The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1894-01-04
CHAPTER XVIII.
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CHAPTER AVlu.
A DISAPPEARANCE.
The sudden death of old Jezebel broke
mn the voodoo performances in the
swamp. All the planters in the neigh
borhood bestirred themselves and gave
strict orders to their slaves to keep away
from the accursed place. If these prac-
tees were continued, it was secretly and
in some other locality. No longer were
our ears disturbed by unearthly cries;
no longer were strange lights seen at
dead Of night. A pail of silence settled
down upon the swamp, and the wind
that muttered among the pines told an
other story-a tale Of cruel wrong and
terrible justice, of a sullen prisoner
doomed to perpetual solitude within the
gloomy environments of this uncanny
swamp.
This was the punishment meted out to
Sidonie, to suffer as she had caused her
gentle, amiable mistress to suffer; to see
no face save that of her dusky jailer; to
hear no voice save his thick accents as
he babe her eat and drink.
Not dissenting word was raised
against this retribution. Colonel March
mont, humane and kindly master, had
endeared himself to his slaves, but their
love for Portia amounted to a reverence.
Had Sidonie fallen into their hands she
would have Jared far less gently. Dur
ing her short reign her arrogance and
natural cruelty had engendered feel
ing of intense hatred among the slaves
and when they learned the true state Of
affairs they had no mercy for her.
"Deed she oughter be tohn limb from
limb" declared one.
EFF l wuz mars, I'd fay her alive"
was the general opinion delivered on the
matter.
AS the days went by, and Portia hov-
cred between life and death, many were
the angry looks cast toward the swamp
and many the maledictions called down
on Sidonie's head by her fellow slaves.
The gate to the swamp stood open
now, but no one save the big negro APP
pointed to watch Sidonie went ir and
out. sometimes strolled in that direc-
ton and looked down into the melan-
choly vista of sonber shade and desolate
bog, wondering how the criminal-that
beautiful, intense, tropical creature,
stripped of her stolen finery, clad in the
coarsest raiment, fettered like an ami
mal-was existing. What anguish, what
despair must be hers! No hope, no ray
Of light!
At such times pitied her. remem"
bered her beauty, her gayety, her grace.
I recalled her words Of tragic prophecy,
Remember, Prudence, whatever comes,
that l loved him as few women love-"
Poor, wretched, misguided Sidonie! Her
sin had been that she loved too well.
Then, when returned to the sickroom
and looked at my friend, when l heard
the means If pain and witnessed the
struggle for life, all my pity for Sidonie
vanished, and every outraged instinct of
my nature cried out for revenge upon
the heartless, soulless, brazen creature
who had wrought this havoc and disas-
ter.
now come to an event SO awful, so
frightful that even the remembrance,
dimmed as it is by the mists of years,
over my being sometimes live it over
in my dreams and wake screaming and
sobbing, and if l should live to be q
hundred years old l can never efface
that terrible scene.
Let me tell it as calmly as possible. It
was one dull November afternoon, when
ghostly mist was settling down over
the landscape and fine spatters Of rain
were beating irregularly against the
window panes, that George, Sidonie's
jailer, rushed into the library, where
the colonel, Maurice and were sitting,
and with trembling voice and shaking
hands implored his masters forgiveness,
for Sidonie had escaped.
''Escaped!'' cried Colonel Marchmont
in terrible voice. "You black rascal,
what does this mean?'
"'Deed, mars" cried the man, rolling
his eyes in terror, lit mus he de debbil
hisself holp her. W EN- lef her to come
up fer her suppah, she was chained all
right. Allus look de las ting ter see
eff she's fastened. Wen goes back JUS
now, she's gone, de chain broken in two"
''Send for JAKE" interrupted Colonel
Marchmont imperatively. Come, Mau-
rice, we must not lose a moment. Think
of that creature free to do further mis-
chief!'
Presently tho plantation was astir.
Negroes ran hither and thither, the bay
of the bloodhounds was heard, and Jake,
Maurice and the colonel, with crowd
of negroes, were hurrying toward the
swamp, intent upon recapturing the
fugitive.
went to Portals room to see If the
unusual tumult had annoyed or alarmed
her. She had reused from her sleep
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