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


At break OF day old Gilbert set forth on
mis- journey in the jolting little cart, drawn
by a small black OK that went a plodding
gait.
The Old man. with a view of doing
Mawse Nicholas honor was attired in his
Sunday best: blue broadcloth coat with
brass buttons and black satin vest, once
the property OF Col. Thorne's father, a
pair of nankeen pantaloons, and q white
hat, stiff and tall. discarded by the
colonel. He sat upon plank across the
front of the cart, with his feet dangling
outside. The plank was cushioned by a
blanket in which was folded his everyday
suit of homespun A box that held
contribution to Nicholas harder, from Miss
Elvra, was safely bestowed in one corner,
at the bottom of the cart, where a wallet
containing his noon refreshment lay be-
side dingy umbrella, the cherished pos
session of twenty years.
Late in the afternoon he came to an ex-
panse OF pine barren; vast, solemn,
sombre, it stretched in every direction,
the rays of the sinking sun shining family
athwart the multitudinous, tall, dark
trees, whose boughs, swaying in the upper
air, maintained a continuous susurrus
that emphasized the silence. Himself and
his OK were the only living creatures Wis
ible in this solitude, save an OCCASION al
bird that darted above his head, as if In
haste TO escape to a more congenial wood;
and old Gilbert, TO keep himself in heart,
began to sing his hymns. Lifting up his
voice, he made the solitude resound to a
wierd strain. in harmony with the signing
OF the pines:
"0h, liyin' humble. humble, humble.
Oh, Twin humble. de bell done TOLL"
"Oh, liviu' humble. humble, humble
On. Twin humble, 20 time gwan come"
The sun was down and the moon had
not vet risen when he came out on the
other side of the barren. where he ceased
his singing, being now near his journey s
end; for at the foot OF the slope was the
large red gate that gave entrance to the
Sunrise plantation.
Old Gilbert dismounted, with some
rheumatic grunts, to open this gate. A
whip poor-wil was calling in the grove
through which he had to drive to the
house and as he climbed back upon the
the cart screech-owl uttered its uncanny
cry. 60.
tered in fear and anger, as lac stopped
with haste to pull off his left shoe. "Ht's
SIGH a bad sign ter hear screech-owl
but de do say eff you put of yo left shoe,
yo' put off de bad luck. Lawd. SEN no
bad luck ain gwan fall ter Mawse Nick
long o. dat 'sturbance what dat Jesse
Furnival named ter me. Lemme git outen
dishyer grove quick ez ole Brandy kin
tote me"
But old Gilbert had to endure the sere-
made of the screech-owi yet some minutes
longer before he came to the second gate
in front of the house of hewed logs, which
was neither a cramped nor a comfortless
dwelling, though it moved the scorn of
the old negro fresh from the grandeur of
Thorne Hill. "Sich place fur Mawse
Nick" he calculated contemptuously, as
he halted his OK.
A vociferous chorus from the dogs greet
ed his arrival, and Gilbert prudently kept
his perch on the cart, shouting Justify,
"Hellop
"HelIo, YOURSELF" answered a voice
through the dusk.
Oats him, bless Glory" the old man
chuckled. as he clambered down from the
cart, while the same voice was heard
silencing the dogs.
Nicholas was standing on the piazza
dimly outlined in the uncertain light of
the new-risen moon; gOodly young fel-
low, tall, broad shouldered and straight as
an arrow; his great brown eyes. mis- curl
ing dark hair his straight nose and
rounded cheeks. his broad forehead, and
mouth and chin with the silky, red-bJown
beard of early manhood, old Gilbert know
by heart.
"How dye, Mgwse Nicholas huh you
do2" he shouted, with chuckle OF ex-
uberant delight, as no stumbled up the
steps of sawn blocks.
"Why. where in the thunder did you
come from?" cried Nicholas. Anything
the matter at homer"
mo Mawse Nick, doan you be uneasy
De is all peart. Hits jes' me, come lur
change"
".Ahal come a-courtin'p Nicholas re-
turned, with a laugh. Cant fool me
you're gotten up to kill"
NOW, Mawse Nick Pokin' fun Mt dis
ole niger come a.purpose ter see You
Pears lax hits so lonesome ter de Hill
douten you; en- Mise yirev. she sont you
a box OF goodies. III jes step back en-
fetch EN- outen dc cvart."
But Nicholas forbade. Here, Virgil
20 bring in those things" be commanded