" said Charlie, 1--WE easy
can fix dat. Mais what for you don't want
to keep him! don't want him. You bet
ter keep him.
Don't you try to make no fool of me,
old man. cried the planter.
80, no !" said the other, 80, no, but you
make fool of yourself, amt it 2"
The dumbtounded Colonel stared; Char
lie went on.
"Yass! Bellies Demoiselles is more wort
dan tres block like dis one. / pass by dare
since two weeks. Oh, pritty Bellies Demoi-
selles de cane was wave in de wind, de
garden smell like a bouquet, de white-cap
was Jump up and down ON the river; seven
bellies demoiselles was ridin' on horses.
'Pritty, pritty, prittyr says old Charlie; ah.
monsieur le pere, 'ow Apply. Apply, Apply
"Yass," he con tinued-the Colonel still
staring-"le Compile de Charleu have two
was high-up noblesse. He give de low down
Choctaw dis old rat-hole; he give Bellies
Demoiselles to your gran-fOZzer; and now
you don't be satisfait. What I'll do wild
Bellies Demoiselles! She'll break me in
two years. yass. And what you'll do wild
old Charles house, Ell! You'll tear her
down. and make you'se'f blame old fool.
| rather wouldn't trade"
The planter caught big breath-ful of
anger, but Charlie went straight on.
Il rather wouldn't, mois will do it for
you; Just de same, like Monsieur lie Compile
would say: Charlie, you old fool, want to
shange houses wild you"
So long as the Colonel suspected irony he
was angry, but as Charlie seemed. after all,
conscience-stricken. He was by no means
a tender man, but his lately discovered
misfortune had unhinged him, and this
strange, undeserved, disinterested family
fealty on the part of Charlie, touched his
heart. And should de still try to lead him
into the pitfall he had dug! He hesitated;
no, he would show him the place by broad
daylight, and if he chose to overlook the
"caving bank" it would be his own fault-a
trades trade.
Come" said the planter, ''come at my
house tonight: tomorrow we look at the
place before breakfast and finish the
trade"
'For whas?' said Charlie
80, because got to come in town in the
morning"
Il don't want" said Charlie. How I'm
goin' to come dereW
Il git you horse at the liberty stable"
"Well-any howl don't care-Ill GO"
And they went
When they had ridden long time, and
were on the road daIkened by hedges OF
Cherokee rose, the Colonel called behind
him to the Glow down scion.
keep the road, old man"
CHIP
keep the road"
ooh yes; all right; l keep my word; we
don't goin' to play no tricks ell p
But the Colonel seemed not to hear. His
ungenerous design was beginning to be
hateful to him. Not only old Charles un
provoked goodness was prevailing; The
eulogy on Bellies Demoiselles had stirred
the depths of an intense love for his beau.
tiful home. True, if he held to it, the cav
ing of the bank, at its present fearful
speed, would let the house into the river
within three months; but were it not better
to lose it SO than sell his birthright?
Again-coming back to the first thought
to betray his own blood 1t was only Injin
Charley; had not the De Charleu blood