The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-09-14

dem people to dish up. I'ze gwine ter
pernounce dinner ter de Ginneral an
de comp'ny dis very minute"
An de strange lady" began
Cass.
''Shet yo' mouf an do as I tells yo'
rings Is comm to pretty pass, if I've
got to have de house upset sech q time
as dis. long Of strange nobody, wa
frslG tei show dey face, er tell who
dey is"
Cass disappeared kitchenward. But
as the old butler made his way through
the great hall towards the parlors,
from whence came certain sounds of
revelry, the perplexed look deepened
| upon his brow.
Strange lady, all in black, an
waitin' for me in my cabin" He
grunted discontentedly. "Seem like
l can't make dat out. Seem like some
folks hab q heep er insho' 'ance Tank
goodness l amt got much fer any one
ter steal dar, bedoubt dey takes de
clock an de kyarpet. Marse, he done
gi' me dem both; but dey amt har'ly
wutf totin' away"
As Cephas opened the parlor door,
the general was handing the Widow
Stirling, a wealthy neighbor of thirty
five or thereabouts, to seat. A birth
day cotillion had just been concluded
Wheeziness and dignity were contend
ing in him, as the courtier-like old
gentleman bent deferentially over his
companions hand.
''Dinnuh is served, suh," said the
butler in his most magnificent tone.
"How-eh?" exclaimed the general,
looking up. "Ah, then I shall not
have to relinquish this fair hand, after
all. You will allow me madam, !
hope?"
So saying he hurried away toward
the dining-room, with the lady on his
arm, the rest of the company, who all
appeared to know each other we'll, fol-
lowing in sociable pairs. Soon they
We're assembled around the long table
when Alabam, having touched her bsll,
marshalled the well victualed train
from the kitchen, and when they de-
posted their burdens with easy dex-
terity, hustled them out again as soon
as possible thereafter.
The side tables groaned, and for a
few moments Cephas and Alabam were
kept exceedingly busy in attending to
the wants of the guests. But when
the dinner was well under way the
butler found opportunity to slip down
to his own snug cabin in the quarter,
though not without sundry misgivings
that he might be taking trouble for
nothing.
'Most like hits some er de pore
wife trash er mother, jess come ter beg
er borry," he muttered as he hastened
through the falling snow. "Dey all
knows de ginerl's way er givin, speshly
on his birthday"
Arrived at his cabin, a cheerful glow
from ths fireplace shone upon the snow
without as he opened the door, for he
had left good fire there not an hour
before. But who was this in deep
black standing on the hearth with
hands meditatively clasped, gazing
into the glowing GOALS?
"De Lord hab mercyF' calculated
the old butler, after his first searching
glance at the pale, sweet face now di-
vested of concealing veil. "If hit
amt my Miss Mildreds ghos'-" He
paused, his aged limbs trembling be-
tween dread and eagerness. "But no,
honey! Hit amt posserble old Cephas
done forget his own little Miss"
This last as the lady sprang forward
and seized the buffers wrinkled hand
in both her own, while the tears ran
down her cheeks.
"No ghost, Uncle Cephas; but your
Mildred, sure enough. L have come
back to my old home in sorrow and
trouble, and upon my fathers birth
day. thought his heart might relent
on this day more, perhaps, than at
another time Oh, Cephas, Cephas !!
Will my father know me as his child
once more?"
"He's jess erbliged to, honey. He
can't help hisself!" The old servants
eyes also grew moist as he realized the
pathos of this unexpected return.
''Massy, child How pale yo' is!
Watts de meanin' er all desc yere black
close But never min, chile; / know
i know! Some one has been
dyin'--"
eyes," interposed Mildred, in
voice that trembled, my husband IS
no more. You know he was never very
strong. Worrying and working Tor
me, uncle, was what killed him. 1t
was so hard for him to make living
in the great city. Nobody seemed to
want his pictures, and knew that the
thought of our poverty was doubly
painful to him, when he thought OF the
home / had left for his sake. Yet his
love was worth more to me than
everything else. But after he died l
was lonely-so very lonely. 1t seemed
to me then that father must be very
lonely, too. He had my mother until
she died, then he had me. Dear
Uncle Cephas don't You think my
father ever wishes he had me back
again?"