The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-12-01

- L' W. 49,
some influence that / cannot fathom
i seems to keep back this mans sentence.
The court, as if it were trifiing with his
case only to perpetuate my troubles,
| keeps putting off his sentence from day
| TO day with cruel pertinacity. But now
am resolved that 1t shall be more
prompt; this hidden influence must and
shall be revealed"
Ross listened to the first portion of
| this speech with a cold and crafty smile
playing and deepening about his mouth.
| but at the close this smile died away
| and with 1t every vestige of coloT-his
eyes wandered rapidly from object TO
| object, avoiding the face of his benefac-
| tor, and when Mr.. Clark would have
spoken again, he forgot all the habitual
| Difference of his manner, and interrupted
him.
Have no trouble about this man, De
| Oranges: / will attend to him at once.
/ Ihe cause of this uuaecountable delay
in the court shall be ascertained and
! remedled. Now that ] see how deeply
your happiness is involved, no effort
shall be venting on my part to bring
| the trial to an issue. To this end, |
must start for the city at once"
Ross held ont his hand and grasped
that of his patron.
Accomplish this for me, Ross, and
| no being ever lived more grateful than
l shall be, said the generous man. 81
depend on you"
1ou may, most positively" was the
emphatic reply; and wringing the hand
he held, Ross left the garden. He met
a servant in the hall, and accosted him
with the sharp command to have horse
saddied. Then, passing into the inner
| room, he spoke few hasty words, not to
| his wife, but to the black woman,
Louisa, and then hurried to the stable.
| With the sluggish habits of his race,
| the negro was lazily drawing forth
/ saddle from its repository, when his
master came up booted, and with a rid
| ing whip in his hand.
Walk quick, you scoundreln' he
said, laying the whip over the sleek
negro with force that made the old
! fellow start into something resembling
| haste; but even this unheard-of activity
did not satisfy the master; he snatched
the saddle, flung it over the horse, and
set his teeth firmly together as he
buckled-the girth
Sharply ordering the man out of his
way, he sprang upon the horse and
dashed toward the city, at first in a light
canter; but the moment he was out of
sight, the high-spirited animal was put
to the top Of his speed, and horse and
man flew like lightning along the road.
At each turn of the road, Ross would
lean forward on his saddle, and take a
new survey of the distance, muttering
his disappointment in half-gasped sen
tences, as he sped along.
"Oh, if | could but overtake the car
| riage before it reaches the city! sin
gle glimpse of it might be enough
nothing should take me from the track
nothing, nothing Ha. that is it-no,
only q sugar-cart. Why did l let him
keep me? / must, / will know who
those people are-nO, no, l am foiled at
lastw
This exclamation was followed by a.
sharp check to the horse, who was still
bounding forward at the top of his
speed. The city lay before him; but
along the winding highway, over which
his eye ran like lightning, there was no
carriage at all resembling the one that
Louisa had described to him as that
which had borne her young charge
away,
At slow pace, but with his horse
reekiDg with the effects of his former
hot speed, Ross rode into the city. He
took a circuitous route, to his own
counting house, and held long consul
tatiOn with young man whom he found
there. This lasted several hours; and
then the two walked arm in arm toward
the city prison.
Through the gloomy labyrinths of
this prison the two men made their way,
conversing together in low voices; a
turnkey went before them, humming a
tune to himself, and sometimes raising
an accompaniment by playfully dashing
a huge iron key, which he held in one
hand, against the door of some prisoner
cell, smiling grimly as he heard the poor
inmate spring forward, in the vain hope
that some friend had come to break the
gloom of his bondage.
From time to time, the two visitors
seemed to study this mans face with
close scrutiny; and az some new mani
festation or character broke forth In his
manner or his song, they would ex-
change glances that were full Of mean
ing.
OllCI ulil4 EOId W3ilSDCIEI iNDSS 10
his companion; "say that it is for his
trouble; we can judge something by the
manner in which he receives it.
True" was the emphatic but whis-
pered reply, 'it will be a sure test"
The officer paused at the entrance Of
cell, and placed his key in the lock.
'Ihis is De Grainges's cell, gentlemen;
how long will you wish to stay with
him ~
''We may wish to remain 50 long that
you viii suffer some inconvenience, -
said Ross's companion, dropping his
hand into pocket With that easy grace
which renders the most singular acts of
some men perfectly natural in their
| seeming. Here is something to repay
the trouble we may occasion"
The turnkey reached forth his hand
eagerly for the silver coin which he sup
posed the stranger was about to offer
| him, but when he saw bright piece of
| gold glittering in his palm, the sudden
| JOY of his heart broke, with a sort Of
gloating feroeity, over his face and
with low chuckle, he folded his other
hand over the gold, aud began to rub
| the palms together, with the coin be-
! tween them in warm clasp, as If he
| Thought lHUs 70 4UlUse bOfI6 p0ItiOn OF
the precious metal into his own person.
Ross and his companion had stepped
within the cell, and thus, clouded with
semi-darkness themselves, watched the
man, whose face was fully revealed in
the broadly lighted corridor.
at will do, whispered Ross, smiling,
sit win do"
"Yes," said the other, thoughtfully;
he is one of those who would sell his
soul for money"
The man said this with the air Of one
who reflected sadly upon the infrmities
of human nature, and really felt shocked
at the gross cupidity that himself had
tempted; and so it was. He did not
reflect that he himself was there for no
purpose on earth, but to barter his 0a0a
soul for the very yellow dross, only in
larger amount; that he was ready to
yield TO this mans bartered- treachsry !;
| that all the difference between himself
and the man he tempted, lay in the
price which each set on his integrity.
But the great villain despised the lesser
sincerely, and signed that human nature
could be so degraded.