The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-18

he brnk of de- baDdage from he arm an bleed
TO det. He try mighty had TO keep still, but il
seem like he CHS swell up like, it euine to bus
open ebry time he try to keep de cry back. He
Queen put her face close dowa TO he own, an
whispah in he yeh. Den he face brighten up in
mint, an a smile play round he mout IN dat
da'k chuch like when he was a boy.
But ne done cry too much an de strain on he
woun mo- dan 10 kin stan. for / motifs de band
age de stump ob he tn min red, an liz
pool oh blood on de do bene't.
stan side, please" hear a voice SCUM ike
ragged ole 'tiiTry jacket push he Queen to one
side, easy like but firm, an ben down an put he
fngah somewhat on de woun. Den de bloed
stop 6owin. an when Mars Harper ne eye
an see what done happen ne stop cryln an.
lay still. while he Queen Courage him wild her
voice After dat / follow he. an her pah ont
de cnuch till de doctah fix up Mars Harper arm;
but none OBJ US say wud till dey tell Us we kin
go back 8gin-only see he Queen hof her ham
tight togeddah. an her lip wuk like she prayin'
easy to herself.
When we get back to whar Mars Harper lynn,
he Queen kneel down like she in cnueh for
true an tex he lef' ham an de preacher begin to
read from de book. Mars Harper so white an
ole iookin, wild bofe he eye shot up close, tink
dey readin' de fun'ral servis ober him, till SEQ
he lip move an hear him whispah like he long
way of.
WAR de rine7" ak de preacher.
Den see he Queen get white an begin to
trimble, an know'd dat in de 'citement she
done forgot de ring. While I WAS wonderin'
how day gwine to get married widout ring, de
tall young dat stop de blsedin' ben down
an clip a goI ring on he Queen fngah; an den
de preacher 'nounce dem man an wife. He
Queen kiss her ole man agin, an den riz up wild
de light oh glory shinn roun' her face
De youog man dat gle her de ring trow ies one
look at her an den creD out scf like he no want
her to him. an loss hesef in de shadah OBJ de
But as he lef' de life an light wen out he
face an leP it da'k an grum.
Den member who tits, cause he walk like
WIntah Pegrum, proudes when he wus hut
| ain gwine to say muffin bout what happen
for de mex tree week he Queen an me epen' OAR
in dat ole chu'ch, wild dead an dyin' lynn roun',
an de libin noanin' ebrywhere. But at las d.
him to Richmon', whar he start to men right off.
en- fore long he able CO walk bout de house wild
he wife hoIdn to he LET to study him.
t'What come oh Wintah Peerum" Mars Har-
per ne wife, day, sudden like
He Queen low she ain know, an den shut
her mout' up tight. an look like she ain gwine
to talk no mo-.
Well" say Mars Harper, short like 'she de
bes' frien cher had, anyway. He ain lef
after wounded till you come, an owe my life
to him. He's capt'in now, tang Gawd, an a
nobah man neber drew de BRET OBJ life."
But when be Queen ain Rwine to talk de debil
hesef caynt mex her. no mo- dan be kin stop
her when she rile so Mars Harper boun to drap
de subiec'.
By de las oh Janiwery Mars Harper say he
woun' well enuff for him to go back to de wah,
cause he country need cherry man she kin git.
He Queen cry an say he shan't go; but when she
see he gwine anyhow, she go up close to him an
ax, persuadin' like:
When he pint to de one she got on her ham.
she cry an say dat not de right one, an when
he AK her why, she say cause" an dat all de
reason be kin git out OBJ her, He ain wan to
fret her, an off he go an fetch back new ring
an slip it on ober de uddah one, an den she
war bofe.
