The herald., 1894-11-02


They wuz sittin with their back to IL.
an me, an in or flash knowed he didn
like what he see; thet he wuz Mimi
comp'ny-fathers'n brothers amt in
terferin in love fairs in these parts--a,
thet somebuddy'd got ter pay fer Il,
losin Of 'er, give er jump for ard cs
sung out Fitz an Mimi sprung up al
faced roun. Then he turned an see mt
an knowed he wuzn't goin ter stare
emmy show with us two men. wuy
near par'lyzed by ther look ON lis face,
but 'twuzn't enythin ter Mimi
seoh as white wimmen don't feel, wua
ragin thar ct told i'm better n words
thet he'd lose his grip ON 'er, an thel
niger wuz nuff like er white man tei
be bound thet nobuddy else shouldn' I
hev et They glared er minnit, mebbe,
then what do you think she done?"
"Screeched, of course, +" said the Jack
Of the Dust without hesitating.
''Ye lubberl' said old Slater. "Only
white ones screeohes an squeals.
"Them's New Englan antics" Sam
Woods said, with sneer.
"What did she do?'' questioned
Stubbs.
IT amt sayin but what ther ever
lastin woman wuz in OF. !" old Slater
said. "She kinder Strengthened up fust
then clasped Fitz. a-callin of i'm er lot
O. sweet creole names--nover did them
mongrel lispins SCUM sweeter! Then
Quicker'n I kin tell ct blade flashed
in thot nigger's han, an whiz. ct went
hissin through ther hot air.
II turned sick, fer lowed Fitz wu7
er goner, hut now know thet she wuz
expectin Of ct an wus willin ter pay
ther price, like ther thurerbred sine wuz,
fer she faced roun suddint jes' in front
o. Fitz, her two arms stretched wide ter
shield i'm, an letched thet knife ON 'er
poor little breas' bone.
Good enough" said the Jack of the
Dust with hearty If tardy appreciation.
"I'd done er blamed sight too much
lookin OH. !" continued old Slater .'but
Isoon put ther 'sassin whar he belonged.
Eitz, as whites er ghost, wus a-holdin
Mimi. Her blood wuz pourin. an suthin
like er curtin wuz creopin over 'er eyes,
shuttin out ther light She tried ten
smile. She wuz er princess sure pop,
an reck'n, too, sha wux satiafied ter
know she'd never hev tar lSnuckle down
ter thet nigger man. 'Doudoux, sez
she, 'adieu. Them wuz all the words
she spoke, an no young bird never piped
good night emmy softer an sweeter,
Then she tried ter put up 'er arms. But
'twuzn't iN 'em--poor lsetle arms--thcy
dropped, al she wuz gonsl"
Dead" gasped Stubbs.
''Thet's er good name for OF In emmy
lat t'tude," replied old Slater dryly. He
continued In q softer tone: ."Fitz lay
Mimi down like o. ef she wuz or babby,
an him an me kinder Strengthened Of er
out. ! couldn't help wonderin Of she
he'd er nanny to moan over 'er leetle
spent life. We lef' tibet niger whar he
fell an went way without er word.
Thet night ther Bender hauled up 'el
anchor, an we went down ter Port O.
Prince"
Stubbs sighed.
"Whar tibet creole begun whar she d
lef' off, added old Slater savagely.
"How could he? Do you mean tha.
he forgot Mimi?' Dried Stubbs
"Don't ye 60 ter gittin 'sof', Stub.
by" said old Slater. IA man thet's
goin ter mount ter shucks in ther serv-
ice kin forgit ennything!"
"But when she died for himP" per-
sisted Stubbs
''She didn't feel ct none ter speak
on" old Slater said. with conviction.
"Wimmen are made SOS they kin die
easy fer ther men they love"
"Don' git 'xcited, lad," advised Bill
Williams. "Yet amt got nuthin ter dc
with et Their Lord he made EN- ter fill
their places. -
Old Slater was seemingly searching
some chamber Of his memory. Atlength
he said:
"White ones mebbe dies leetle
harder, an they amt quite so likely ter
do ct. but color don't make no great
difference"
white ones feel-and dier'
1t was the boatswain's mate, and he
spoke in voice which forbade contra
diction. "She'- But his voice broke.
He paused on that word, staid by
thoughts too bitter to express. He walk
ed away without looking at his compan-
IONS
"Well, much obliged, Mr.. Slater, -
said the Jack of the Dust. "She was q
Jim Dandy and no mistake"
He, toe. walked away, followed by
Stubbs. Old Slater looked after the ap.
prentice. "Humphl" said he, with a
short laugh. "Thet lads heart aches,
an he dunno why. Thet's youth. But
when ! think o. his shuttin of hisself
up roun the mem'ry Of woman
He became suddenly SILENT but his
messmates knew that he meant the
boatswain's mate and that words had
failed him.
Sam Woods, the map of a ranking
reminisccnce Of New England, began
distinctly, "Thet's common nuff"--
But he completed his sentence mentally,
and they never knew what he had in
tended to say.
Slater" said Bill Williams under
his breath, "wuzn't ct wuth er straight
story ter git thet out er them blame ole
shellbacks?''
EFT wuz," replied the old seaman
emphatioally. Lucille Lowell in Short
| Stories.
Kyegslo & Breses, funeral directors,
Broadway and Sixth street. Telephone
| 243.