The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-29
CHAPTER XIV.
OLD oLBERT's vow.

cabin door.
"Brer Nicholas is in Tallahassee" she
announced, in triumph.
DE Laudl Wha' dat you tell me,
Missy? Nobody ter Eden, nur ter Sunrise
kin tell whicherway is Mawse Nick gone.
Is hit fur fac he is in Tallahassee"
Missy nodded, with a comfortable sense
OF superiority in the possession OF knowl-
edge that this old man had missed. though
he had made journey or thirty miles.
"At Cousin Myrtilla's," she explained
further.
you doan tell ~
"And he is ill, dreadfully ILL.," whim-
pered Missy. And know he wants to see
me-"
'Lawd! Lawdw calculated old Gilbert
You got to carry me up to town to-
morrow" said Missy, authoritatlvely.
You got nothin' else to do"
Old Gilbert shook his head. Hit
mouaht be a ketchin' complaint. chile"
Il hate hard hearted people" Missy de-
clared, bringing her little fist down on her
knee with violence. And everybody on
this old hill has got hearts like milestones
-'ceptin' me. You mean ole niogerl 1
shan't give you any Christmas gif'."
You mus TAX patience, honey" coun-
seled old Gilbert "Hit amt NOR three
days sence Mawse Nicholas lsf US things
gwan to mend-maybe."
"And it might be thousand years."
sighed Missy.
"Chillen mus obey" Gilbert reminded
her.
Missy was silent long time; then said
she at last:
Daddy Gilbert, you've got religion, amt
you?"
"Bress de Lawd!" eiacula ted the old
man, piously.
eff" proceeded the child, with great
seriousness, ''if you was to make, right
here, solemn VOW to the Lord. like the
bible SAYS, you'd keep it. wouldn't you, if
it killed you?"
"Tubbe sho" the old man answered. a
| little dazed between the fatigue of his
| journey and the look OF strange resolve
on Missy's face.
At this assent she stood up, on the step
above him, her hair tossing in the even
| ing wind, her eyes burning, her slender
| hands clssped against her breast; she
looked, in the dim twilight, like q spirit,
and old Gilbert felt awed
"Kneel down, she SO u jmperiously.
Obj Gilbert obeyed as - pugh the COM
/ ndu COinc lTOn another WOTlQ, A5
/ he half believed it did
Say after me-" Missy dictated: 81
| promise and VOW, in the help OF the Lord,
! to keep track of Mawse Nicholas Thorne
to tho end OF my days Amen"
| These words Missy recited with fervid
| solemnity, the old negro repeating after
! her, in an awe-stricken voice he thought
| the child must surely be inspired.
Now" said she, in a matter-of-fact
tone, when this ceremony was over, Pm
/ goin' back to the house and bring you
| some supper. I've got to take care OF
you, cause you've got to look alter Brer
| Nicholas"
The old negro stood watching her as she
| went along the lane. dat chile amt
gwine live out half her days" he muttered,
with a soriowful shaking of his old head
When Missy returned presently with
the promised supper he declared that he
could not eat.
"Well, but you better" Missy insisted.
"You got to 90 up TO town tomorrow.
know Aunt Elvira is goin' to send you"
Dat cawfee do smell pow'ful encour-
agin', tubbe sho." he admitted, with q
/ slow smile, and soon found his appetite
He had just ended his meal when Miss
| Elvira stood in the cabin door, and the old
haH AOoO etAAAlg " moAo AAo AVA haAu
| obeissnce.
''Slt down, Gilbert, you must be tired, "
said Miss Elvira, graciously. "Winifred,
my dear, run on back to the house; it is
too late for you to be out"
What's the use?" said Missy, with an
impatient shrug. II know all about it,
Daddy Gilbert has been to look for Brer
! Nicholas, and Brer Nicholas amt there. y
nicholas is at Mrs. Herry's," said Miss
! Elvira, YEARLY.
$50 Missy been tellin' me. Hukkom
you know, Missle-virey
Mrs. Henry was here today" she an
swered flushing. "You must 90 up town
tomorrow, Gilbert. You need not start SC
very early. and I'll see you again in the
morning"
But the next morning old Gilbert was
! Riling and for several days thereafter he
was unable to leave his bed. Tom Quash
who went up 70 town" three times 6
week for the mail, reported to GIorv-Ann
that Mawse Nick was mighty sick, then
that he was a little better, and finally
that he was pronounced out of danger
! A fortnight later Miss Elvira added an
other hundred to the sum she had already
given old Gilbert and dispatched him on
an embassy TO her nephew.
i prlSed at MlsSle-Vlrey, museo ole
Gilbert as he logged on his way, with
| Nicholas trunk in the ox-cart. "Hit
amt no mo- use n nothin' t all ter cen
dishyer money. Mawse Nick amt ewan
tex hit. But amt gwan cay MOTHS
when Mawse Nick done refuse bit gwaI
put hit away; come O. uss bom-bye."
1t came TO pass as Gilbert had foreseen
Nicholas would none of his aunt's gift
and indeed the faithful old slave had some
difficulty in persuading him TO receive the
trunk. Miss Elvira, however, made nc
inquiry about the. money; she bad no
expected thanks nor any kind of acknowl
edgment, and she preferred to say moth
ing about it.
En- hit amt fur me ter 90 ter her 'dou
is axed, old Gilbert decided and yer,
early the next morning he buried Miss
Elvira's gold where his own savings wer,
hidden.
Some days later came the news tha
Nicholas had left Tallahassee, or rather
it was understood that Job Furnival haC
taken his daughter and his son-in-lav
away 1t was old Gilbert who brought
this news; he had learned it through the
negroes belonging to the improvident anc
despised Furnivals down the road, whose
society he now cultivated, one means
of keeping track of Mawse Nick"
Hits a fur way, very fur way fun
here. Missle-virey," said he, sorrowfully