The Irish standard., 1893-02-04

1or he has property here and wanted to
get noe to take it up with mine In the
company | knew what his new views
and ideas were, and thought I'd bet
Ter consult Champney, who, being for
kigner, and an older resident than yo',
was quite neutral He didn't happen
70 tell yo', connie, anything about it.,
did hep she added, with grave mouth
but an indescribAble twinkle in her
eyes.
Cemtland's face darkened. "He did
---aud he further told me, Miss Dows,
that he, himself, was your suitor, and
that you had refused him because Of the
objections of your people"
She raised her eyes to his swiftly and
dropped them. .....
"And you think I ought to have ac-
cepted hi1n?" she said, slowly.
"Nol but---you know-you told me"
he began. hurriedly, but she had already
risen, and was shaking out the folds Of
her dress.
'*He're not talking b4stness, connie
and business was my only excuse for
coming here and taking Sophy's place.
TIL send her in to yo' now"
sRut, Miss Dows!-Miss 6allyr'
Ghe stopped - hcsitated-a singular
weakness for so self-contained nature
and then slowly produced from her
pocket second letter--the one that
Co41rtland had directed to the company.
II didn't read this letter, as just told
yo', connie, for reckon know what's
Ia it, but thought I'd bring it .cith me-
tes-in case yo' changed yo'r mind"
He raised himself on his pillow as she
turned quickly away; but in that single
vanishing glimpse of her bright face
he saw what neither he nor anyone else
had ever seen upon the face of Sally
Dows-a burning blush!
miss Sallyl" He almost leaped from
the bed, but she was gone. There was
another rustic at the door-the entrance
Of sophy.
"Call her back. sophy. quickl' he
said. 49,
The negress shook her turbaned hea d
'''Not much, honey! When Miss Sally
say she goes-she done gone, shuah!"
.'But Sophy" Perhaps something in
1.-THE significant face of the girl tempted
him, perhaps it was only an impulse OF
his forgotten youth-"Sophy!' appeal
xngly-..tell me!-is Miss Sally engaged
TO her cousin?"
swat dat!" said sophy, in indignant
,seorn. "Miss Sally engaged to dat
IDasmo7u! Whet fo'? You're crazy. Mol"
'@Nor Champney Tell me. sophy-
,ihas she lorer?"
For moment the whites Of Sophy's
seyes were uplifted in speechless scorn,
'.sYe' ask dat! 70 lynn dar wild dat
,snake-bit arm! Yo' 'lyin dar and Miss
Sally-who has only to whistle to call
de fust quality in de state raoun her
coming and going here wild you and
ltrotting on yo'r arrants-and go ask
datl Vest she has a lover, and what's
mo', she can't help 1t; and yo're her
lover; and what's mo- go can't help it
either! An yo' can't back out of it now
--bofe of yo'-nebber! Fo' yo're hers
and she's yo're-fo' ebber. For she
sucked yo' blood"
t.What!" gasped Courtland, aghast at
what he believed to be the sudden in
isanity of the negress.
.sYes Whar's yo' eyes! whars yo'
lyears! who's yo' dat yo' didn't see nor
Ehesh nufin When dey dragged yo'
iouter de swamp dat night, ,-wid de
isnake-bite fresh on yo' arm--didn't she,
dat poh chile!-dat same Miss Sally
Ifrow herself down on yo'. and put dat
baby mouf Of hers to de wound and
suck out dc pizen and sabe de life Oh
you at de risk ob her own! Say! And
|if dey's any troof in Hindoo, don't dat
make yo one blood and one soul! Go
,way-white mani I'm sick of yo'! Stop
|dar! Lie down dar! Hol on, connie,
Efor massy's sake Well dar-Ill call
her back!''
And she did! ....
"Iook here-don't you know-it
rather took me by surprise said
,Champney few days later, with a
hearty grip of the colonel's uninjured
: ,hand-"but don't bear malice, old
fellow. Only, by Jove it was such
sensible, all round, business-lil1e choice
for the girl to make-that no wonder
/ never thought of it before. Hang it
all, you see fellow was always so
jcertain it would be something out OF
the way and detrimental don't you
know, that would take the fancy Of a
girl like that--somebody like that
cousin of hers, or Higbee, or even me,
by Jove, that we never thought Of look
Ing beyond our noses-ever thought OF
the business. And you, all the time SO
,cold and silent and matter of fact
& about it. But l congratulate you:
s5fYou've got tie business down on safe
Il basis, now, and what's more you've got
! tthe one woman who can run it. .
They say he was true prophet. At
\, least the syndicate affairs prospered,
4 and in course of time even the Reeds
and the Higbees eventually participated
Il in The benefits There were no more
q # racial disturbances, only the districts
q Rolled peacefully q smaller democratic
majority at the next election. There
u we're not wanting those who alleged
u hat Col Court rtland had simply become
,1 Era. Court tland's superintendent; periin that
n. had absorbed him as she had every
ssss ssSsS 5 who had come under her influence,