The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-08

piazza. Hungry and tired. reckon you
/ are, old man?"
"No, Mawse Nick, l ain so hongry; but
ridin' is pow'ful stillenin', en- eli you
| please, sub, I'll jes' drap down on de steps.
/ Hits a mons'tous good sight ies' ter look
/ al ye. Mawse Nick"
"Well, Pm not sure but the sentiment
is reciprocated in my own personality"
Nicholas responded, sonoronsly
"Wha' dat, Mawse Methodist"
What mean TO say" replied Nicholas,
with due gravity, lis, that the visual per-
/ ception of your material essence awakens
a sensation in the cardiac region that COM
] pletelY eliminates any inclination to de-
i spondency"
"Mawse Nicholas" said old Gilbert, in
/ solemn admiration, you oEter 60 bout de
kentry talkin' politics, you Ort You'd cit
/ 'IecJed ter somethin', sho ez shoOtin'.
/ But min now, Mawse Nick" he suddenly
/ interrupted himself. starting up, dat boy
orter be mighty kerful how he han'les
/ dem tings, he mOught bus de bottom outen
dat box what MisslevrT put de goodies in.
/ En- dere's my rumberiilal" he exclaimed.
! excltedly, as Virgil staggered through the
gate. Min how you tote dat rumberiia,
you plantation niger, Han'tcherl You
gwan brek dem ribs, en- den what? Dis
hyer rumberila is older den you is, Mawse
! Nick" he explained with pride, as he
! spread IL open to satisfy himself that it
was unbroken. Hit was yo' gran paw
GIN him ter me, en- Use toted hit over
/ you many's de time, when YOU wuz a
/ baby. We dOsn see no SIGH. ev'y day." he
declared shutting the umbrella with
! snap, and turning TO caution Virgil about
! the box.
missy charged me to tell you dere is a
sugar heart in dat same box she sont you,
! Mawse Nick, Diet she kissed it when she
wrOpped hit up"
Dear little sister," Nicholas sighed,
half TO himself. How 1 wish she were
nearer my own age"
'Dere's Miss Flora, you know" said
Gilbert. insinuatingly. she's gwan on
nineteen. GLORY Mawse Nick. you les
orter see Miss Flora sense she come home
outen school. De way she can chatter de
palmer. tubbe sho En- she's ez putty ez
pink"
"Red head and ireckled face?" aaid
Nicholas.
"Now, Mawse Nick. You ter be jokin'
dat way, when YOU know Miss Flora is got
hair lax de inside o chincapin-burr, en-
her face is lilies en- roses, en- her eyes de
is stars"
go on, poeta nascitur!" Nicholas cried
gayly.
Tell you what's q fac, blawse Nick,
you orter be settin' up ter Miss Flora yat
now"
Hum" said Nicholas. "How many
times a week 90 you think / could ride
back and forth, these thirty miles, for her
sweet sake? ?"
Old Gilbert rubbed his forehead in deep
thought before he said
You mought- straighten hit wild nav
ster en- cit ter be at home"
mo. I'll be hanged Here was I sent,
and here l mean to stay until Pm invited
home again - Nicholas declared, almost
with ferceness.
But YOU see. Mawse Nick" old Gilbert
demonstrated, folks ain bin, en- dem
what looks at Miss Flora onct is mighty
apt ter look agin. Dere's lot a young
gemmen buzzin' roun' her same ez Juny
bug after fig-bush."
Did my father send you down here to
preach my cousin Flora to me?" Nicholas
demanded, sharply.
NO, Mawse Nick Pm Cwan tell de
bottom fac. Jes' yistiddy down by de
berry patch, me n dat Jesse Furnlval
snapped some words; en- he let me know
how You had some 'stur bance down here
ter Eden, en- how cat low white trash
Marcus White tried ter stob you. | lowed
hit wuz al lie. Marcus White is kin ter
de Furnivals, en- what is de ter mix long
o. your But wuz dat Uneasy in my min.
come dark l went up ter de greet house"
And told my father?' interrupted
Nicholas. angrily, starting up.
NO, Mawse Nick, l ain let on ter no.
body; jes' come now ter see fur myself
dat you is safe en- SCUM"
Nicholas was much moved he turned
! 4 i
several times. When at last ne sat down,
Colbert" be said, with an effort 10 speak
lightly, You have the soul OF a gentle
man"
Pm bleedged ter We, Mawse Nick"
said the old man, getting on his feet to
bow his acknowledgements. "Yo' gram
paw en- you paw wuz gemmen, en- Ise
b'longed to 'em bot. / ain nuver 'sociated
myself wild po' white trash"
Nicholas looked at him with an odd
smile, saying slowly, I've turned over a
new leaf. I'm not going to be bad boy
any more. You can carry that news
home. II you like"
"Bless Gawd" calculated old Gilbert.
"Thst affair between me and Marcus
White happened some time ago, it's all
over now, and my father need know moth
ing about it.
"De Lor' mighty, Mawse Nick! Hit
wuz de troof, den? Way off here-en'
none but niggars en- do oberseer ter TEX
keer on your
"Oh, was well attended to-" Nicholas
replied evasively. I'm going to lead a
steady life in future; so this affair may as
well be forgotten"
de Lawd be praised Not but what 1
knowed you wuz jes' a-foolin' wild you
chances to have young folkses fun, Mawse
Nick"
But old Gilbert had not been three days
at Sunrise plantation before he learned
that it was Nicholas invariable habit to
ride away as soon as he had eaten his 6
o'clock supper, and it was always late be-
fore he returned.
"Dat boy do to much prowlin' by night,
the old man grumbled. "Mawse Nick
orteT be home flyin' roun' Miss Flora, en-
me orter be home mindin' my own con-
sarns. But / so skeered de boy is mixed
in wild a bad crowd I'm 'bleedged ter stay
ontel | kin TEX my observations"
And in order to take his observations,
old Gilbert had to contrive a plan.
"I dunno whey Mawse Nick kin be SO
stiddy." be argued, "bedouten hits dat
place de calls Eden, what has tried desc
some years ter be town. Jes' q sto' en-
a meetin' house, en- n han'ful O. little
onpainted dwellin's. SIGH ez mought suit