The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-04-08

These old people are singularly des-
titute OF friends among their own race
on whom they have claim for support
she explained -.As | told You just a.
moment ago. their children are dead
and their grandchildren have shaken
them of and moved away. They are
very old and much attached to their
home. They wouldn't be comfortable
at the poorhouse.
..Oh, yes, they would he contradict
ed. understanding her to mean in the
material sense. You're nightly mis-
taken about that. The paupers are well
treated by the county; they have good
accommodations and clothing and fire.
wood provided and hardly any work to-
do | rode over there myself the other
day TO tell the overseer to send a wagon
for old Patrick and 70 make arrange
ments about them. don't like niggez;
1 never did But I'm not brute either:
and il | hadn't seen with my own eyes
that the darkies were comfortable and
cared for, wouldn't have moved them.
1T isn't that. said Mary impatientlyi
its the feeling they have about it,
They would die If they were sent to the
poorhouse. It Is their pride. the degrade
ton Of being considered paupers, the
ignominy of being on the county. Can't
You understand? It's the feeling that
made Dickens old woman run away
from everybody and die on the roadside
rather than be taken to the workhouse.r
But Anthony had never read a line Of
Dickens in his life, and the parallel
which Mrs. Beverley had cleverly drawn
from his own class was utterly thrown
away upon him. What struck him was
the absurdity OF surprising negroes capa-
Bile Of feelings and aspirations other than
those relating to physical comfort, of
imagining that they cared for anything
outside Of being warmed and housed and
fed without undue exertion. This idea
Of hers appeared to him 50 humorous
that he threw back his head and laughed
uproariously.
Mary felt as though she could have
struck him.
well, wellr' he said, as soon as he
had got the better Of his mirth, lyon are
verdant, If you'll excuse me for saying
90, Mrs. Beverley. To think Of the cum
ming old beggar taking you in like that,
and of your believing himi He lied like
thief all around. What he wanted was
to stay in my house, and when he found
he couldn't do that. to spite me by not
falling in with my arrangements for
him. It's shame that You should be
the victim. though, and I'll just let my
gentleman see that he can't get ahead
Of me like that. I'll have the overseer
of the poor here after him inside Of
week.
Mrs. Beverley's eyes blazed. You
viii do nothing Of the kind" she said
shortly. 'You are taking a very great
liberty in interfering in my affairs in
this way. Those old people were brought
here BY my orders and Of my own free
will. and here they shall remain. They
have lived on this plantation for upward
of eighty years, and they shall die on it.
They worked for the Beverleys in their
youth, and the Beverleys profited by
their labor; now in their age they look
to the Beverleys for protection and sup
port, and their trust shall not be be.
trayed.
Anthony stared at her, light of ad-
miration beginning to glow in his eyes.
He enjoyed seeing woman fire up.
as he expressed it. and anger had given
to Mrs. Beverley's face beauty it did
not ordinarily possess-a beauty of flash
ing eyes and scarlet cheeks, a beauty of
light and color, such as the man oppo-
site her could keenly appreciate Never
had she looked so attractive in his eyes
As at this moment when he was appear
ing utterly odious in hers.
He dropped his lids according to his
fade. 1t was pity it should go, it was
80 pretty. He felt suddenly certain that
he loved her. and that he wanted her
for his wife. When that should come
about-for even at this early stage he
admitted no possibility Of failureshe
should have her way in all things:
should support a regiment Of paupers if
she liked, and believe all their lies if it
pleased her. He would build a barracks
for them and issue rations, or any other
tomfoolery that she might wish. He
could stand it, and such q woman as this
was welcome to throw his money about
with both hands. 1t was shame for
her to be imposed on now, as he still felt
confident these old negroes were impos-
ing on her; after awhile, when she had
. pocketbook at her back and some one
TO keep it phethoric. it would make no
difference.
What he said was: You'll never make
buckle and tongue meet, if you let PEG
pie ride over you this way. What you
need is somebody to look after you who
has got the right and the means to do
it properly"
CHAPTER XII.