Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-12-21

, way for visitor 10 come one day, and
go the next"
"My curiosity isn't half satisfied,
laughed Miss Celeste. 81 supposed
from what had heard, that your New
England people were kind oi
kangaroo. We see so little company
here that an interesting young mar
like you is positive godsend.
"And them" added mischievous
younger sister, "Simon Basnet doesn't
come over more than once n week"
perhaps | can furnish you with a
good reason for stopping with us
awhile. You want TO see slave life
down here; you can't half see II unless
you witness the cotton picking. We
shall begin In less than month, and
the sight will be well worth seeing.
I'm southerner born and reared; yet
this Is something that Is alwayB new
TO me and always grand. The section
OF Louisiana where you are going u all
sugar; you'll see no cotton there, only
what II piled up In bales at New Or
leans Don't tempt you now2" Thus
Mr.. Dorion talked
lie nssuredly did so greatly that
firmly decline. To remain here even n
week would attach me so TO these peo-
pie and TO this home that the thought
OF Mr. Bostocls would cease TO trouble
me. II would go 20 him, must go at
once. There Is nothing Of the fatalist
In me; Notwithstanding the strange
events OF my early life which have
been and are 10 be recorded am n
plain, matter-of-fact kind OF person.
had at twenty-ono no more than the av-
erage sentiment that belongs to young
| people. When, therefore, ] say that
/ felt urged. impcllcd to travel on, IL
will probably appear TO others, as IL
does to me, that had n destiny to ac-
complish.
tried TO say all this to my kind
friends in way that would not seem
ungracious.
"Wcll, my lad, so be IT," said Mr..
Dorion. 81 have forebodings about
you, aud you must promise TO write TO
me all about Bostock. I have heard
something of northern pluck and obsti-
macy; reckon you've got-both. II you
will go, wait till the cool of the day,
and I'll drive over with you TO Barre's.
| It's only four miles across, and IL will
be much handler than to go up to
! NiclSsburg. The Cotton Queen stops
there to wood up on her way down the
| river"
Very little passed between us as we
rode over to the river that evening.
Mr.. Dorion was serious and thought
full; and, while anticipated new
scenes and adventures, could not but
be sad with the parting.
81 hope we shall meet again, Dorr,"
he said, as n glimpse Of the river up
penrcd through the trees.
81 kHoo we sAIR, was my answer, de-
livcrcd with fervor that startled my
self
1t was like the voice OF prophecy
We did meet again, in n situation and
under circumstances which romance
would vainly attempt To rival,
"Ilarre's' was a place on the low
rlverbank where stood u solitary store
house, and some thousands of cords OF
dry wood, ready for use. Two white
men OF the class which had never
been two miles away from the river
sat aud dangled their rusty boots In
the water, and with some profanity
and vast expcctoration of tobacco
juice, holly argued the unscttle
question rs to which was the fast,st
boat, the Cotton Queen, or the =. =
Prentiss
"rhar comes the Queen now" said
the champion OF that craft. "Ah, but
she's beauty II she ever lSitches the
y. =. on this water she'll walk right
off'n her"
"Shell never cotch her"
"Much you know bout boats"
80, gou TALK | was sailin' the Mis-
sissippi when you couldn't tell pint
o water from a hogshead o. lasses."
The discussion was in n fair way Il
, go on forever" but the near ap
proach Of the stately Queen put an enc
10 It. Ileralded by great volumes %
. smoke beyond the point, and by tha
/, peculiar, deep-drawn coughing OF tn,
pipes that accompanies one of thes,
/ river monsters, she burst into view Tx,
, splendid apparition, reminding ON,
OF the gcnii OF the Arabian Nights
Her great paddles churned the rive
into foam. Twilight still prevailed
but the signal colorcd lanterns wer,
hung out fore and aft and uioft, an,
lamps were lit in the saloons, state
rooms and cabins. Tier upon tier tn
great height Of the steamer rose from
the water, the light flashing out frun
every opening SurmountinE tn
whole was the Texas" or pilot
cabin, with the gilded figure ola queer
displayed in front of IL, seated on
| Eilt-cordcd bale Of cotton. The loft,
smoke-pipes lowered from the decks
Everywhere the boat was crowde.
with people.
had long ere now recovered iron
the amazement with which | learuc
that wharvcs and docks were unknown
In these waters, which deepen rapid
from the shore, and that these steam
ers are so light of draught that, 20 Us
the quaint language of the illustriou
man who thoroughly knew the wcst
they can go anywhere where tn
J ground is little damp" Tho Quce
came straight up 10 the shore; the tw
loungers who had been discuss ng he
~ and her rivals took the cables thu
were thrown out and moored them I
the trees and Immediately n swarm ,
- half-naked negroes sprang ashore, an
under the urging OF the mate, with a
occasional oath and blow, began I
take In wood for the long passap
\ down the river, u was work Of son
:, time, and darkness succeeded, IL
a moon rising late, An opeu iron ba
IL lSet, fixed ON standard ut the boy