Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1893-12-09
CHAPTER VII.
A MYSTERIOUS FEUD.

near I'LL tudt Tie COulu lciI
strange benefactor. To overcome his
reluctance. gave him the story of my
life as it has been set forth i'm the pre-
vious chapters. dwelling much upon
the deep impression that Mr. Bostock's
liberality and his interest in me had
produced. how for years had cher
ished the hope of joining him here.
the difficulties had overcome to do so.
and my present deep disappointment
My account evidently touched the
listener.
II see must tell you what know.
You have plain right to be told. The
whole story has grown into the most
disagreeable recollection of my life,
and with any ordinary inquirer /
should ignore the whole business. And
If you will hear 1t. you must be warned.
at the start, that it will furnish what
] should think will be good reasons
why you should now abandon your
search for Pierce Boetock. Shall 60
on?"
by all means"
will put the narrative in his own
language. as nearly as possible.
NV acquaintance with Bostock be-
gan about the year lS4l. when he
came up here from Louisiana to look
for a cotton plantation that would
suit him. The account that he gave of
himself was. have no doubt, strictly
true. He had been raising sugar al
most all his life in La Fourche district
of Louisiana. and he desired change.
He proposed to keep his great planta-
ton there under the charge of a
competent overseer. and to live here.
He must be immensely wealthy; for
seeing and liking this plantation he
paid cash for il. Ii you'll look over it
with inc III the morning, You can
easily make up your mind that it re-
uuired fortune to do that.
He removed here that September,
bringing some of his house servants.
He had two childrcn-an infant in its
nurses arms. little Coralie, of whom
you will presently hear more: and
son. Conrad. then fifteen years old.
He never said much about his wife.
In fact. he never named her OF his own
accord: to those who thought they
had the right to ask questions, he in
variably replied that she was Partisan
born, and could not live away from
Paris. even with her husband and
children. All understood from this
that it was case where husband and
E. LnI 20
never could see that any one of the
numerous slave women that were
about this house in those day. occu-
pied the position of housekeeper. There
were two or three of them who were
quite capable of il: but Bostock was
accustomed to get along in an easy. in
dulgent way. without anyone to look
sharply after the household affairs
So there was waste. extravaganza and
confusion, as there always will be
where there is an indulgent master,
and no white woman TO hold the rein
over q lot of idle. shiftless darlSies.
The boy Conrad had better dispose
of at once. II has been many years
since ! saw him. | certainly never
want to see him again. fIe was
wild, undutiful fellow. and in con-
tinual difficulty with his father
When he was twenty he disappeared.
presume that Mr.. Bostock knew
where he went; but he never men,
toned him and nobody cared to know.
If there could be such thing as a
born gambler, should say that Conrad
Bostock was one. When but sixteen
he would 60 to Vicksburg and spend
days and nights there. in the lowest
resorts along the river. lie never
seemed to me To stand in the least awe
of his father. but Mr.. Bostock always
appeared uneasy when he was about.
When he went away there was rumor
that he received large sum of money
from his father upon condition that
he should never return. This may
have been mere rumoF: ] only know
that the people about here never did
see him again. and that |. knowing as
much as anybody of the family in those
DAYS. never saw the least sign of af-
lection between father and son.
To a person who had never seen
Pierce Bostock. all this would natural.