Daily Republican., 1885-06-20

All was still in the cabin, whom .
voioe, weak and fAlterlng ~ . ohild's,
broke tho quiet:
"Juuo!" Ia
It came from the bed. H.
oh, what welcome sound Howl
full OF sweetness to her ears Surely, .
II he could speak he would not die!
Yo' called me 2" she asked softly,
bending over him but he had turned
his head away, and was sleeping again
~ quietly and peacefully as . little
child. l,
Leaving Mercy to watch beside the
patient, j uno stepped out into the moon
light.
Her little figure crossed the park nim-
bly,, on toward the great pile Of stone
known a. Cameron Lodge; which stood
frowning against the radiant, silver
flecked sky,
Edwards younger brother stood by
one Of the windows, and catching sight
of the intent, black face In the moon.
light, he vaulted over and was beside
"Hey, Juno" he called. "what
are you doing here. Go back to where |
you belong. you ugly, black thing. or
I'LL push you ON.
His thouehtless words had no power
this time to wound her heart. 1t had
suffered far deeper pain.
She held one hand pressed tightly on
her side. and her eyes were literally
tho fever had taken an abiding place In
her. Yet, above all the pain, strange
happiness Allied her heart. Edward
was progrt ssing, and it was she who
had saved that well.loved master from
death.
Tell massa-and ysu-aLd all to 60
to Mercy's cabin now !" she painted,
looking fixedly at him.
Leaving the boy looking after her.
half frightened at her manner, she dis.
appeared In the shrubbery and was
soon In the fields. walking slower, now,
for her strength was Oozing, till she
came in sight of low, brown house
with shady cypress trees dropping over
the paling, and an orange grove ut the
side.
There was . figure at the gate \ girl
ish figure in . white dress, looking
thoughtfully out into the road, the
| cleaning shadows on her pure face, and
aisleepy dove perched on the rail beside
her.
Juno did not speak until she was close
to her.
"Come with me, Miss ventnor," she
said, scarcely above whisper, tho joy
in her heart making her face almost
lovely, black as 1t was, from It's ton.
derby passionate, humane expires.
sion. eff 70 want to SEQ Massa Ed
ward, come"
Juno, has he returned ?" the girl
Il II Ill ha r
he waiting somewhere, and sent you
TO tell me 2"
He Is waiting" Juno answered
stepping into tho road again, and beck
, oning to her to follow.
An hour later there was q strang'
: group gathered around Edwards bed
A eray.naired. stern featured father
the flood gates of whose tenderness haf
opened at last sisters and brother
, who had prayed for and loved tn
Q wanderer /; never thinking that it wa
+ thus he would return to them ; and tn
o dark haired, pale-faced girl standin
& silently In The glow of the candle light
unheeding all but that the lover wit
whom she had walked and rowed duI
ing the past year, living that period c
Happiness which never comes but ono
lin Q lifetime, lay stricken and white b.
fore her in the very shadow Of deatl
a dozen curious slaves looked on froI
q respectful distance outside, and Juo'
!, forgotten, crouched IN corner, happ
. beyond all words. Happy, even thong
Iher limbs were numb with pain, b.
u eyes burning and almost sightless, b.
. bent form beating and singing vii
y tbs spasms of fever darting through
"Yo' is safe now, and all Is we'll
she murmured, as she watched th
3 slaves gently bearing out the wan slice
. or, for whom she had suffered 30 muc
to o more luxurious couch in Il
70 = Lodge.
N 1t was almost month before Edwa
breathed Heavens pure air again, al
q bis first thought on recovering was
:" Juno. =.
Love and all that he desired were b
:. now. He was tree to wed the wont
=, 30 he loved.
iS 1t was evening, and the moon W
:, rising.
~ With the languid step of one con-
lescent, Edward went down to Mercy
=, cabin, but Juno was not there. It
u old woman told him she had been si'
and weak for week past, and she !
eu mem hered seeing her about noontim
,uso On inQuiripg among the other negro
IL they suddenly remem bered that it W
Isome hours since they had seen Ju
VS. in the cotton field.
W. He knew now how closely che b
J., watched him, and q strange dihqu
'u ~, stole into his heart that the fever b
IN stricken her also, and the patel
'So heroic young soul, was suffering SON
= where in silence. Hesummoned a nu
~, Der of slaves and they followed b
oio with torches back to the field. Th
,,y were returning, thinking the scar
. ~ iruitless, when a cry from one Of
lGu negroes brought them all to the spot
20 lonely place in the corner OF the he
Juno was there!
-, The cotton plant bent its snowy he
% "a over her. The round moon shedd
. sn its light abroad shot q few, stray bea
aoi on the thin, rigid face, and the smo
O. glow from the negroes torches at a Ii,
HUI distance showed the labor. harden
>. hands clasped tightly over her bes
~ and her bare feet drawn up In o pain
Ino position under the old skirt.
an And 80 she had died-alone. A
.le ing she had suffered-alone.
ny. The old Newfoundland dog thGt
~ had always loved and fed stood over
an still, dusky form and whined piteous
eip How many days in the future might
~. be forgotten, and left to feel the sh!
ms ms pains of hunger, for the heart which
n,s never forgotten anything of its love
" forever at rest.
WY The tears were shining in Edwa'
leyes rs be looked down on her. 9
tne without word lifted her in his o
sm. arms and carried the thin, WAS
out 800 aa,;nn aoainst his heart hacl
f6i s the cabin.