The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1890-05-09
CHAPTER III.

"
At break Of ,av old Gilbert sci forth
on his journey ii thc iolting little cart,
drawn by small black OK that went a
plodding gait.
The old man, with 4 view to doing
Mawse Nicholas honor, was attlred in his
Sunday best "a blue broadcloth coat with
brass buttons, and Il black satin vest, once
the property Of Cot Ihorne's father, pair
OF nankeen pantaloons and a white hat,
stiff and tall discarded by the colonel.
He sat upon Il plank across the front Of
the cart, with his feet dangling outside.
The plank was cushioned by a blankets IN
which was folded his every day suit OF
homespun. 4 box that held a contribu
tnn 10 Nicholas harder, from Miss Elvira,
was safely bestowed in one corner, AZ the
bottom Of the cart, where a wallet CON
aiming Lis noes refreshment lay beside
q dinsy umbrella, the cherished posses
sion Of twenty years
Late in tht. afternoon, lie came TO an
eSplnse OF rlne barren; vast. solemn,
soulbra t stretched IL eyerr direction,
.theruye Of the sinking sun shining family
athwart TIA. nutitud!nuus. tall dark
trees whose .boughs, sWaylng in the up
per air. maintained a. ontinuous snsurrus
that cmpilas lzcd til. silence Himself and
his OK were the only living creatures vts-
ible in this solitude, save IN occasional
bird that aarted above his head, rs il IN
haste to ESCAPE to a ore genlai wood;
and Old Gilbert, 70 leep himself IN heart,
began to sing his hymns. Lifting up his
voice, he made tha eoiiLlae resound to d
weird strail, in harmony With tle sigh
4g Of the pines
oh liviI' humble, humble. Lrmhle,
Oh, hsiis bundle dc beI doue toll
Oh, livirs humb,e, humble, tunhi.,
Oh l.yiu' humble. 20 time gaan cornei
The sun vas down, and the inoOn not
vet risen. MI hen became out on the other
side of the barren, where he ceased his
] singing. being now near hls Journey
end. for al the foot Of the slope was the
| large red gate that gave entrance e Sun
rise plantation.
] Old Gilbert iismounted, with some
,rhenmatic grunts, to open this gate. A
whippnorw was calling III the grove
throuph which lie had to drive S0 the
house: and as he climbed back upon the
,cars. d scYeach owl uttered its npsanny
cry.
/ .4Drat da1 crittur!" the old negro NUT
! tered, III fear and anger, as he stopped
with haste to publ off his left shoe. Hits
aich a bad sign ter hear screech owl
hut de do say, ef you put OF 20 left shoe
v,' nut off de bad luck. Lawd, sen n'
h>d luck ain gwan fall ter Mawse Nick
'iorr o. dat 'st,rrbance what dat Jesse
Furmval named ter me. Lemme git outer
dishyer grove qaick ez ole brandy kil
tote me.
Rnt old Gilbert had TO endure the sere
made Of the screech owl yet some minutes
longer. before he came to the secont
gate in front of the hoIse OF heued logs
which was neither cramped nor a com
Sortdees dwelling. though It moved IN
corn az the old negro fresh from thu
grandeur of Thorne Hill. "Sich plact
1nr Mawm Nick" lie CALCULATED con
ten,ptuously, as he halted his OK.
rociferous chorus from the dog
greeted his arrival. and Gilbert prudentl!
kept his perch on the cart shon'ih'
Justify. Hello
"Hello. yourself!' answered a volc'
Though the dusk.
"Dat's him, bless Glory the old maj
chuckled, as he clambered down iron
tho carr while the same voice was near
silencing the dogs.
Nicholas was standing on the plazz
d;mlv outlined in the uncertain light
the new risen moon; 4 goodly young fel
low, tall broad shouldered and stralgh
~ an arrow; his great brown eyes, ~
curling dark hair, his straight nose an
rounded cheeks, his broad forehead, an
his mouth and chin with the silky, re
brown beard Of early manhsod, Old VI
bert knew by heart.
aHow dive, Mawse Nicholas. huh 70
do?" he shouted, with chuckle OF e.
uberant delight, as he stumbled up ~
5 .o,,, nr sau.n blocks