The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-01-23
OLD GILBERT TO THE RESCUE.

"You hot on ter me mid one ham,"
Needless of the rain, Missy rushed out
into the dark night, following the sound
Of her brothers footsteps as he STROBE
through the grounds. His horse was
still at the hitching post, and Missy had
OWNED that he meant to ride away at
once.
"Brer Nicholas! Brer Methodist" she
cried, distractedly. "Take meme, too!
amt afraid! can stick closer than a
cookie burr"
But there came no answer through the
rainy darkness, and she heard the horse
hoofs beat the ground, and grow fainter
and fainter as Nicholas rode away into
the night. When she could hear them
no more she turned wildly and ran down
the dark and muddy lane to old Gilbert's
cabin. She beat upon the door with her
small fists, she burst it open in her i'm
petuous passion, and stood, dripping and
haggard, in the light of tho pine knot
blazing in the hearth.
Old Gilbert, seated on the sweet gum
block, was patching an ancient jacket.
Bending low to catch the light from the
pine knot, and peering through pair of
clumsy spectacles, he was pushing at his
needle by means of q leathern circle in
the palm of his hand. His needle was
big, his thread was coarse, and monstrous
were his stitches.
Missy, with wild cry, as if she were
the blast incarnate, swept the jacket
from his hands into the hearth, where it
lay and scorched and was forgotten.
SIN de name o de Lawd!' Gilbert ejac-
ulated. 'De chile is sho'ly possessed"
''Brer Nicholas is gone! gone! gomez
Missy howled, ''never to come no mo-
He is married to Dosia Furnival, and my
father has drove him away" And Missy,
in sheer exhaustion, threw herself upon
the floor.
"Dat squeech DWELL" muttered the old
negro, with superstitious shudder.
Startling as was Missy's statement, it
was received with absolute conviction.
"De Lawd's will be doner he sighed.
''You mean old nigger!' cried the out
rageous Missy, lifting her face. "'Tain't
the Lords will! It's my fathers will.
And want Brer Nicholas back! could
a rode behind him; but for all my calm
he wouldn't come back, nor he wouldn't
answer"
Honey" said old Gilbert, persuasive
ly, 'you mus strive after patience ontel
matters get sorter seasoned"
II won'tr' said Missy; and down went
her head again, and her wailing filled
the poor little cabin.
Old Gilbert felt utterly helpless. He
looked at the child in silence, and then,
unable to bear the sight, he turned his
eyes away in the direction, as it CHANGED,
of the blazing and smoking pine knot,
and mechanically drew his jacket out of
the ashes. But he had no heart to re-
turn to his patching. "Hit's mizzablc
night" he said; but whether he referred
to the rain beating sullenly on the roof,
or to the dire news Missy had brought,
he did not know. He began to sing a
hymn for comfort.
II don't want you to sing" howled
Missy. IF you was just wicked old
man, I'd like you to-cuss!"
"Look a-herer' exclaimed old Gilbert.
in fright. "De sperrit of de Thornes is
strong in desc chillen, tubbe sho! De
Lawd alter yo' min, chile"
Missy sobbcd. She was sorry for what
she had said, but she was not going to
confess it.
EN- you is fairly drippin' wild de rain.
Won'er whey is Glory-Ann Diet she let
you git loose, dishver way?"
He rose stiffly from his block, and un-
locking rude cupboard in the corner,
he took out his cherished umbrella. 81
gwan tote dis chile home," he said. 81
gwan shame Glory-Ann outen her shoes.
She settin' up in white folkses' kitchen,
jaw, jaw, jawin', en- she doan no mo-
know whey dis chile is den de way ter
Jericho"
Missy's tears having spent their force,
she sat up and wiped her eyes. ~ amt
nothin' but just little girl" said she
mournfully.
"Dasso, honey; en- you mus min ter
be o good little gal, SOS ter be comfort