The advocate., 1894-01-24
CHAPTER III.
SAM COTTERELL's DISGRACE.

had entered Mrs. DIR. Darlington house
and services more than six months be-
fore the time at which our story had, in
the preceding chapter, arrived. Sey-
eral times during that period her par
ents had been in town in their dllapl-
dated "Kansas" wagon, and, Slick hay
ing informed her Of their presence in
the city, she had slipped out and met
them in the stores where they traded. e."
For they could not visit her beneath
the Darlington roof. Mrs. Darlington
made it a rule not to "be bothered with
the visits of servants relations" E"
Although keenly conscious that it
was a letting down Of his dignity as a
public man, yet Slick had always dis
charged faithfully this function Of a
go-between because OF his respect for
8Miss Kate" He invariably called her
ss'-when no one Of the household
was near enough to OYerhear.
On the other hand, Kate had many
times concealed the shortcomings OF
Slick, who, had she told Of his absences,
neglects and occasional tipsinesSes,
would long ago have been hunting
another Job. But he never failed to inn
press upon her his cOndescensiOn in
deigning to tell her of the arrival OF her
folks.
"Miss Kate, he would say on these
occasions, 81 wouldn't carry news dis
way fo' no odder pusson alive. You all,
mebbe, don't know Jedge DOdson II
tell you. Slick Blackburn am port
ant pusson in de politics OBJ dis here
country, an don't you forget it. But
rs ullCGgS Willin' to 'bleege Miss
Kate" Then, after awhile, he would
approach her in very confidential
tone with:
"Miss Kate, reckon you couldn't
len me a dime till to-mOrrer?" She
could, and did; although Sticks treach-
erous memory, possibly superinduced
by his mental strain under the cares of
state, always allowed "to-mOrrer" to
pass unheeded into the enternity of
yesterdays without repayment OF the
dime.
On one occasion, sometime in July,
Sam Cotterell had come to town as a
delegate to a county convention of the
then new Peoples party. He was seen
by Slick, who reported to Kate with a
pitying air; for Slick was a republican,
and, in his opinion, man who had
Joined the new party could simply sink
no lower in political degradation.
Solemnly, sorrowfully, and with mani
fest reluctance, as one would break the
news to daughter that her father had
been found drunk or had been sent to a
lunatic asylum, the "AfrO- American"
statesman thus communicated the in
telligent of Cotterell's fall:
"Miss Kate, done seed your fodder
down town, but Is 'shamed to tell you
whar / seed i'm and what he's done
been doin'.
elbow you frighten me, Slick ex-
claimed Kate. "Has anything hap
pened to father? Where is hep What
is it? DO tell me quickp
"No, dey aint muffin 'xactly hap
pened to i'm" said Slick. "He's jes
don been disgracin' hisself and his
family. OATS all. )"
"0h, Slick, what has happened? ?"
asked Kate now almost frantic with
anxiety.
81 tell youdar aint muffin happened;"
said Slick. "He's jes been actin dis
graceful. OATS it. rs stonished at
i'm. Must be done gone clean daft"
',0h, do tell me whatawful thing you
mean?" pleaded Kate. where is my
father?"
"He's down to de cou't house. Up
in de cou't room;" said the bearer of
evil tidings.
Don't tell me he has been arrestedl"
exclaimed Kate in an agony of sus-
pense.
"No, he amt been rested. Wuss
dan dat. / don't like to ellyou, but if
l mus, he's up dar as delagit to a