Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-03-12
!. Mr.. Cecil, she exclaimed, . you

+" Mr.. Cecil she exclaimed, you
come round ter our house this after
noon. Come about 4 o'clock, walk
in kinder easy and natural like
round to the little gallery il the east
side, where Miss Aurora sits tn af-
ternoons. gwine tend to Miss
Mira
why Tildie,' he asked, what
would you do? You'd have to kill
Miss Maria to get her off guard"
"Bess yo' soul, Mr.. Cecil,
wouldn't hut hair of Miss M'ria's
head. She are 'sot in her mind, pus-
son; but she dom mean no harm to
nobody. She worry over Miss Au-
rore like ole hen With one duck"
Then Tildie rose to height of
metaphor which astonished her audi
tor and herself.
Yes, Marse Cecil, she worry like
a ole hen with one duck, and you is
the water. Miss Aurore she gwine
| go like the duck ter the water, and
MISS Mira she got ter stay on the
| grass and watch her SWIM"
Any emotion brought out in Tildie
the hereditary dialect of her race. In
calm moments she called people Mr..
and Mrs. as she had been taught.
II will come" ecilpromised, Gu
rious to see the outcome of the adj
venture.
Before luncheon Tildie sought her
mistress. miss Mira, you looks
bad. You is powerful yellow.
low you better tex some of them
little white pills."
Miss Maria looked in the glass.
eyes," she said, "this hot climate
never agreed with me. Some time
shall go north and see my own peo-
pie, and you shall go with me. You
would have to wear muslin cap, up
there, over your ridiculous head
"Lawd, Miss NJ ria? / wouldn't
never be happy 'thout q cap up
thar 1t are cold, Miss Aurore says,
all the time. / dreamed las night,
Miss Mira, bout me and you going
thar"
Tildie went up to the medicine
chest and brought down two white
pills. Miss Maria took them.
At precisely Mr.. Nettoyer reach
ed the sonth veranda. Aurore was
seated in low rocking chair, vol
ume of Jeremy Taylor on her lap,
her eyes fixed on the distant hori-
zon.
Miss Maria was sleeping peace
fully, with her head thrown back in
an upholstered chair which she had
brought from home. Her whole at
titude expressed intense, dreamless
slumber. Aurore's slight cry atsight
of her lover did not wake her, nor
the conversation that followed. Cecil
pleaded his cause nobly. At last,
when an hour had passed, he said to
Aurore:
II shall wake up your stepmoth-
er and lay the case before her."
This was more easily said than
done. Miss Maria did not wake.
They called her; they touched her;
they lifted her up. She still slept
that unnatural, dreamless slumber.
Aurore screamed with fright.
Cecil called Tildie; he took that
young person aside.
"What have you done to Miss
Maria?"
Tildie confessed with absolute
calm: Il give her some little pills
like de doctor give ole master TO he
died. They made him rest natural.
He praised them up wonderful, ole
master did. Miss M ria she ticks Of
ten little white pills for her head
L
ache. Dey looks TO- all the world
lik' the oders. | say to myself,
give Miss Mira old masters pills
and she TEX nice nap, while Miss
Aurore sees Mr.. Cecil"
His heart stood still. What were
the pills you gave herr"
Tildie spelled, morphine"
Bring me some strong coffee
from the Kitchen he said, "and on
your life, Tildie, tell no one what
you have DONE"
When Miss Maria regained con-
seriousness she was being walked
around the long hall, in the strong
arms Of Mr.. Nettoyer, who was say
ing:
"My dear madame, you have been
suddenly indisposed by the heat.
Permit neighbor who happened to
be passing" but she had no clear
membranes of Che rest, for the
walking began, with interruptions to
pour coffee down her thioa and to
beg Aurore not to cry.
For several days Miss Maria was
very i'll.
Cecil did not go to Memphis, but
remained with them. His practical
ability was thoroughly tested in the
emergency that Miss Maria forgave
him everything. As converts are al
ways jealous, she soon became the
most devoted stepmother-in-law in
the country side.
Tildie's mart in the adventure was