Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-01-02


rome far when heard a rush Oh "a'ci'
and an looking behind, | saw that the
gale had sprung open, ana the "a.e,
from the pond was flowing ihto 'n'
basin ut the foot of the knoll.
81 thought to myself, 'Good. ~
will be yard deep around the cabin,
and he will not venture ont uniii eno
hands return and cause the water 10
escape through the second dam below.
.sBut OH reaching the st. fierrc
plantation, | received shock such as
/ would not wish my worst enemy 10
experience.
s.Raoul was sitting upon the yeranda'
smoking a cigar and compIacentiy
watching two darkies dancing break
down, and urging an old gray, wooiiy-
haired fiddler to keep her up, al
though both the musician and the
dancers were dripping with perspira,
,tion, and scarcely able to move hahd
or foot. When they tagged, liaoul
would instill new vigor into iheir
trembly limbs by patting time little
liyelier with one hand between Ills knee
and his other palm. 1t was a coinicai
SIGHT. but il did not interest me. MY
mind was in the cabin at the foot OF
the knoll. was in far more OF
tremble than the exhausted dancers.
Who-who was it | had left fastened
in the cabin? Whose voice was 1t that
had called out to me? Twas no negro s.
A negro would have said, 'Whu's dar Z
and the voice had asked in unmlstak-
ably good English, who is there!
.sOn my return home | dared not
visit the cabin lest some one might
mistrust my knowledge of the dam
having burst previous TO my leaving
the plantation. slept little that night
that is, even less than usual; but l
was ND early in the morning, and yet
not as early as my uncle, who gave me
a silent greeting and the most grleyed
look | ever saw him wear. OH how
can | tell the rest!
s.Well, there is but little more to re-
late; vet it is the worst of all, con-
timed the old man, TREMENDOUSLY. sit
will be soon told. Some of the hands
had opened the lower sluice, and let
the water run out of the basin; then
they had rolled away the cask OF stones.
saw no one around the cabin-door,
and | neither dared to enter it nor ask
any questions of the hands, whose
faces all wore sorrowful expressions.
| walked around aimlessly, with my
brain on fire. Something had happen
ed. What was it? Was | the cause
of it? | dared not inquire.
".Percyp exclaimed a voice behind
rue
81 turned, and met my uncle's gaze
fixed on me, and his eyes were brlm-
ming with tears.
"sI wish you to follow me, he said,
in low, hoarse whisper.
"He led me TO Maumie Tegga's cabin,
which we entered. lie pointed to q
chair, on the seat of which was poo
of water. | shuddered involuntarily
as glanced at il. / did not sit, but
my uncle sank into a cane-bottomec
chair, and buried his face in his hands
1t was some time before he spoke, but
every word he said has burned in my
memory for over fifty long years.
"sSir,' he said, Il have painful
communication to make to you.
know not why you did so, but | de
know that you opened the mill-sluic'
last night. No one else knows of it
for removed the evidence, and now
return it to you And he handed ms
part of broken watchchain, witt
its seals, the loss of which | had no
until then noticed.
"'It was an accident, SIR | ex
planned.
Il am quite willing to accept you
word that it was SO, and | am sin
cerely glad to believe it; but was it b.
accident, too, that you fastened thi
, cabin-door with the cask of stones
You hesitate-you do not answer. M,
! God you could not have mediate,
thisl Say it is not so, or l shall g
madI'
81 made no reply. could not.
, "Suddenly he arose and grasped m
, by my neckerchief.
, "sDo you know what you hav
i AOhCs hC SdcBOdf hOAi LIZ 1V'
! know the extent of your wrong-doing
MOI Then you shall know. l vii
, tell you. And first of all, you villain
| | will tell you-you are niger
Niger slave, that l can sell as quickl
as | can the blacklist field-hand ON tn
} plantation. You shall receive ia
, worse punishment than the law woul
/ inflict on you as white man. Yo
shall be manacled, sent to Louisvill
and sold at auction. You have bee
) brought up to believe yourself to b
, my nephew and a white man. 70
are not my nephew; you are
"Oh! OH How can repeat it?"
sBe calm, uncle; be calm"
ssHe said: You are-my-son
! and the woman who lies on that be
behind you, old Maumie Tegga-th
woman who was drowned in this cabi
last night-is--'"
"What? Finish, unclel" exclaime
, ! bfc GIRO udpfnoa