The times., 1891-01-02

Furnival named ter me. Lemme git outen
dishyer grove quick ez ole Brandy kin
tote me-"
But old Gilbert had to endure the sere-
made of the screech owl yet some minutes
longer. before he came to the second
gate in front of the house of hewed logs,
which was neither a cramped nor COM
FORTRESS dwelling, though it moved the
scorn of the old negro fresh from the
grandeur of Thorne Hill "Sich place
fur Mawse Nickr' he calculated con-
temptuously. as he halted his OK.
A vociferous chorus from the dogs
greeted his arrival, and Gilbert prudently
kept his perch ON the cart, shouting
Justify, "Hello!"
"Hello, yourself!'' answered voice
through the dusk.
"Dat's him, bless Glory!" the old man
chuckled, as he clambered down from
the cart, while the same voice was heard
silencing the dogs.
| Nicholas was standing on the piazza
dimly outlined in the uncertain light of
the new risen moon; a goodly young fell
low, TALL broad shouldered and straight
as an arrow; his great brown eyes, his
curling dark hair, his straight nose and
rounded cheeks, his broad forehead, and
his mouth and chin with the silky, red
brown beard of early manhood, old Gill
bert knew by heart.
"How dye, Mawse Nicholas! huh you
do?' he shouted, with chuckle of ex.
uberant delight, as he stumbled up the
| steps of sawn blocks.
"Why, where in thunder did you come
| from p cried Nicholas. Anything the
matter at home?"
"No, Mawse Nick, doan you be un-
easy. De is all peart. Hits jes' me,
come fur change"
"Aha come a -courtin'!" Nicholas
returned with laugh. "Cant fool me;
you're gotten up to kill"
"Now, Mawse Nick Pokin' fun at
dis ole niger! 1 come a-puppose to see
you. Pears lax hits so lonesome ter de
Hill, douten you; en- Missle-virey, she
sont you box o goodies. I'll jes' step
back en- fetch em outeI de cyart."
But Nicholas forbade. "Here, Virgil,
go bring in those things" he commanded
a negro boy who was hanging about the
piazza. Hungry and tired, 1 reckon
you are, old man?'
"No, Mawse Nick, I ain so hongry;
but ridin' is pow'ful stiffenin', en- eff you
please, sub, I'll jes' drap down here on
de steps. Hits a monstous good sight
jes ter look at We, Mawse Nick"
"Well, I'm not sure but the sentiment
is reciprocated in my own personality"
Nicholas responded sonorously.
"Wha' dat, Mawse Nicholas?'
"What mean to say" replied Nicho-
las, with due gravity, sis, that the visual
perception of your material essence awak-
ems a sensation in the cardiac region that
completely eliminates any inclination to
dependency.
"Mawse Nicholas" said old Gilbert, in
solemn admiration, "you orter go bout
de kentry talkin politics, you ort! You'd
git 'lected ter somethin', sho' ez shootin'.
But min now, Mawse Nick" he sudden
ly interrupted himself, starting up, "dat
boy orter be mighty kerful how he han'les
dem tings, he mout bus de bottom outen
dat box what Missle-virey put de goodies
in. En- dere's my rumberillav he ex-
claimed, excitedly, as Virgil staggered
through the gate. min how you tote dat
rumberilla, you plantation niger!
Han'tcher! You gwan brek dem ribs,
en- den what? Dishyer rumberilla is
older den you is, Mawse Nick" he ex-
planned with pride. as he spread it open
to satisfy himself that it was unbroken.
'Hit was yo' gran'paw gin him ter me,
en- Use toted hit over you many's de
time, when you wuz baby. We doan
see no sich ev'ry day." he declared, shut
ting the umbrella with snap, and turn
ing to caution Virgil about the box.
"Missy charged me to tell you dere is
sugar heart in dat same box she sont
you, Mawse Nick, det she kissed it when
she wropped hit up"
"Dear little sister!" Nicholas sighed,
half to himself. "How wish she were
nearer my own age"
"Dere's Miss Flora, you know" said
Gilbert, insinuatingly. "She's gwan on
10. Glory! Mawse Nick, you jes orter
see Miss Flora sense she come home outen
school. De way she can clatter de pi-
amer, tubbe sho! En- she's ez pretty ez
pink"
"Red head and freckled face:" said
Nicholas.
SNOW, Mawse Nick! You ter be jokin'
dat way, when you know Miss Flora is
got hair lax de inside o. chincapin burr,
en- her face is lilies en- roses, en- her eyes
de is stars"
$50 on, poeta nascitur!' Nicholas cried
gayly.
"Tell you what's a fac, Mawse Nick,
you orter be settin' up ter Miss Flora yat
now."
"Hum!" said Nicholas. "How many
times week do you think could ride
back and forth, these thirty miles, for
her sweet sakeY'
Old Gilbert rubbed his forehead in deep
thought before he said:
"You mought-straighten hit wild
mawster en- git ter be at home"
"No, I'll be hanged! Here was 1 sent,
and here mean to stay until Pm invited
home again!" Nicholas declared, almost
with fierceness.
"But you see, Mawse Nick" old Gilbert
demonstrated, ''folks ain blin', en- dem
what looks at Miss Flora onct is mighty
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