Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-04-21

(
travelling down his spine. A sound, as
of scriptural denunciation. low, but in
tense. had caught his ear. A bat, cir
cling low, had grazed Thornes face and
caused him to throw up his hand with
an impatient oath. The wisdom of the
defunct "kyar'ege driver" was over
whelmed in the food Of perturbation
which seized his descendant The man
swung his torch around nervously and
peered into the darkness. conscious of
distrust of his surroundings that
amounted to positive pain. The other
negro said nothing: but addressed him
self 10 the adjustment of his burden in
the manner least likely to impede re-
treat
Among the colored folks this portion
of the road enjoyed an evil reputation,
particularly after nightfall, for in field
near by there was an ancient graveyard,
and the rumor went that the denizens
thereof were of specially unruly, not
to say malicious spirit. and found pure
delight in ambuscades along the road
sides, and in saliies upon unsuspecting
travellers. with results too painful for de-
scription.
"Haunts was mighty rank bout dar,
the negroes said, and after shutdown that
part of the road was destitute of attrdc-
tons. The graveyard had not been used
for many years. but that only made the
danger greater, for ghosts, grown bold
with long immunity Of Office, were held
capable Of deeper malignity, than would
be within the range Of ghosts oppressed
with the modesty Of debutants The
fact that the occupants Of the place had,
in life. been of their own race. inspired
the negroes with no feeling Of kinship or
confidence. They were earnestly afraid
of all spirits, be they white, black or
red but most of all of black ones, be-
cause they seemed most ia league with
the devil.
When, therefore, the light of the flick
ering pine torch fell obliquely on
Thorne's dark figure and caught CLEAN
from the polished mountings Of his gun,
and another from the brass Of the car
fridge belt, which to the terrified dar-
kies looked like cincture of fire, they
became possessed with the idea that the
most malevolent of all the spirits, per
haps the devil himself, was upon them.
Calling on their Maker with more urg-
ence than they ever did at 'pray'r
neetin, they grabbed up their belong
ings and addressed themselves 70 flight
The bags Hopping up and down on
their backs held them to their speed, by
corporal reminder of what they had to
lose if the devil should overtake them,
and the molasses in the bucket stopped
over the sides and sweetened the dust ut
every jump The bucket top had
bounced off in the first burst and sped
down the road before them. and the
owner, feeling that he had no time 20
lose, never dreamed Of stopping to look
for it. Every now and then the bucket
banged against his leg, causing him to
feel that the evil one might be gaining
and to yell: "Oh, Lawdyl Oh, Lawdyl
at the top Of his lungs, The torchbearer
had flung away his light, thinking to
elude the devil in the darkness, and all
his soul was in his heels.
Thorne laughed a little in mirthless
fashion; but ne was too miserable to be
amused. While the men talked, black
jealousy had crept around the old mag
nolia and linked arms with him. Twice
in the same evening this name had
crossed him. Who the devil was talis
Jim Byrd: These men had spoken of
him as the avowed lover Of Pocahontas
the man she would eventually marry
The girl herself had admitted to him to
be dear and valued friend-a friend so
dear that his going had left blank in
her life The power he had but now
felt to be his own suddenly appeared to
be slipping into other hands. Another
sickle was sharpening for the harvest:
other eyes had recognized the promise
of the golden grain; other hands We're
ready to garner the rich sheaves.
Thornes heart grew hot; angry blood
surged from it and inhamed his system;
every nerve tingled: his eyes glowed and
his fingers frightened on the barrel of the
gun beside HIM. His CONSCIOUSNESS Of
antagonism grew so intense that 1t
seemed TO annihilate space andmaterial-
ize his distant rival into an actual pres
ence: his feeling was that which ami
mates brutes when they lock horns. or
fly at each others threats. and. could
the emotional force which swayed his
soul have been converted into physical
force and projected through space, Jim
would never have seen the light OF an
other day
Poor Thorne. If suffering may be
pleaded in exclamation of moods whose
cause is mingled love and pain. be GER
tainly was not without excuse. inagl-
nation. wounded By jealousy. ieaped for
ward into the failure aud ranged amid
possibilities that made him CULVER
noble. beautiful possibilities. filled with
JOY ana light and sweetness land filed
Tor his rivai-mot for him. As in mir
Tor he beheli his love IN his rivals
arms. resting on his bosom. rs an hour
ago she had rested on his own; only il
this mans embrace. he pictured her
1 glowing. Sentient. responsive 10 look and