The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-01-02
"Old Man Gilbert. "

away and walked up and down the piazza
several times. When at last he sat down,
"Gilbert, T" he said, with an effort to speak
lightly, ''you have the soul Of a gentle
man."
"Fm 'bleedged ter we, Mawse Nick, y
said the old man, getting on his feet to
bow his Acknowledgements. "Yo' gram
paw en- you paw wuz gemmen, en- Use
Slonged to 'em bof. / ain nuver 'soci-
ated myself wild po' white trash"
Nicholas looked at him with an odd
smile, saying slowly, "Tve turned over a
new leaf. I'm not going to be a bad boy
any more. You can carry that news
home, if you like"
"Bless Gawd! calculated old Gilbert.
"That affair between me and Marcus
White happened some time ago; it's all
over now, and my father need know
nothing about it,"
"The Lor -a-mighty, Mawse Nick! Hit
wuz de troof, den? Way off here-en'
none but niggers en- de oberseer ter TEX
keer on your
sob, was well attended to-" Nicholas
replied evasively. "Im going to lead a
steady life in future; so this affair may
as well be forgotten"
"De Lawd be praised! Not but what 1
knowed you wuz jes' a-foolin' wild you
chances ter have young folkses fun,
Mawse Nick" -
But old Gilbert had not been three
days at Sunrise plantation before he
learned that it was Nicholas invariable
habit to ride away as soon as he had
eaten his o'clock supper, and it was
always late before he returned.
"Dat boy do too much prowlin' by
night" the old man grumbled. "Mawse
Nick orter be home flynn roun' Miss Flora,
en- me orter be home mindin' my own
consarns. But 1 so skeered de boy is
mixed i'll wild bad crowd I'm 'bleeged
ter stay ontel kin tex my observations. !"
And in order to take his observations"
old Gilbert had to contrive plan.
Il dunno whey Mawse Nick kin be
gwine so stiddy," he argued, "bedouten
hits dat place do calls Eden, what has
tried desc some years ter be town. Jes'
a sto' en- meetin' house. en- hanful o.
little onpainted dwellin's, SIGH ez mought
suit de Furnivals. l gotter git Mawse
Nick gimme me pass ter Eden. Pears
lax mought be outen terbacker, en- l
brung fo bits wild me in case o need"
Old Gilbert drew from his pocket long
black plug of tobacco, which he looked
at affectionately. "Hit's with all O. two
bits, " he said, and sighed; "but dis niger
is chu'ch member in full standin', en-
l ain gwan tell no lie, lessen satan git
me-"
He laid aside the harness he was patch
ing, and went out into the grove, where,
after assuring himself that there was no
one to see him, he shut his eyes, whirled
around and threw the tobacco as far as
he could send it. "Now," he said, " I'm
plum out, 1 kin AK fur pass ter go ter
Eden. Hits my bounden duty ter look
after dat boy"
The pass was readily granted, and
while yet the sun was high in the sky
old Gilbert set forth, attired in his glory,
with the shadow of the cherished UNI
brella over him.
"Hit's two hours be sun, Mawse Nick"
he said cheerily, as he passed the piazza,
zen I kin come home by de light O. de
moon. Use freed too many 'possums ter
be skeered o de woods by moonlight"
Nicholas laughed to himself with the
thought, II verify believe all
the old chap wanted was chance to hoist
that umbrella"
1t was two miles to Eden, and old
Gilbert, as he trudged along, had no more
idea than child how he should proceed
in order to learn the secret Of his young
masters nightly rides, but with a firm b..
lief in the righteousness of his under
taking, he hoped for the guidance of a
special providence.
"Maybe l ain gwan fin out nothin',
but gwan to do my bes'," he said to
himself. "Sperreted young gemmens lax
my Mawse Nick is sartin sho ter get
talked about, en- 1 mought hear some
thing. En- l mought git sight o. dat
black hawse O. his'n."
He readily found the one store where
the scant retail trade of the place was
and entered with his pass ip
his hand.
The storekeeper, Q tall, lank, sallow,
stoop shouldered man with long hair
and heavy beard of dingy hue, leaned
over the counter, and eying old Gilbert's
brass buttons with smile, remarked:
"You must ov come from the mee-
tropolis?'
''I'se fun Tallahassee, subj" said Gill
bert, doffing his hat. Sol. Thorne's
man Gilbert, come over ter de Sunrise
plantation; en- here's my pass, subj"
Anything you'll have2'' said the store
keeper, glancing at the paper and hand
ing it back.
1.-TWO bits with of terbacker, eff you
please, subj" old Gilbert made answer,
producing an ancient leathern purse
''Yo' towns a-growin', subj" he said, in
"Slowly, slowly" was the answer.
"We'll have railroad to the moon about
the year 1900"
This joke was beyond old Gilbert's
but the little crowd loaf
ing around set up a perfunctory shout,
FOR the storekeeper was the local wit.
The talk that followed had no bearing
whatever upon the affairs of Nicholas
rhorne, and Gilbert went out and sat on
he steps little disheartened. He had
tancied that every one would be talking
Of his young master, but Thorne Hill