The state herald., 1890-02-21

In an instant Elvira Is drawn Into
the ring. Ike emits defiant guffaw
to greet his antagonist.
"Youll find mo light yor on dis
plank at sun-up, Elvira," he says;
YOU bettor not tr. mo; tck er gal, en-
one at aint long-winded."
.Shnhv' This exclamation of su-
preme aud defiant disgust is all that
Elvira can spare the breath to say, as
she vigorously bends herself to tho
contest.
"She aln't gwine talk" laughs n
woman above tho roar Of voices and
music. "Shc's or savin' 'er win; l
boun' you see Ike laid out lax er tree
fell on i'm. l donc sec too many
women shuttle. Ike's or fool she kin
do It on not half try. Soc 'cr hop 'er
dress lax she is drivin' cr brood er
chickens; sho amt even wuk 'er
lian's."
Tho dance continued Till Ike began,
indeed, to show signs of tagging.
Under the applause and enthusiastic
praise of the audience, Elvira kept
up brightly, and Ike skunk with hang
ing head and quiyering knees from the
ring. For some moments Elvira re-
fused TO quit tlfe circle, but at las: she
allowed two other nspirants for eclat
to take her place, md she staggered
proudly from the ring.
Marie turns gloomily away from the
door, and closes her ears to tho sound
of this mcrriment.
"MIammy," she says, standing behind
Suzctte. who is lifting n live coal of
fire from the hearth to her pipe. The
woman has accomplished the trick in
Vulnerable times before with infalliblc
dexterity, but now her trembling fing-
crs fail in adroitncss, and the angry
coal inflicts bu II on her hard palm.
"Mammy," Marie goes on, painting so
that che can hardly speak, ''havc you
heard wha. Marse Johnson said about
mo and JaRc?"
The momcniary sufferer of bodily
pain applies the slnar,ing spot to her
tongue, and then rubs 1t on her gown
over her round knee with greater
show of pain than The incident calls
for, and obviously to excuse herself
from making reply to the girls earn
est query.
"Mam.ny," continues Marie, her
words almost inaudiblc, and touching
her bowed companion with gcs urc
of despair, 81 can't bear it. o God,
| want to dic!"
"lioncy."-but no effort of Suzcttc's
can induce the words TO come forth
which treipblc in hc- brain. She low
ers her turbaned head almost into her
lap.
Marie turns from her TO the door
with deep sigh and face void of
blood.
"Whar you 'gwinc?" asks Suzettc
quickly.
"Lct me alone n little while, nanny;
III be back soon. feel I'm burning
up, soul and body. Let me 20 out in
the night air"
She goes out into the fields. The
clouds are swirling dark overhead,
and dazzling electric hicroglyphics
split their density. On, on she strides,
the turbulence Of her mad thoughts
giving springs to her feet. A fine
mist is blown into her fcvered face.
A low, threatening rumbling comes
from the clouds, and the mighty trees
on the mountain are tortured TO groan-
ing in an upper current Of air. The
music in Elvira's cabin dies away into
faint hum. AT last she finds herself
on the river bank, and experiences a
faint sensation Of surprise TO sec that
she has walkcj SO far. In fact, she
can't remember when. she crossed the
branch, about halfway between the
river and her cabin. She does not
wonder over II long. however. The
water lashins the sandy beach is deep
aud dark, and seems to have voice of
It's own, solacing kind of murmur
which seems to promise to relieve her
of her great, wcighiy, hcart-brcaking
burden IL she will allow IL.
The stream may be the great, lin
pid, restful arm OF God extended TO
embrace her. They should find her
floating somewhere, on the morrow,
and should know then that they had
made n mistake in trying to dispose of
her as they had Perhaps the sun
would be shining then over the place
she loved so well, for the hurrying
clouds, with their vivid CLEANS OF
lightning, seemed only 10 boast of
their power to storm. The good, kind
oil colonel, who had not, she was sure,
given the order for her sacrifice,
would be back at Oaklawn ere her
burial, and would look on her pale
face with sadness. She knew he
would, and that the water OF sorrow
would rise into his kind eyes, for hc
had good heart and loved her In his
way, aud had spoken kindly to hcr
many times.
Mrs. Blckcrs,ail, away down In
Charleston, should rcni the news and
cry, for the kind-hcartod lady Ind