St. Landry democrat., 1881-10-08

toward the station and a look at the
serious and unsmiling Midnight | fol-
lowed silently across a narrow yard to-
ward small building which mi ght be
barn. or servants quarters, or any one
of the numerous outbuildings of a
Southern plantation. Two or three
hounds lay near and looked up suspi-
ciously. Once more the woman turned,
and this time her voice faltered, as she
said again:
you're sure you amt skeered"'
and, without waiting for answer, pushed
open the door and drew me after her.
To 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 to
come the heavy, tropical scents one
who has once known them can never
forget; a mingling of spices and sandal
wood and the rich sweetness OF musk
blossoms, whose aroma seemed to take
visible forms and to fill the air with
life all their own. A step farther, and
the mystery. though evident now, held
|
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
quivers hung ON the wall. Polished
shells were on the floor, light canoe
and oars, a grinning idol in the corner,
an orange tree blossom and fruit shin
ing among the dark green leaves and
curious vines wreathing about window
and door. A low cot in the corner,
half-hidden by thick, soft mat, and
on it a young girl whose flowing hair
half covered her. and who, as she
turned, showed fair, delicate face and
great blue eyes, with half-frightened.
MISUNDERSTANDING look Of baby reused
from sleep.
For moment she met my eyes stead
lily with an eager intentness. then, sigh
ing deeply, turned away her face and
sat silent.
tyranny" the woman said, cit S
company-company from long way
off. Don't you want to talk to her?
She knows about all the places you
think about: the places you want to
get to-
She bent over anxiously and took the
girls hand, which lay for a moment
passive, then seemed to fall away OF
itself.
"T1annvr' she went on. tyranny!
Why won't you say a word? l can
bar it. You're the same as dead; shut
up in yourself, an never word for one
of us that think about you an pray for
you day an night. Can't you rouse a
bit? Oh Tram VI"
"Hush!'' the girl said, in voice
hardly more than breath. "Hush!
1t must be quiet when he comes so that
| can hear him. | thought | heard him
once last night. The dogs barked, and
there was a step, but the shell said it
was not time"
Then the shell knows" said, as
she lifted the left hand, in which lay a
small pink shell. held tightly, as if some
one might take it from her.
"Oh yes. The shell knows it all.
How could l tell anything if l hadn't
been told??''
"Come away" the mother said.
cit no use. Come an sit yonder by
the window an I'll tell you the whole. -
"But it will disturb herr
"No. You can't disturb her. She'll
lie that way hours an hours an never
stir. Many time I've thought she
was dead and leaned over to feel he1
breath. Sit there an I'll tell how it
was. You think me mighty strange.
. maybe, to want so to say word, but
thought there was maybe just one
chance YOU could rouse her, or may-b
you'd know some different way O
managin'. Eff she was yours. now
the only one out O nine-an' lynn there
that way. an you with no sense what
you'd better do or what you hadn't t,
what would you do? Fifteen years
now. You d think her child. but Tran.
nv ain't but seventeenyear younger r
ME. Look at me. Would you reckon
twas so?''
She threw off the slat sun-bonnet, al
, she spoke, and the face of woman o.
fifty looked at me-a face which in its
youth must have held not only almost
beauty, but life and expression moi
the portion of her class; the eyes still
, dark and clear, but the face still
} wrnkled and sallow, and troubled
deep lines of pain about the mouth
which while indicating reso]ute en-
durance of the inevitable yet held al
energy bent upon throwing OFF, if pos
sible, the burden laid upon her. A Gu
rious change had come upon her. Sh'
| sat erect. The accent which had a
once to my mind established her place
, as one of the poor whites disappeared
She looked and spoke like Southern
lady in middle life, her eyes fixed on tn
motionless figure in the corner.
"You think I'm cracker-a clay
eater, may be-" she said, with certain
pride, land deed we live enough lik'
tem. but I'm not. I'm of good stock
There was a time when I thought mucl