Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-04
FORTY'S MASTER"


1 WV ~ L ~ III Il ~ Ults
| From the Overland Monthly
7 HAD NOT BEEN THOROUGHLY GOOD
= natured about this journey from the very
outset Fifty miles Of staging in January is
not 70 % desired ct s4erminsl to travel in any
country, but numbering over q dirt road in
TINS remote region OF Virginia seemed dismal
climax to my discomfort and i'll humor
ANY mark Of confidence evinced by Cam
mache Cassen, attorneys-at-law, in selecting
me for this business was quite balanced by the
very decided disinclination Of everybody else
to undertake it.
There are many reasons, Mr.. Crofton. Why
We especially desire to confde this matter to
you, MI. Cammache had explained, with the
deiightful plausibilitv Of an astute lawyer. "Our
FORMER client, Basil Crofton. has not been
heard from in twenty years. He was man of
large fortune when the war broke out What
ne may be now, or whether he 10 even living.
we cannot discover. Repeated notifications Of
legacy from his aunt fail to bring q
response. II he Is dead this money
reverts to another Crofton. Poverty or
family misfortune may induce him to
fe1use all communication with his old compan-
| ions and the outside world You are to use
| your own discretion in the means of communi-
| eating with him. You are q relative and may
ID sQepscsfqi where others fail. At all events
ne must - informed Of the bequest of his aunt
and yorrmmt dOit."
sald this he bad summed my instructions and
the motive Of this wintry pastoral.
That was three days agone, but my Journey,
somewhat iatiguing and altogether novel to one
sounds of large city, would absolutely end in
a Few hours The sun had gone down, the dusk
gathered, the stars cleaned and the moon crept
up, all In the self-same stealthy breathiess
silence. wondered if anything here ever be-
came noisy. boisterous or severed this spell Of
profound serenity. The driver dispelled my
| speculations.
III young mastah's lonesome like. p'r'aps
said.
| betook myself to the proffered seat most
willingly. In default Of matters of greater in
| terest, noted that the driver was a small
elderly mulatto man, unmistakably we'll bred
and naturally philosophic. Apparently, he
Ieit no curiosity In reference to myself and an
utter indifference to all the world out of sight
Of his stage route.
How far are we from Crofton Arms?' in
quired at last.
For the first time in the desultory converse
tion the driver answered with some show Of
Five mile. sah-fve good mile But eff you
be er gwine to git out dere it 9 er pow'ful DO
place: Taint er patchin' to what it usen to
be. he explained favoring me with u scrutin-
ziing glance, as If somehow suddenly became
| OF interest in his sight.
| Your master was the landlord, suppose?"
was my careless comment
mo. sab. my master was de Crofton which
owns Crofton Lodge-Marse Basil Crofton,
| sab, en- anybody kin tell you dis we're little
| tavern longs to de Crofton state" replied the
driver, cracking his whip savagely, but without
the smallest effect in accelerating the speed Of
| his horses.
my Marse Blaise was de richest man in dis
whole Dressed country 70 de wal" he went on
| In evident pride, lend TO de trouble up'n TUX
him: but he'd nebber had to hung his head eff
ne er listen to Forty-dat's me, sah-name's
Forty-two, sah."
''Fortescue, take it."
Yes, sab, he interrupted eagerly garrulous
upon this subject, which it fell In with nv pur-
pose to encourage.
''Oh. yes, sab, Crofton Lodge was er gran
place In them days, wild lots OBJ niggers ready
to jump Ell Marse Blaise or ole mistis so much
| VERY fustest in de land" continued Forty,
Strengthening himself in conscious aristoc-
| racy. "De bes' OBJ quality was my Marse
Blaise: Come OBJ er mighty heap OBJ
gran fathers en- madams, dressed in wigs
en- ruffles. en- diaments on 'em, en- ebery las
one OBJ EN- sot in solid COLE frames, en-
| cotched up n er row on de wall Coaches full
OBJ comp'ny use n ter roll up from de big gate
by de dozen, en- dere was room TO cherry las
head OBJ EN-, he added, while something like
exultation illuminated his solemn countenance
''Ef it wur summer dey' d set on de po' ches. or
pace de walks. unner de trees, en- Marse
Blaise he'd call 70 me: Hello, Forty, YOU
rascal! Bring me de mint julips you scoun-
drei! Christmas times dere's apple toddy.
en- egg-nog en- wine po'ed out 70 eberybody.
en- de niggahs flynn 'roun', much ez dey could
| do ter wait on de comp'ny. Our white folks
| alters ct wild SLIDER dishes on de table Yes,
young mastah, dere was sheep by de hundred
| in de pasture, en- HOSES by de dozen in de sta
| much agin, and Forty sighed with a regret
that would have been grctesque if it had not
| been pathetic.
"My Marse Blaise was er big, gran man, wild
was wonderful how his eyes kindled and his
bent old frame Strengthened, zen SOS his
cousin Cunel John Crofton. only dey want
noways er like-noways at ALL"
How did Col. John differ from your mas
| terri inquired, noting a depreciative accent.
.'Cunel John wur de oldes' en- de wildes' OBJ
de two, but all wunst peared like he's struck
| Of er notion OBJ stayin' at de lodge wild Marse
Blaise en- old insists. Nobody knOwed why de
cunel up n stuck to de family like, which he'd
nebber done in his life, 'ceptin and sayin'
where he's tired o yether placesr
did you discover the reason Of this sudden
affection? asked as the man touched the
horses with the tip Of the whip and started
| them into a spasmodic brskness
Toby sho, sah-it all come out in de ernd.
| when it tw'ant er bit O. use how much we
knowed. liver all erlong of pretty Miss Chev.
ez wur gwine ter marry Marse Blaise. Dere
| was crowds OBJ ladies trippin up and down dem
big, broad steps inter de hall, but de- gayest
and smilingest was Miss Chevellen-quer name,
want it? Longs to de breed, though;
she's ole mistis' niece. en- dey called
her Miss Chew, jes ez dey done nv
ole miss in her time. She wur powful beau
tiful. wild dem brown eyes, en- yallar-brown
hair, en- straight en- supple ez willow saplin'.
Fl she jes' guv 20 good morning. dere was er
kinder sing In it. ez hung by you longer'n de
bes chune on de fiddle and de banjo. Marse
Blsise sOt er awful store by his cousin and Miss
Chew could coax de debil out'n him when his
| blood was up, by one look OBJ her eye or touch
OBJ her pretty white hands.
DE wuddin' was sot for Jinuwa'y, en- de
house wur chock full er comp'ny. way back
| when de fust fallowin To- wheat was les bout
| done, en- de fust frost pry open de chincapin en-
| chestnut burrs. Long wild de omost oh de
fall hunters come Cunel John, pow'ful anxious
| to git er shot after rabbit, Ell pat'idge-only he
didn't keer pe'ticler to 60 fur from de house ia
| look 70 it.
After Marse Blaise would be done gone
out n de chestnut woods tother en- err de
place shootn', all de yether gentle'em long
| wild bin, heah I'D come Cunel John whistlin
to nisself, en- swingin his gun, what was ez
| full eZ when he started cut wild Marse Blaise
in such bilin' hurry to shoot so'thing. Miss
| Chew she's alters eome'ere cOnwenient an