Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-25

'oPPiHS oyer, lie WaUCIeu the restless
throng He was shutting along in the
red glare from these latter dives of
squalld and wretched vice when hand
plucked his sleeve and familiar voice
said:
'Oh, Use powerful glad to see yo', sab.
Use ben lukin' fer 20, kase l felt some
how en- desc OF bones dat yo'd cum
hyre."
Zeb turned and saw by his side the
old darkey he had met at Rolling Fork.
he turned to him, glad to meet among
the strange throng any familiar face,
and said:
Use glad to see yo, niger"
"An' Use powerful glad to see yo'. But
Lor', l knowed I'd ketch up wifi yo'
somewhat soon. Don't de good book
say, Cast yo' bred on de water an after
meny days ct Eel cum back? Here's a
'stration OBJ dat very fac. Use foun dat
sister'n OBJ yo's what war lost"
Found Cordia?" said Zeb, very slowly,
looking at the good old black face turned
shrewdly toward him.
''Sho' huff, bless de Lord! done less
dat fling. When you left me Use got on
anoder train, 'cept dat it war dark and
1t war freight train. crawl in mong
de cotton bales and ride clar to hyre. |
war goln' up to my aunt Liza, and when
war goin' long de street up dar on de
bluff sho' ez Moses talked an Jonah
swum, der war oman cryin' un'er a
lantern on de corner cudn't go on
nowhow tell | seed what allied she'un,
an | stopped en- sed, White oman, what
oil N-,Ns. 'elNn II
stay, an when she sed dat an look up
an l peeked into her face 'membered
what yo'd don toll me bout yo sis'er
what war lost, and l sed, Dress de Lord,
hyre's dat pore chill cast in 'mong de
VII beasts en- this place, hk Daniel wuz
In de lions den, an de Lords sent me as
Special messenger to TUX car on her.
So l sisted on her goin' to my aunt
Llza's an she's ben dar fer 70 days now"
Yer not foolin' me, is yo', niger?
It's my little sister Cordia sure 'nuff,
bea'nt ETY.
Don't yo' fret bout dat; cts her sho
huff. Hain't she done gone an tot me
all bout ct, an hedn't gone an tried
to roustabout on de Belle O Memphis eff
deyd TEX her up tn Prov dence? Sho.
y
ct when George Wash'ton Henry Clay
Prentiss tell yo' cts So"
Zeb let the old colored man lead him
through the dark thoroughfares, up the
steep ascent and across Main street, out
past the great dark mass of the Catholic
church and the sisters school, with its
high wall hiding the riotous foliage and
the white statues upon their pedestals
within-out and out, until the cottages
were lost among narrow cabins and the
streets ran into the lanes in the neigh
borhood of the slaughter houses. Zeb
and his companion hurried on, the guide
out of breath but eager, the fisherman
suppresSlEg desire to run, to clap his
hands, to cry out aloud that all might
hear and know that Cordia was found.
At last they went in through little
gate, STOPPING to pass under the droop-
ing branches of a magnolia tree, whose
red and waxen seeds were, even in the
white moonlight, like a flame amid the
green leaves. The guide knocked softly
at the cabin door, and bent and tur-
baned colorad grandma opened it and
| admitted them. She took the yellow
| cane stem of the clay pipe she was smok-
ing from between her lips, and without
apparent surprise at seeing the stranger
uttered warning "hist" as she pointed
to figure lying on pile of bedding in
| the corner. Zeb never paused, but. fol-
lowing the direction of the crone's finger,
| went to the pallet, and STOPPING over it
saw by the dim light Of the splutterng
candle on the mantel over the big fire
place that it was the face of Cordia
There were dark circles under the
| closed eyes, and the weak mouth was
drawn into firm lines about the corners,
while a whisp of yellow hair that fell
over her forehead made her seem more
woebegone than she otherwise would,
but it was Cordia, dear little Cordia-
| older and taller and more womanly-but
| yet just little Cordia. With an inarticu-
late cry, as though all the pent up agony
and baff1ed hope and suppressed emotion
of the lost years were crowding for ex-
preston, Zeb gathered her into his arms
and held her to his breast while he kiss
ed her over and over again.
| Then the closed eyes opened wide in
establishment and fear but as she felt
his strong, loving arms about her and
saw the dear familiar face pressed to
hers, she broke into one glad cry, put
ting her arms about his neck for very
JOY and sobbing, ''Zeb, zeb, Zeb.''
And so without other word they re-
manned long while rocking to and fro
and calling upon each other by name
softly and lovingly and tenderly, until
presently Auntie Lie said:
George Washington Henry Clay
Prentiss, yo' OF fool, what yo sittin' dar
cryin' fur. Jest like baby wifi its fust
| toof p
And the old man rubbed his tattered
coat sleeve across his eyes very fast for
minute or two, and replied with shuttle
and an assumption of anger:
"Shet up, KANT yo; yo's ben cryin'
hyre till it luils mos like dar war a rain
an de roof var leekin'. De debil catch
| yo' sho' less yo' grease yo' skin an stop