Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-12-24


ceding II they are busy in making
preparations Tor it. Ny uncle gave
me list of things, calicoes and knick-
knacks, that he wished me 10 order iii
Norfolk, which was a little over u
twenty mile ride from the part of Suf-
folk where our plantations lay. As |
started on my journey, Colonel 1t.
Pierre handed me a letter from Eve
lynne for Raoul. who spent most of his
time PLAYING billiards with Norfolk
sharps, who found him easy game TO
pluck. ] delivered the letter 10 him
on II hotel-piazza, where he sat, flushed
with wine, amid Il group of bibulous
comrades. He read it, then turned to
me, and said:
Tell her. if YOU see her before get
back, that L Will come. She wishes
me to help her with the festivities at
her fathers plantation on Christmas
eve. You know they all come over Il
our place Christmas-night.'
II told him | would deliver his al.
swer, and did so on NV return.
II presume, you know, that colored
people are As race very superstiGious,
and they believe that to some of their
number-usuallv those who have been
either princes or princesses of tribes in
African lands-is given the power TO
fOreteli the future and disburse good
Ca bad luck 10 swains and wenches ac-
iOTding 10 their Will and pleasure. On
,Our gTeat-graudfather's plantation
was such person. She was almost
/ - white ~ YOU are, dear. and the most
beautiful being with cOlored- blood in
her veins ever saw. Contrary TO
/ what one would expect to find in a
woman in her state at that time-for
she was a slaVe-she was highly intel
'ectusl. aud FAR brighter-minded than
many white women. She could con-
. verse iueutly IN several foreign Ian
yuagcS. and could read and write them
. aS-Ueu. such accomplishments We're
unusual in $ slave, and 10 only - few
were they known. She lived IN 3
little cabin by herself et tine
foot Of hill but Il short distance
from the house, and her master, who
apparently stood as much ia awe OF
her a. any Of the field-hands on his to-
0accO plantation, allowed her 10 do
much as she pleased. Rsoul had be
come confirmed gambler. and he was
- supsrsutioUs - any darkey that ever
Oreathed- MANY a time knew OF his
making a visit TO Old Maumie Tegga,
- she was called, 10 get luck with
which 10 WIN at cards.
Christmas l walked the knoll
IN the moonlight, where | had full
view of NIaumie's cabin, and ss |
paced 10 and fro, between an old
water-mill and the hedge skirting the
pathway leading 10 the house,
thought 1 saw Raoul enter the cabin.
Every one belonging To our plantation
had gone u Colonel 81. Pierre's, ard
the melOdiOUs voices OF the singers on
the last load were waited ON
the breeze 10 me from the
road below. The sound maddened
me. These daTkies could stand in
Evelvnue st. Pierre's presence un-
moved by any such fierce passions as
; ragged within me. Oh, why could
I NOT govern myself and be calm like
wise ? Then / thought of Raoul and
his carcleSsly tossing aside the treasure
ne had won, as If her love was a mere
bauble, with which he could toy and
: play fast and loose at his pleasure.
'Why-why could | not have beeT
favored with the love of such as angel:
: [ cried, IA agony, as L cast myself OF
the frosty ground.
How long Law there do not know.
When / staggered TO my feet my brair
was Wild and freuzied. 1 have din
, recollection Of having an idea that if
| could prevent Raoul from keeping Ia:
e promise TO Join her that evening, she
: might lose faith in him and renounct
I him forever. And, should she do so
l [ could honorsbly try to win her love
"a large hogshead, filed with heav!
L stones that had been culled from th'
1 beds, stood halfway down tn
; knoll, all headed up, ready 10 be takeI
: 10 the storehouse at the further end o,
: The plantation. Raoul had just entered
u the cabin, not knowing that Maumi
o Teggs had, as L supposed, gone pic
}, nicking with the rest of the hands
n The door of this cabin opened outwar'
and the windows were formed o
e single panes Of glass not more than sil
= bv eight inches square. If Irolled tn
e hogshead against the door, lie woult
Q be fastened in there for the night.
; was a very strong, athletic young ma
q then; but it took quite an effort TO II
a down the bank.
/ Il
Il that l thought was Raoufs; then
s slipped into the shadow of the cabil
l and followed the dry bed of the mill
c stream that he might not recogniz
r me in the moonlight. Soon l reache
Il the mitigate, over which l clam
: bered. then started on shor
u cut for Colonel ST. Pierre's- had no
d gone far when l heard rush OF water
Il and on looking behind, l saw that tn
I gate had sprung open, and the waite
8 from the pond was flowing into IL
: basin al the foot of the knoll.
st Il thought TO myself, Good!
- will be a ward deep around the cabin
y: aud he will not venture out until IN
II hands return and cause the water {
Y escape through the second dam below
T But OH reaching the St Pierr
: plantation, | received a shock such d
% / would not wish my worst enemy t
10 experience
= .sRaouI was sitting upon the veraDda
smoking a cigar and complacentl
4 watching two dGTkies dancing break
. down. aud urging an old gray, woolly
= haired fiddler to keep her up al
Il though both the musician and IN
q dancers were dripping with persPirs
:. ton, and scarcely able to move han
J. or loot. When they tagged, RaoI
q would instill new yigor into thei
/ trembly limbs by patting time a littl
p Iiyelier with one hand between his kne
| and his other palm. 1t was comics
a sight, but il did not interest me- NJ
# mind was in the cabin at the foot c
N the knoll | was in far more OF