New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-14
"OLD FORTY'S MASTER"

over dirt road" in this remote region OF VIZ.
ginia, seemed dismal climax to my oiScOl'ioi'
and il-humor. -, -.,
Any mark Of confidence evinced by Cammache
& Casson, Attorneys at Law, in seiecnng Inc iOr
this business, was quite balances ~ W V'e under,
decided disinclination OF everybody else 10 unuel
take 1t. . o,. h, ,vo
especially desire TO confide this matter 70 you,
Mr. Cammache had explained, with the dehght
ful plausibility of an astute lawyer. our , Iol-
mer client. Basil Crofton has not been heard IRON
when eme tSs war waS broke ont. What he may be
now. or whether he is even living, we ca t
discover. Repeated notifications OF legacy iro1
his aunt fail to bring response II he rs ueau
this money reverts TO another Crofton. Poverty
or family misfortune may induce him 10 Ieluse
all communication with bis. old companions dnu
the outside world. You to use your own, us
cretion in the means of communicating Win HUI I
You are a relative and may be successful WHERE
Others fail At all events ne must DE lhiolu y.
Of the bequest Of his aunt. and you must 90 ~.
When the senior member of our law firm hao
said this, he had summed my Instructions ana .ne
motif of this wintry pastoral -
That three days agone but my Journey,
somewhat fatlguing and altogether novel 70 one
accustomed only 10 the human sights ana SOUNDS
of a large city, would absolutely end In a rev
hours The sun had gone down. the dusk gath
cred the stars cleaned and the moon erept up
all In the self-same steathy, breathless silence
boisterous, or severed this spell of profound Sc
renity. The driver dispelled my speculations.
If young mastah's lonesome like, pI'raps you'd
ruther ride on the box long wld me; he sa, ,1,
ingly. In default Of matters Of greater interest,",
j noted that the driver was a small elderly mn-
latto man, Enthusiastically well-oTed ANA nauGrsiy
philosophic. Apparently he felt no curiosity
In reference to myself and an utter lndlneIence
to all the world out Of sight Of bis stage route
How far are we from Crofton Arms 7"
inquired at last.
For the first time in the desultory conversation,
the driver answered with some show Of animation
Five mile, sah,-fve good mile But Ell you
be er Qwine to cit out dere, it's er pow'ful po
place "Taint er patchin TO what 1t usen to be,
he explained, favoring me with scrutinlzing
glance, as if somehow / suddenly became OF IN
"Your master was the landlord, suppose p
was my careless comment. -,
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,
smallest effect in accelerating the speed OF his
my Morse Blaise was de richest man in dis
in evident pride, '"end TO de trouble. Jpn TUX
him; but he'd nebber had TO hung his head eff
he'd er listen TO Forty-dat's me, sah-names
Forty-two sah."
"fortescue, take it."
yes, sah," he interrupted eagerly, garrulous
upon this subject which 1t fell in with my pur-
20 yes. sab, GrOftOn Lodge was er gran place
in them days, wild lots Oh niggers ready to Jump
or eve at em Our family wur de VERY fustest
in de land" continued Forty, STRENGTHENING HIM
self In conscious aristocracy. " DE 6es oh qual:
heap OBJ gTan'fathers en- madams, dressed in wige
en- ruffes, en- diaments on em, en- cherry las one
Oh em sot in solid cole S en S SScnsS mp
use n ter roll up from de big gate by de dozen,
en- dere was room TO- ebery las head OBJ em, !"
he added while something like exultation lllum-
dey'd set on de poches or pace de WALKS, unncr
de trees, en- Marse Baise he'd call TO- me-'hello,
nr ia mini
scouSdr yGq Christmas times deres apple today
IN eggnog en- wine poed out fo eberybody; en-
de niggahs flynn ropn' much eE aey Soui1 40
ct wild SLIDER dishes on de table Yes young
masTdh. deere was sheep by De hundred in de past
war; war but Veil Seber be wuff dat much sgin, i"
and Forty sighed with q regret that would have
been grCtesque i il had not been pathetic, ,sa
My Marse Blaise was er big. gran man, wld
pow'fnl gram ways exclaimed Forty. and 1t was
Wonderful how his eyes kndled and bis bent old
John CrOfton, only dey want nOways er likc-no-
ways at all"
aHOw did Colonel John differ from your mas-
cune p gohH wu uG DE- odes en Wde Oh de
two; but all t'wunst peared like he's struck oh er
notion Oh stayin' at de Lodge wild MaTse B b
en- old Mistis. Nobody knowed why de Cun'el uE
n stuck to de family like, which he'd nebbeI
done in his life, cePtin' en- savin where he's
Did you discover the reason of this sudden
affection?" l asked, as the man touched the
horses with the tip OF his whip and started then
into a spasmodio bris<ness.
Toby sho, sah-it all come out in de emd
when II tw ant er bit o. use how much we knowed
'Twur all erlong of pretty Miss Chev ez wgl
gwine ter marry Marse Blaise. Dere was crowds
steps inter dc hall, but de gayest and snilinges
was Miss Chevellen,-qu name, want it Long
TO de breed, though; she's ole Mstiss niece, er
dey called her Miss Chev, jos ez dey done m,
ole Miss in her time. She wur pow'ful beautiful
wild dem brown eyes, en- yallar-brown hair, Ell
40 i11o., 1i,,s
guy you good morning deIe was er kinder SIM
N II ez hung by you longern de bes' chune on d
store by his cousin, and Miss Chev could Goa,
de debil outn him when his blood was up. by on
look oh her eye or touch Oh her pretty white hands
wur chock fun er comply, way back when d
fust fallowin' TO- wheat was jes' bout DONE en- d.
fust frost Pry open dc chtiocapn en- cheSt9 M
hunters, come Oun'ei John. pOw'fujl any
ions to git +, er a,o shot To-, after rabbit
from de house 10 look fo' il.
AFTER Marse Baise would be done gone ont !
de chestnut woods t'other en- er de place shootn'
all DC geseF dbn %bs Ot 70 sse en- sSdn
his gun. what was ez full ez when he started on
wild Marse Blaise, in such a bilin' hurry to Shoe
so'tbing Miss Chev she's alters sOme'ere con
wenient. en- Cun'el John he'd tote her out'n d
shrubbery, er in de big drawn rooms, en- they
stay an eT w@In de ea Whole dressed res day O3s
come in wild deere bags choc& full er patidge:
hyars. er sora, en- Cun'el John he'd up'n tax 'er
a. Whur'd you fellows go |? he'd say pretendir
to he pow'ful put out look for You tell sur
down, den | guy il up en- come home ,.,. .,
II gins to notice as Miss Chev neb6er sal
nothin, en- nebber tole nothin'; long er WIN
she'n de Cun'e he'd bin, befo' Marse Blaise. A
10 old Mistis, she want noticin, en- ef she wa
Cun'el John wur dat glib talkln' man, ez he'd c
made de ole lady believe, blacks white / kel
er noticin' too ez Miss Chew tu'n mighty red, .
look mighty pleased like when de Cunel wa
roun'. en- dat she kinder SHE'D Of from Mars
Baise but never spicioned de wust of it an
mo- en- my Marse Blaise done"
The old man came TO full stop, and heave
one of those deep sighs which could fancy ha
came 10 be habitual, when he travelled these las
miles past the domain OF his master. In the VIII
ter moonlight his dark face seemed TO wear a
expression OF intense pathetic regret
Old Forty released his hold on the rens glance