The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-02-27


"Let him gor he Numbered to Furnival.
As the colonel put his key in his pocket
he looked up and saw Missy furtively
peeping in at the door. which stood wide
open, for the weather was mild.
"What do you want, Winifred ?" he
asked, not unkindly; but his voice had
that hard, cold tone which reminds chill
dren that they should be seen and not
heard.
"Mr. Dan Furnival is out yonder,"
said Missy, eying her father from under
her lowering brows with suspicious
curiosity. "He wants to see you"
Now the colonel had always lived on
comfortable terms with these humble
neighbors. They were in the habit Of
consulting him in any emergency, and
he had always been ready to bestow sub
stantial aid in time of need, but since
Nicholas obnoxious marriage there had
been no communication between Thorne
Hill and Dan Furnivals family, and at
Christmas the colonel had overlooked
them entirely.
Dan Furnival had been predicting this
without half believing that the colonel
could be $50 pesky cawntrairy ;" but
when the Christmas-tide brought with it
no quarter of beef, no barrel of sugar,
no pudding with raisins, and no fat
turkey, the only consolation he had was
that which human nature is prone to
find in the fulfillmeLt of individual
prophecy.
"Dawg-gone hit, Samanthy," Daniel
said to his wife, "ain't l been tellin' We
the colonel amt nuver goin' ter claim us,
nohow? Drat my brother Job an his
daughter, say! Men the colonel have
been Twin neighbors, no telin' how long,
an we amt had no diffunce ontel now,
all long of Job Twin in town, an mekin
Dosia what they call edicated. Sont her
plum off ter Macon, Georgey, one whole
year, what has holped, s'pose, ter git
her married ter Nick Thorne, an us-en
ousted outen Christmas fixins."
"The Lawd-he knows what amt had
nothin' ter do with hit" Mrs. Samantha
declared. can the Lawd-he knows
what l amt hankerin' ter claim kin with
the colonel"
"An l amt Job, an 1 amt Dosia,"
pursued Daniel; San 1 amt goin' ter tote
they consekinses."
81 don't see the jestice of blamin' hit
onto us, said his wife, who felt herself
cruelty defrauded. "Hit warn't no ways
ow fault what Roxy White come here
an TUX her fling at the colonel; she amt
none O ow kim"
"Drat Roxy White!' said Dan Furni-
val, with fervor
"Hit doan do no good, ez kin see, ter
drat Roxy" drawled Mrs. Furnival.
"You sight better hunt some way ter set
yo'sef up in the colonel's favyior'
"You talk lax the fool We air." retort-
ed Daniel. "Whar'll 1 fin the means,
with sicher rip snortin' ole tukeycock ez
Col Thorne?"
But Daniel felt himself favored Of fort
une when the rumor reached him that
Col Thorne's old man Gilbert had disap-
peared with one of the colonel's mules.
"Ef / kin hep him recover his property"
Daniel argued, in confidence with his
wife-though he called her a fool
Islands ter reason he'll be under obliga-
ton ter the man what kin do that; an
then he'll be boun' ter see what thar amt
no ground fur gredge beginst me, long
of Job an his edicated daughter"
So Dan Furnival began to make in
quiries in all directions, but without sue
cess; the only information he received
that threw any glimmer of light on old
Gilbert's flight was furnished by his son
Jesse; but this seemed to Daniel of so
vital Importance that he fastened forth
with to carry it to the colonel.
Unlike Roxanna White, Daniel pre-
ferred to approach Thorne Hill by the
back entrance, and at the stable he de-
manded of Dublin to see the colonel.
There was not negro on the place
who would willingly name Furnival in
the colonePs presence; but Dublin did
not refuse the errand, he simply trans
ferred it to Griffin Jim, who passed it on
to Tom Quash, who appealed to his
grandmother, Glory-Ann, who found in
Missy a ready ambassador; for Missy,
connecting this visit with her brother
Nicholas, felt burning desire to know
what Dan Furnival could have to say to
her father.
The colonel flushed darkly when he
heard Missy's announcement; like her,
he thought this visit might refer to his
son, but he did not refuse to receive Fur
niSal. "Let him come in here" he said,
with GOODNESS that gave no hint of the
Gre at his heart; and Missy ran back
across the yard to conduct the visitor to
the Office. When he entered she sat her
self down in the doorway.
"Mornin', colonel" said Furnival,
with would be easy air. Flows yer
health?'
The colonel returned his salutation
with involuntary stiffness, and, as
matter of course, asked after Furnival's
family.
They're middlin', I'm 'bleedged ter
ye," Furnival replied, in tone that re-
Elected the memory Of stinted Christ
mas. II hearn tell, about week past,
colonel, what ole man Gilbert is missin',
along o one o. yo mules. Pledge my
word, nuver was mo- TUX a-back in my
life; an amt credited hit none, ontel
las, niOht my con Jaaca nm on, folio mo