The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1881-10-07

towaru the station and = look AZ tho
serious and unsmiling Midnight | fol-
lowed silently across q narrow ward TO-
ward asmali building which might be
barn. Or servants quarters. or any one
q the numerous outbuildings Of 4
Southern plantation. Two or three
hounds lay near and looked up suspi.
ciously. Once more the woman turned.
and this time her voice faltered. rs she
said again:
You're sure you amt skeerei p"
and. without waiting for answer, pushed
open the door and drew me after her.
10 have followed Alice in her pass
age through and Behind the Looking
Glass" could not have given stronger
sense Of unreality than those few steps
from sunshine into the shadowy room,
opening into one from which seemed 10
come the heavy. tropical scents one
who has once known them can never
forget; mingling 81 spices and sandal
wood and the rich sweetness Of musk
blossoms. whose aroma seemed 70 take
visible forms and To ill the mir with a
life all their own. A step farther. and
the mystery. though evident now. held
only deeper bewilderment. What
was this strange spot-the South Sea
Islands in the heart Of North Carolina?
For grass-mats covered the walls and
grass.cloth waved in curtains before
the light wind through the half-opened
window. Spears and arrows and gay
quiyers hung on the wall. Polished
shells we're on the floor. light canoe
and oars, grinninc idol in the corner.
an orange tree blossom and trait shin
ing among the dark green leaves and
curious vines wreathing about window
and door. A low cot in the corner.
half-hidden by 4 thick. soft mat. and
on il young girl whose flowing hair
halt covered her. and who. IS she
turned, showed fair. delicate face and
great blue ewes, with a hali-frightcned.
half-questioning look of baby reused
from sleep.
For moment she met my eyes stead
lily with an eager intentncss. then. sigh
ing deeply, turned away her face and
sat silent
tyranny" the woman said. tits
company company from long way
OF. Don't You want 70 talk to her?
She knows about all the places you
think about: the places you want 70
get to-"
She bent over anxiously and took the
girls hand. which lay for moment
passive, then seemed TO fall away Of
itself.
"Tiannv!" she went on. tyranny!
Why wont you say word? can't
bar II. You're the same as dead; shut
up In Yourself. an never a word for one
81 as that think about you an pray for
you day an night. Can't you rouse
bit? Oh Trannyr'
Hushr' the girl said. in voice
hardly more than breath. Hush!
Il must be quiet when he comes 50 that
! can hear him. thought l heard him
once last night. The dogs barked. and
there was . step. but the shell said il
was not time"
Then the shell knows / said. rs
she lifted the left hand. in which lay =
small pink shell, held tightly, g i some
one might take 1t from her
"Uh yes. The she'll knows Il all.
How could ! tell anything Il hadn't
been told?s
"Come away the mother said.
Its no use. Come an cit yonder by
the window an I'll tell you the whole.
But il will disturb her."
mo. You cant disturb her. She'll
lie that way hours an hours an never
stir. Many time I've thought she
was dead and leaned over 70 feel her
breath. Sit there an I'll tell how il
was. You think me mighty strange.
20 want 90 10 say word. but
thought there was maybe just one
chance You could rouse her. or maybe
you'd know some different way o.
Fl she was yours. now
The only one out q nine--an' lynn there
that way. an you with no sense what
you'd better do or what you hadn't.
what would you do? Fifteen years
now. You a think her child. but Tran
nv amt but seventeen year younger q
me. Look at me. Would you reckon
twas sop
She threw or the slat sun bonnet. as
she spoke. and the face OF woman OF
fifty looked 1t me--a face which in its
youth must have held not only almost
beauty. but q life and expression not
the portion Of her class; the eyes still
uaIk anu CIcAr Uut tho lace still
wrinklcd and sallow. and troubled;
deep lines Of pain about the mouth.
which while indicating . resolute en-
Ilurance Of the inevitable yet held an
energy bent upon throwing OF, II pos
sible, the burden laid upon her. A Gu
rious change had come upon her. She
sat erect. The accent which had nc
once TO my mind established her place
rs one Of the poor whites disappeared.
She looked and spoke like . Southern
lady in middle life. her eyes fixed on the
motionlcss figure in the corner.
You think I'm q cracker-a clay
eater. may be-" she said, with certain
pride. "and deed we live enough like
EN-, but I'm not. I'm Of good stock.
There was time when thought much
~ II Int ovprvthinOss chan0ed You