Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-01-12
A MISSING BRIDEGROOM.


ss.::Ie.i To be settling over the Aver DOMAIN
This stare Of thia.,s continued for about .
wees and We were becoming 50 hardened q
TO be able e.sail TO enjoy tue continued lovely
weather and - thiRi Occasionally of some
tAin, b..il! tie pail which Jake had cast over
ia Ii l., ,i,Iubtltss dreadful TO 10 crusssed In
love. but lie must still so on
We wcre discussing this very subject il
calmly cheerful way. the twins being on an
exposition for chips, when a stranger ep
pearesi ii the doorway At my first glance
was strucs with ter figure and port She was
large sAe he'd her itad well baca, her features
were modelled with the same large freedom,
an EAGLE noe between well opened. handsome
eyes. mouth in keeping. she seemed a tild
Vi rude, uncultured Zeaobia Eere was an
a opuieaco Of physical power and development
that i rarely met | had never seen any such
woEan before She was colored, but her
features were not Ike those belonging to The
ues;ru race.
Il reckon dis Mr. Ayers place, amt Itr
$40 us-.ed
When ner question had been answered. she
said $40 reckoned she thoughts well say ter
Efunst es she war er lurkin' roun' fur dat no
count niger, Long Dlacs Jake
| Immediately felt. as l had not done be-
fore. that Jake must he a man Of some conse-
queucc to have such u woman as this "lurkin
roun " for him.
Hrs. Aver acknowledged that Jake lived
here, and she added that he had been very low
In his mind Of late.
The stranger smiled in gratifed way at
this remark Mrs Aver asked her TO come
in and sit down She walked across the little
room In a way that made the cabin seem
spacious that ii might accommodate this EN-
press like being.
"Yes'm," said she, Il amt no ways sprised
ter year Us JRke's low. He orter be low.
jess bundle himouter my house neck n crap
when he thar lars time. dung him out wild
dis fst"-shc held up large, handsome hand.
Then she lau,.hed. and her laugh had ring
in it very unlike the husky, unctuous laugh
which usually belongs to the African. Still
she SEEMED somewhat anxious She went ou
Match, he thought reckon, dat our in
gagement war broke l don't hev no doubt
Us er gen'l'man think ef be are hustled out
widout no ceremony, neck n crap, as dc in
gngement he broke. Dads natchl, amt 1t,
ma aInf'
Mrs. Aver replied that she thought it per
fectly natural for any gentleman, under such
circumstances, to conclude that the engage
ment was broken
And few bones, too, perhaps" said Am
abel
The visitor stared at her a moment, then
laughed again 1t is very rare to find the
common negro understand humor in the
least unless it be Of the broadest burleslue
kind
''Dere war promise 'twixt u.s." ID the
woman, but de time flung him 1 had
mother gen'inun in view Now de other
gen1mun done married yisterdy. an Tss
come roun' ter gin my pomise ter Jake ]
feared | mought sit er fall tween two stools
if warn spry bout huntin' urp Jake. yo'
see, ma am"
Certainly she had made her position per
fectly ciear. We wou.ered how Jake would
like it. She went on to say that she should
simply state to Jake that she made q mistake
"fingin' him out dat time" and she was now
ready for ''meiit wedlock" She looked out
of the window at the hog cabin.
Oats war we gwine 10 live, reckonl !
en- work fur 20, Miss Aver, an Jake en-
work fur Mr.. Aver amt had no ole man
fur or long time Gwine on two year sense
my lars ole uan got tux urp fur stealin' an
war jagged"
Then you have a husband livingr' cried
Mrs. Aver.
"Eo, Ela'am Dcy say he died in prison l
amt seen him die, but de news was brought
ter me mighty straight an amt gwine ter
'sputc SIGH news as dat 'Twouldn't be safe
fur Eli ter turn urp live erGin now.
reckon Eli know dat, he'll stay daid, ELL
viii. lie warn bright, bat he bright 'nough
ter stay l4it"
We were absorbed in looking at this
woman, who sat erect and majestic in her
char Us il She were on throne
Il call mysef er wilder" she said, AN
should IaccJ or pint oh Eavin err minister
marry us. P'raps yo' got dat kindness in yo'
heart dat yoll let us hab de wedding hyar in
dis house. No see, done give urp my room
in Ashcvlle dis nawnin' an had my things
moved to or cousins war some lack in my
rent, an some fol;s amt no consideration fur
er Indy as is back il her rent Oar am Jake
nov"
She was looking through the doorway as
She spoke, She rose Jake's long, drawn
out countenance changed TO a look of wonder
and then delight.
"GawdermightyI" he cried out. lis dat yo',
Sally, Hab 20 come ter meek urp wip me,
Sallyr
s;ally was quite dignifed She allowed him
To shake hands with her He FASTENED To say
he ''holed she'd 'sc,ise him fur bli.in her ter
trow him GU de do dad las time he visited
her il Asheville"
They walked toward the log cabin together
Sally retraced her steps to mention that she
hoped there would be no oh lection to having
the wedding there and that she should insist
upon having a real minister. 1t was not
niuch than half an hour before Sally
returned to US and Jake went to the wood
pile and pretended To cut wood but his ax
flew very much at random and his eyes were
on the house. He could see Sally through
the window This yellow woman had none
Of the negro slowness about her. She was
shrewd, too, in taking her position for
granted.
Now, Miss Aver" she said, standing with
one hand on her hip and the other banging
down. her whole aspect one Of strength and
readiness, Il kin rerlieve yo' Of ell de hard
work I'm stronger'n mos any man kin
do GU do work or hous-work meek no
bones er sayiu | kin do er smarter show In or
day dan dat Jake He's kinder trifn', he IA
But I1l.,end ter him I Amt had DO old man
to tram in some time III train him You
see he toe de mark kin do all de washin'
an cookin' Jes' likes not You let me hab q
few mo things in de cabin; ony er few mo-,
meek us mighty comfbe."
think Mrs Aver must have felt as did
that to have Sally to the fore in regard TO
Work would be to have a host l never AW
any man or woman who gave such sense Of
effectiveness The very curve Of that un-
negro ike noss was n sort Of guarah.se
Mrs Aver said she would take Sally
"Ys'm,T re@readed Sally promptly. IN
see yo' aint sorry for dem words An now,
what time shell we sot fur de weddin'I Dis
eb'nin bout 81 Dat1l give Jake time ter gu
ter Ashevule. git er few tings and bring out
der minister. He shll meek er soon start
Shell we say 8, Miss Ayerf'
That lady laughed and assented SallyS
face was very pleasant to see as she said:
I'm he grateful ter 20 de louges' day lib,
mighty grateful Jake shD be snnt of n 20
time
1t was true. Jake was seen going down
the mountain toward the State road for
Ashev1le In less than five minutes He was
walking. Ii Is not much for these people 70
walk siI miles, or ten or twenty Sally bad
Just walked out from the town
H:ving set things FER gwine," Is she aid,
she ook of her white apron and her sun
bonnet The removal Of the latter showed
her thick. waving hair, With its threads d
gray She twisted q handkerchief round her
bead. pinned up her skirts and began sitting
to rights the log cabin where she vas to Iva
She told Mrs Aver she would prepare tbs
dinner in her own cabin and bring it down to