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

| " ~s---~1W
"Hirs a GAL" old Gilbert ,cas almost be
| trayed into calculating aloud
When the young man had gone in, tn,
self appointed detective arose and crep
near the rail fence that surrounded tn,
weed grown yard; but the windows o
this house were hung with curtains.
'Drat 'em!" he grumbled. "Ev'y yuth
er house has riled me wild de sight O
vittles, en- dis one hides me fun seein
after Mawse Nick. 'Spect hits dat Mar
Gus White crowd, playin' guards, en- bet
tin high. Doan blieve he's gone tel
Texts. En- Mawse Nick-he means right
but de temptation is too strong. gwal
pintly tell mawster ter tex de boy outer
dishyer place."
| Not finding another stump convenient
Gilbert crouched down at the foot of ;
the trunk, waited and watched, how lone
he did not know. But at last his vigi
was rewarded: the door opened, anC
Nicholas stood forth in the moonlight
He was talking to some one within, bu
only his voice, not his words, could bt
heard.
Old Gilbert's devotion to the 'fambly'
made eavesdropping duty. Creeping
on his knees in the shadow of the fence
as near the gate as he dared, he crouched
in one of the angles formed by the rails
and bent his best ear, aided by his curved
hand, to catch what Nicholas was saying.
And this was what he heard:
''It is too glorious night to lose; LET
us have one little stroll in the moon
light"
"Hit's gal!' old Gilbert was almost
betrayed into calculating aloud. EN-
he orter be sayin' dat same ter Miss
Floral
1t was girl. She came out into the
moonlight that flooded the porch, tall
slender, dark haired girl, with sanity
face and a voice like flute. She said
something the old negro could not hear,
but he heard his young masters reply:
"Of course the colonel will make row
at first. You see, Dosia, hide nothing
from you. But when they know all
you've been to mellow you have re-
deemed me from my wild life, oh, dear
saint
What more he said old Gilbert did not
know; he had heard enough. He drop
ped flat on his face in great fright
When he rose up Nicholas and the girl
had passed down the street, arm in arm.
The old spy could see them as they went.
"Gret King!' he gasped. SIS l come
all dis hyer way ter see mawster's SON
mawsters onliest son gallivantin wild one
o. dem Furnivals? Sholy, sholy, Mawse
Nick ain gwan git tangled up wild dis po'
white trash, Ipray! Lawdl what GAVIN
do? ain gwan say nothin' ter Mawse
Nick, ter go mex him rampin' mad; I'd
sight yuther mawster'd git mad with
me den rifle Mawse Nick. Hits mawster
ter blame, keepin de boy in dishyer lone
some place. Wish / wuz home now.
Dere's all my money-en' dat ole sow,
drat her! En- my Dominicker hen most
ready to come often her nes'-whey's
my rumberilla! Lemme study whey is
leffum? SO sot on Mawse Nick l dis
remember whey leffum."
Sore disturbed, the old negro fastened
back to the stump where he had sat
down; the umbrella was not there. He
retraced his steps to the store. but the
cherished badge of respectability was not
to be found for any search.
"Well, well, !" he sighed, ill luck doan
nuver come single handed. Maybe hits
sign dat ole Furnival SOW is rooted up
my money. Dey is nightly in de way,
dem Furnivals, ZEN de bes' what kin do
beginst 'em is ter wrastle in prah."
Thus communing with himself and car
rying detected head, old Gilbert came,
unawares, upon one of the citizens of
Eden, who was acting as patrol.
"Halt!" said the man of brief authority.
Eyes, mawsterp said old Gilbert, stop
ping short and taking off his hat with one
hand, while with the other he fumbled in
his pocket for his pass. "I'se Kernel
Thorne's Gilbert, sub, FUN over ter Leon,
come ter dc Sunrise plantation. Mawse
Nick wrotened me permission ter come
up ter de sto' en- buy terbacker."
The man held the pass up to the moon
light, and while he read old Gilbert scan
ned his face studiously.
"Ain't you Mr.. Job Furnival, suh?' he
asked, with far more Difference than he
considered the Furnivals entitled to; but
Mr.. Job Furnival's daughter was hon.
ored by Mawse Nicholas attentions, and
that made n differences: IL was the part
OF wisdom. apparently. to keep on the