Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1894-12-13
WOODBURY., N j, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1894

DR.. Cotton gave June look in which
there was pity and indulgence.
Don't bother your head about that,
June" he said. "You do jest as 1 say,
an I'll help you out. I'll put the blight
on him."
"But don't want to have any more
trouble with him.
ssIt's him that'll have all the trouble.
You do jest what tell you. Git his bed
an burn it. Burn it around black oak
tree. What do you think'll come O. the
niger when the tree diesf What would
naturally come of a nigger? When the
tree dies, he'll die. Who'll know any
thing about that, Juny? All you have to
do is to git his bed an burn it around
black oak. If it was white man, you'd
have to pick white oak. I'll do my part
June"
For several days June pondered over Dr.
Cotton's suggestion. Sometimes he was
skeptical, and then again he reasoned it
through to its logical conclusion. 1t was
useless to deny that good many "ha' 'nts''
In different forms had been seen on Caro-
way. Junes granny could remove warts
by Incarnation. Again, how came Yam
cey Smiths horses to die unless they were
"cunjeredf" By and by he somewhat
drifted into watching the little cabin on
Stony creek at such times as he expected
it's owner to be away. He wondered if Dr.
Cotton, who had disappeared, would re-
member to do his part 1t seemed to him
probable that DIR. Cotton had already
worked the spell, and that it only remain
ed for him to do the fiimsy thing that per
tanned to mere matter.
One afternoon while Watching the cabin
he saw the fisherman drive up an OK cart,
and loading in his fish start for Salisbury
After the cart had jolted off down the
rocky road June's mind was made up. He
pried out the staple, to which was attach
ed the paddock in which Catfish reposed
so much confidence, and entered the cabin.
The floor was strewn with trumpery,
through which there were avenues hardly
wide enough for free passage. A little
fire still smoldcred on the hearth, close
beside which sat skillet and black cof-
feepot with an improvised spout. A wide
shelf served the purpose of dining table,
and just above sumptuous pile of corn
dodgers hung Catfish's banjo. The bed
stead was another shelfiike affair made of
rough plank.
Everything that might be thought to
minister to Catfsh's physical repose June,
after replacing the lock and staple, carried
off into the woods to previously selected
spot. There was piece of fish net, which
had apparently served as pillow. To
June, mere novice in incantation, it
seemed essential to leave nothing on
which the negro could rest chance for
escape, and SO the fish net was taken
along. He constructed a girdle of dry
leaves and sticks around the base Of the
black oak, and when he had fired it Cat
flsh's ravished couch was added piece by
piece. When the last article was consum-
ed and the fire had died away, June sat
and pondered. The black oak tree, with
it's charred belt, seemed suddenly to have
taken on a startling appearance Some
how he had not thought of that. What If
some one should see the tree? 1t was deep
in the woods, but he knew that no locali-
ty was safe from exploration, and if it
should be seen what reason could anybody.
assign for such an uncommon spectacle?
1t would certainly become known and
would become the subject of talk and Gu
rious speculation.
Suddenly he became very much fright
ened. 1t dawned upon him that he had
stolen and destroyed the negros property,
and the real motive, if it should become
known, was equivalent to murder When
the old man died-of this result he all at
once felt sure-could he be hung for his
murder? With a frightened look all
around he plunged deeper into the wood.
1t was IL O'Clock at night when Catfish
Jones arrived in the vicinity of his home.
The steer suddenly veered into the open
space usually allotted to him on such oc
casions and made direct for little cone
of fodder. The old darky, realizing at
once the peril of his store of rough feed,
jumped from the cart and headed the steer
off.
"Whoa, darl You des wait, can't you?
You eat man out O. house an home an
den bawl fob mo-
The old man unhitched the steer from
the cart, tied him in his place and then,
as If to parade his mastery, made him
wait awhile before he gave him his moder-
ate allowance of fodder. Then he took a
package of bacon and some smaller arti-
cles from the cart, unlocked the door and
went into the cabin. He walked unerr
ingly to the place where the bed should
be and dropped the packages To his great
amazement they fell On the floor.
Law me, y he exclaimed, 'dey must be
somepin de matter wi my head never
miss dat bed befo'."
He put his hand in a crevice in the
jamb, and bringing forth match lighted
it. As his eyes sought the place where
the bed had stood he was transfixed with
astonishment. 1t was beyond his compre-
hension, and when he had made blaze of
light wood in the fireplace his mystifica-
tion even increased. Everything but the
bed was in its usual place. An indescrib-
able feeling "crope up his back, y as he
afterward phrased it. He was taken with
a sudden panic and bolted through the
door, not to return till the next morning.
There was something plaintive in the
weak voice that awoke the Tarpey house
hold late that night
'tPap!'
Before the old man could answer it was
repeated with somewhat bolder intona-
ton
"Oh, papr
The old man after awhile appeared at
the door.
HAS anybody been inquirin for me
lately, papi"
mo. Why don't you come along in an
go to bed3''
II amt sleepy, pap. Don't feel like it,
Feel kind O. poly. Pap, think I'll leave
! think ! better hit the grit"
whats the matter, June?''
'Nothin. I'm just gittin tired O. some
folks around here. I'm goin ter Uncle
Bills an try it awhile-or, pap, 1 don't
know where I'll go. You needn't say
where I'm gone. Eff you'd jist the same
pap, pay me $50, an you keep the COLT
Before sunrise the next morning June
had his few affairs adjusted, and the old
man watched him as he shouldered his
small bundle and disappeared down the
road. IL he felt any special regret or any
misgivings as to the cause of .June's GO
ing, he gave no sign.-Chicago Record.
A Parallel Operation.
Emily, dear, we cannot say what were