The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-15

trouble IN plenty; Ise los my rum
berilla."
"Ahs!" said Nicholas. "Then you may
take mine"
mo. Mawse Nick, no sub !" said old Gill
bert, putting up his hands beseeching,
while his face turned that ashen hue pc
culiar to the negro. II amt gwain TEX yo'
runberrilla, nohow."
DAT l couldn' do" he said to himself,
as he turned away. Use 'bleedged ter go
home en- tell mawster-what l is foun'
out. But ain gwan tote his rumberilla,
en- tote tales too"
He sat him down under the work-shed,
Gliding the lingering hours. Pears lax
Jashuay been meddlin' wild dat sun" he
grumbled.
But the sun went down at last, and
when Ii rose again, the old man was well
on his way to Thorne Hill.
It was dark when he alighted at his
cabin, which stood apart from the other
negro quarters, and near the head of the
lane that led from the back premises along
the garden. The cabin, built of logs, with
a chimney of clay, occupied one side OF a
small Enclosure, surrounded by a wattled
fence. Here old Gilbert had his garden,
his tobacco patch, and his poultry yard
Plum glad l is ter git homer he
calculated. "Bsfo' | goes up ter de greet
house, gwan hunt me a aigg outen my
own hen-nesses; 'pears lax / ain taste
naire aigg ter my notion sence l been
gone"
Now, while old Gilbert was absent at
Sunrise plantation. several things had hap
pened to increase the colonePs impotence
at Nicholas contentment in exile. In the
first place a sudden and violent storm had
unroofed Mrs. Leonard Thorne's house, so
that Miss Flora and her mamma had been
forced to take refuge at ThOrne Hill. This
was very pleasing to to the colonel, for
though he did not like bis brothers
widow, he was very fond of his brothers
young daughter. Flora Thorne, beside
being fair to see, had the serene manners
that he had admired she danced with
grace; she sang the simple songs he loved;
she was very domestic, and not in the
least learned" Ii was the strongest de-
sire of his heart that Nicholas should
marry this pretty cousin, settle on the
terndale place, three miles distant, and
fulfill the dignified destiny of gent eman
planter. But since Miss Flora had taken
up her abode at Thorne Hill the colonel
had made discovery that caused him
much uneasiness. That so pretty and
charming a girl should have adorers was
in the natural order of things, and the
colonel did not object to the frequent WIS.,
its OF Miss Flora's admirers; but that Miss
Flora should favor any one of them all
more than another-Nicholas being absent
was more than Nicholas father could
endure with equanimitv. Mr. Aleck Gage
was the one among Miss F!ora's visitors
whose coming vexed the colonel and in
creased his eaeerness for his sons return.
But how TO recall his banished son
without sacrificing his own dignity-a
point upon which he was superlatively
ssnsitive-was still the problem that en-
gagged the cOloneps thoughts. He felt
that Nicholas under sentence of Danish
ment ought to plead to return home; he
was sure that Sunrise plantation must
have proved uncomfortable long ago; but
Nicholas was giving proof OF more OBJ
stinate endurance than his father
had supposed him capable Of.
"Confound him for being so
much like mew the colonel muttered, as
he sat staring at the thorny popinac,
where the accustomed mocking bird, re-
joicing in the moonlight, poured its I'M
stinted song. In the parlor Flora was
singing to Aleck Gage something
about moonlight and music, love, etc.
Old Gilbert's familiar greeting fell upon
his ear with soothing sound. Leaning
forward in his chair, the colonel deserted a
dark visage Just above the level OF the
level of the piazza floor. "Hellol So
you're back at last, you old runaway %
he said loosely. "And how is Nicholas?"
"Mawse Nicholas is peart ez a cricket
| subj" Gilbert answered cheerfully, but
ADDED Immediately, and with strong en-
phasis, Hits a mighty lonesome place,
| tubbe shop"
'Ha! Nicholas finds it lonesome7" the
colonel asked eagerly.
"He amt complained none" old Gilbert
| sighed EN- de craps is mighty promus-
sun" he supplemented, adroitly. though
well he knew that the crops owed none oil
| their promise to Nicholas.
Suddenly he changed the subject.
| Although he still had 1t in mind to tell all
| he knew. he found it very hard to make
| his report; he could not come at it through
| the medium OF the crops, and he was fain
to try another course.
VIVA dis de tell me, mawster, down ter
! de quarter. bout de storm done onroofed
| Miss Pauline's house?"
| "Yes," the colonel answered; "didn't
you haye a blow at Sunrise Plantation"
| 'Tubbe sho. sub, what you mought call
a high win. the day after l got dere ;,.but
| de ain no damidge done. Miss Flora en-
/ uef NAV, MISS IAullne, ue - ali safe
"0h yes, only out of the house and
home; out OF their own house and home
that is; they've home here, of course
as long as they'll STAY. don't know how
long it may be about rebuilding; the
house is pretty badly shattered, anC
Furnival is not to be found in Tallahas
see- He has job somewhere, il seems.
"Mawse Job Furnival YOU is meanin'
mawster?" cried old Gilbert, excitedly
"Bless yo' soul. mawster, he is over tel
Eden; seed him myself; had speech wiC
him"
"What is he doing there?"
81 amt 'zactly made out ez he is dom
anythin' in ticker, subj" old Gilber
answered, uneasily. but I'm a-thinkin
it mought be a-savin' you a sight O
trouble, mawster, il Mawse Nick wuz her,
ter go back en- 10th, en- look after re
buildin' Miss Pauline's house."
Exactly exclaimed the colonel, Will
feeling akin to gratitude. "Pll senC
forthwith for Furnival, and I'll have Mich
oIas at home. Go round to the kitchen
and tell Dicey to give you a tip-top sup
per. Reckon you're pretty tired?"
"Middiin', mawster; thankee, sub" OLE
Gilbert responded, with sigh of infnit,
relief
II didn't want ter go tell on Maws
Nick" he said to himself, on the way /,
the kitchen; mot ef hit wnz ter be holp
En- thankful i am de Lawd is pinted d