'front.' an me an he Queen go back home an get
dar jes two week TO Shumman come Well.
how we lib till spring mebby Gawd kin tell you,
but sho cayn't. After while Lee srendan,
an when Mars Ed git here. an see de big chin
bly, standin' whar he home bin, he heart
broke. an dey haul de BODY 10 de grade in
one-hosS wagin, 'caus Deb ain hus (hearsel
left in de town. an ole Miss follah him dab six
weeks latah, by de same conveyance. Mars
Temple come home wild be pah, an de mex
week here comes Wintah, ragged an b'arfoot.
but strong an brave lookin'. like he amt whip
yet. Den he send fob an tall dat Kurnel
Logan-dats Mars Harper--was shot t'ro' de
he gain he promotion. He say, too, dat he help
berry him, an max de spot 80 he kin fin de
grabe agin.
But when tell he Queen what Wintah say,
gcomiu' home fo' long cause Gawd wouldn't be-
cruel as TO TEX him from her den let her
hab her own way bout it. till she brink down
an cry, an den | know she safe an belieb de
trut. An when she tex de ring dat Wintah glib
her in de chuch-de one wid de button for
an hide il IN her trunk. den know she suit
tin dat Mars Harper dead.
Mars Temple Tow dat he caunt lib in he native
State mo-, an lef' for Sout Amvrikeh, an
ain hear muffin mo- Oh him till he Queen git a
lettah eayin' he mighty po' an sick. an sorry he
lef', an akin ef she caunt raise money 'nuf to
fetch him home aein. But she write back &c
him dat she almos' starve' herself, an all
dey kin.
Den ma an my ole man fix up de only house
lief on de San Hill plaee-de ole kitchen-an'
move he Queen IN it, an den plant crap, for
we ain see nuttin' but trouble ahead eff de
was ober. Bime by de baby bona great big,
bouncin' boy-an he Queen hab had time an
mos die, cause she ain had muffin she wan to
- 49, -
Alb, talk bout had tme-you ain know nuttin'
tall bout it.
Wintah ain lib far off from the San Hill place,
an eff he Queen aim let on she keer know she
glad to had strong white man so near. when
SO many trifn men was prowlin' roun'. He
pillow an hoe in de fier in de spring an summah.
an walk TO town an back ebry day in de fall an
wintah. 'cept Satday an Sunday.
"Whuffer you go to town much9" ak him
day.
II eettin' ready to go to college" he say
'Eh. eh. chir," cav. go TO college in dem
clo'es an bar foot to boot?
He ain say nuttin, but see he am like it,
an look like ne hut. De mex time / went to
town / 'nudnah cullud lady like myself,
name Cinthy. She mex promis' fus' dat
ain gwine TO tell, an den she tex me in her
house nign de town. an show me nice new suit
oh clo'es, hat an some good shoes
Dem Wlntah cloe's," she tell me. HE come
in here an change when he goes in town, an
put on ne ole cloe.s when be comes back
When de baby bout tree mont ole Wintah
come TO an ex eff caynt fix it so he kin see
de boy an nor be seen hesef. An to1e him to
waite at de soring house dat night at dark.
ain motifs dat de suppa4 ting still on de table
when went TO fetch Wnsah dat light; but
after I mex him slip up de shadah oh de
mock orange tree by de windah. an look in. /
membah dat | ain cfar en- of. An what you
tink he Queen hab for suppah dat night Con
meal mush an hot watah tea. We too po' TO
bun de lamp 'cept when compny come. but de
fab light bright 'nuf TO show Wintah what he
wan to see-he Queen sittin' side ade hath
nussin de boy. an snen sof' TO hersef ike she
ha~ry Oar he stood in de shadah wid he
homespun shut an ne breaches helt up wild
string gallusses, an he keen bright eye on de
pictur befo' HIM De star blink tro de leaf
bout dat an see him bat he eyes like
cryin; but he look SO long dat pull him by de
shut sleeb an mex him lef. When he got far
'nuf off he stop me an say.
You fin pieein OBJ milk in de spring house
ebry mawnin' after dis" An sho' huff mex
mawnin' dar il was.
who SEN de milk!' az he Queen when she
see it at hrecks.