The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-01-02


hassee streets"
"Ya-as, that's my name," said Mr..
Job Furnival, with hesitating drawl.
Old Gilbert grinned affably. SIS you
done quit Tallahassee, subj
"Well, my wife's health war broke,
said Furnival, IAN got a job down this
way, an bought a house an lot cheap.
After a pause he continued: sit wal
plum lucky for Col. Thornes son tibet
my wife TUX care on him when he got
that stab o. Marcus Whites knife. Mar.
Gus war the one ter blame, so he bein
our kin we war boun' ter look after Nick
Thorne, sorter. 1t war q close shave
twixt him an Kingdom Come, an
amt adzackly got my forgiveness ,yit
tibet / amt told the colonel nothin' bout
hit. But Nick'lis, reckin, is skeerder
of the colonel than ever he war of the
devil, an he wouldn' let no letter be
wrote, an the doctor said doan fret him,
an so-an' so''-
"Yes, mawster," said old Gilbert.
'It's larnt Nick Thorne one wholesome
lesson, | reckin."
"Yes, mawster," said old Gilbert again;
his heart was very heavy.
can l reckin, maybe, he'll walk a
straighter track, eff SO be the colonel war
minded ter settle him permanent onter
the Sunrise plantation. It's good piece
o. lam"
81 dunno; I dunno nothin'," said old
Gilbert.
SEE Nick 'lis-war minded-ter mar
ry"- Furnival resumed hesitatingly.
Old Gilbert waited respectfully for the
sentence to be finished, but Job Furni-
val was only attempting suggestion to
the old Negroes garrulity; and as Gilbert
maintained silence, he walked away with
out further words.
SHE amt got no manners" old Gilbert
muttered, as he trudged along. "Maws-
ter would a said good evenin', dough 1
is po' ole no count niger. En- s'pos-
in mawster do settle Mawse Nick onter
Sunrise plantation, is Mr.. Job Furnival
gwan boss de niggers? De mo- argy-
fies, pears ter me. lax de troubles O. dis
worP is accumerlatin'. 1 gwan travel
long back ter Thorne Hill, jes' ez quick
ez kin git my pass"
He could not get his pass until Nicho-
las had breakfasted, and then it was so
long past the dawn that old Gilbert, in
order to make sufficiently early start,
was obliged to delay yet another day.
Reckon it's time you were at home,"
said Nicholas. "The hounds will be into
your hen nests, and the worms in your
tobacco patch, and the grass in your
garden"
"Yes, Mawse Nick; I been here five
days Already" old Gilbert sighed, think
ing of Dan Furnivals wandering sow,
and the hollow in the wood. "En' Use
had trouble in plenty; Use los my rum
be1illa."
"Aha!" said Nicholas. "Then you may
take mine."
"No, Mawse Nick, no subj" said old
Gilbert, putting up his hands beseeching-
ly, while his face turned that ashen hue
peculiar to thenegro. 81 amt gwan tex
yo' rumberilla, ,nohow."
''Dat couldn' do he said to himself,
as he turned away. Use 'bleedged ter
go home en- tell mawster-what is
foun' out. But ain gwan tote his rum
berilla, en- tote tales too"
He sat him down under the work shed,
Gliding the lingering hours. q" Pears
lax Jashuay been meddlin' wild dat sum-"
he grumbled.
But the sun went down at last, and
when it rose again the old man was well
on his way to Thorne Hill.
1t was dark when he alighted at his
cabin, which stood apart from the other
negro quarters, and near the head of the
lane that led from the back premises
along the garden. The cabin, built of
logs, with chimney of clay, occupied
one side of small enclosure, surrounded
by waited fence. Here old Gilbert had
his garden, his tobacco patch and his
poultry yard.
plum glad is tergit homer! he ejacu-
lated. "Befo' goes up ter de greet house,
l gwan hunt me aigg outen my own hem
nesses; pears lax l ain taste naire aigg
ter my notion sence been gone"
Now, while old Gilbert was absent at
Sunrise plantation, several things had
to increase the colonel's impa-
thence at Nicholas contentment in exile.
In the first place, a sudden and violent
storm had unroofed Mrs. Leonard
Thorne's house, so that Miss Flora and
her mamma had been forced to take
refuge at Thorne Hill. This was very
pleasing to the colonel; for though he did
not like his brothers widow, he was very
fond of his brothers young daughter.
Flora Thorne, besides being fair to see,
had the serene manners that he admired;
she danced with grace, she sang the
simple songs he loved, she was very do
nestle, and not in the least learned"
It was the strongest desire of his heart
that Nicholas should marry this pretty
cousin, settle on the Ferndale place, three
miles distant, and fulfill the dignified des-
tiny of gentleman planter. But since
Miss Flora had taken up her abode at
Thorne Hill, the colonel had made dis
,oyery that caused him much uneasiness.
That 50 pretty and charming girl should
nave adorers was in the natural order of
,hings, and the colonel did not object to
he frequent visits of Miss Flora's adj
nirers; but that Miss Flora should favor
my one of them all more than another
Nicholas being absent-was more than
father could endure with equa-
,imity. Mr.. Aleck Gage was the one
lmOnp Miss Flora's visitors whose COM