Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1882-05-13


money
81 told her had given all my money
to him. She sighed, and made no reply.
my husband wrote me very often,
mailing his letters from southern city.
He was always coming home next
month"; In the meantime my little girl
was born, and she could walk and say
many words before l saw him again.
"When he did return he said he would
buy place in town and stay with me
but he soon had letter which he said
contained intelligence that he said
would necessarily take him away
again for several weeks at least. l then
told him that should certainly 60 back
to my uncle's, unless he made some pro-
vision for home for me and my child.
"A few hours later he came into the
house, kissed me, and said that he had
just heard the sad news that Jeff-One
of his brOthers-had been drowned at
sea, but saw no signs of grief in the
house, and l did not believe it. Jeff's
place, however, was bought for me. 1t
was under the very shadow of the wild
owed sisters house, and felt as il she
was set as spy over me.
Gwen my servant bore the family
name! My husband was always so ten
child, that although my confidence in his
| uprightness was shaken, felt | would
be happy anywhere if we could only be
together.
"I.pleaded with him to take us, but he
said it was not practicable. 1t was a
| lonely region where he was obliged to
be, and to get to it should have to
tramp ten miles through the canebrake
after leaving the last conveyance. You
will not be happy there, ',he said. At last,
| however, he promised to improve his ac-
cOmmOdatiOns, and send for us. But he
did not keep his word.
with all their riches-and they were
supposed to be wealthy-the Van Dale's
were for some reason, Ostracized in that
region; and grew so nervous by the
continual mystery that was about me,
| that sometimes / was almost frantic.
Zone day packed my trunks, when
| Ellie, the sister, was away, and sent them
to stOrehOuse in New York; and with a
bag as my only luggage, set off for
that underlined locality, Down the coast
knew the name of the large city near
the place sought, and the locality of
the hamlet where my husband stopped.
81 travelled day and night. The cars
carried me to within five miles of my
destination, and there took a wagon.
My low white driver, taking me for q
niger hunter, shrewdly suggested that
there was an old man and woman off in
the brake that never came out, and that
they may be my 'niggers,' and he point
ed out rude path which might lead
me to them.
"When, after cruel tramp Of two or
three miles, fell fainting on the cabin
floor with my child in my arms, old Hip
by and lobe, the negroes who lived
there, thought was ghost come to
punish them for their sins. When told
them who L was, they fairly turned
white They said the mas'rs wouldn't
be home for four days; but they would
J, cherish me right smart themselves. /.
81 soon learned that Jeff, who had
been lost at sea- and Dave who was in
the West Indies,' were both with my
husband.
"Old Hippy asked me if l was Mas'r
Thad's true and sartin wife-married to
him de way dat sticks?'
When told her yes, she sighed and
said, Dis yere's wicked world! | wish
de good Lord would take us all out ont
Does you pray, honey?
81 could not tell her that my misery
had not yet led me to God.
81 prays,' she said, and lobe, he
sw'ars but neither way gets us out O. dis
yere death-swamp. Mas'r Jeff's wife
died here of swamp fever, and she lays
dar, twixt de two tall pines OATS SKIM
ed by de lightning'p Wonder is we aim
all skinned by the lightnin'!
II told her had seen his wife just be
fore l left home, and she nodded hel
head and said, Not dis yere one! Sh'
was prarie's wife fust, and she helped
'em in all de businessp
I "That night, after a supper O
rice and 'pOssum, we sat listening II
the bowling of the storm, when lobe re
marked, Good night for business. w
shan see dem ones back not for d
present.
"These words of Tobe's half revealed
the wretched truth to me, and the
! karoused feeling not of weakness, bu
of strength. / asked him to tell me al
he knew of this family and promised
,, that if he would, would help to escap
to the north.
"But desc dogs is trained to chase us
,, MISSES he said.
II told him to kill the dogs. That plal
/ for escaping had never entered his head
'Dey's bad generation, he said. 'De
had trouble wild officers up N0rf and s
come down here to carry on de wrackir
, business, where's less law to watch 'en
! Dey lures vessels OH to de rocks wit
y false lights, and wracks 'em! Den de
! rObs the drOwnded passengers.
az hasn't never heered of one of 'er
' washin' ashore alive he said, in answe
! to my inquiry. 'Dey buries EN- in d
! sand / peeps and l listens to 'em nights
= and know heap!
!, "But dey isn't no wuss dan dat grea
: giant sister o. their'n dat takes de gOl