Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-06-23
CHAPTER VI.

aghast at sight SO unexpected, so uii-
welcome. Already the day had brought
him weird and thrilling experience. 1t
all came back to him now with double
force. Through the earliest morning he
had ridden fast, picking his way along
bride paths through overgrown neg
lected byways TO the conjure woman
cabin. Why he could not have put in
words had lifo depended on it, For days
tho feeling had been growing upon him
vague intuitive, cxpectant. .Jincey,
once his fathers slave, years older than
himself, was u living link with that
fatod, fatcful past. Her own race ranked
her ut once seer and sorceress Further,
her masters son knew experimentally
that her magic was not wholly matter
of fable. He remembered but too well
how in tho old days the strongest arm in
the plantation had withered at her curse;
even better, tho sidelong downcast look
with which, after freedom came she had
approached him, saying, "Marse Frank,
I--I-gwine leave your yo' own
good, unnerstan.
He could not if he would, forget the
unctuous satisfaction underlying tho
seemingly humble words. Then he did
not stop to think what it might mean,
rent and torn us his mind was with the
blows and buffetings Of fate. As time
brought calmnoss and clarity to his men
tai atmosphere ho had begun to piece
together many shrcds Of his misfortunes
and so in a measure judge the stuff
whereof they were spun.
Throughout tho process the feeling
had grown and strengthened that this
weakened creature, so brown, so bent, so
soft of voice and downcast Of eye, held
in her hands more than one clew, worth
to him far more than life. Indeed life
meant to this brave gentleman but
weary battle, where defeat was shame,
victory only death with honor.
Fate had SO nearly stripped him of
human feelings, of human ties, There
was only Dare, q slip Of girl, who
would marry away from the Overton
name, who would forget in her frocks,
her babies her husband, all the story,
the wrong, the tragedy of her race.
From the outset she was among his dis
appointments. He had so hoped for
grandson that this pulling girl seemed
sorry Jest of fate--all the more when
within year Of her birth she was left
wholly orphaned. If her father had but
lived, if that other Brave as he was,
Francis Overton dared not trust himself
to think of or remember the valley of the
shadow from which his soul had come
out SO cruelty scared.
Strong in this nameless, formless i'm
pulse. he had drawn rein at Jinccy's
cabin when the sun was an hour high.
1t sat under the lee of sharp hill, whose
shadow fell heavily about it. A brindled
starveling dog lay ON the step before tho
single door Its shutter stood fairly ajar,
giving long glimpse of tho dusk into-
rior, where fire of roots smoldered in
the big fireplace, their burning filling
all the place with dank, pungent smell.
The mongrel lay voiceless, motionless,
watching the newcomer with fierce,
beady eyes 1t was but a starveling atom
of skin and bone, hardly able by tho look
of it to uplcar the chain which was fas-
tened at ono end TO its collar. at the 9TH
er to a staple driven in the long wall.
Major Overton looked at it compass
sionately He know that the gamt crea-
ture was no reflex Of poverty within. but
victim to the belief among the class Of
its mistress that only a hungry dog is n
trusty guard. As he set foot upon tho
threshold, rapping loudly on the batten,
the cur. with quick, stealthy motion,
made as if TO set his teeth in his leg.
Instead of kicking or striking it, Major
Overton turned and looked steadily at
it until it skunk out Of sight under the
house.
Before he turned away his eyes soft,
CRACKED laugh at his elbow made him
start, Jincey had flung wide the door
and stood pccring at him from under he,
hand and saying:
"Marse Frank. won't yo' nebber learn
ter kick dogs in time?
The covert significance Of the query
was lost upon her visitor. or if he needed
it, he gave no sign. Stepping within, he
fixed firm regard upon the old woman
and said very low;
'.Jincey, do you know why I have
como here? Iconfcss that cannot say. +"
Again Jincey laughed. This time
there was hint of triumph in it. A
sudden fame on the hearth lit up the
low, grimy interior, the gun upon the
wall, the swinging rack heaped with
skins and garments, the big plump bed.
with its white pillows and rising sun"
coverlid, the hide bottomed chairs, the
row of chests against the wall, the table
at ONE side spread with an untouched
breakfast, Jincey herself, with her thatch
of SNOW white wool, her keen. down lid
ded eyes her small fingered, skinny
. hands
She held both before her, as in depre-
cation. and sold slowly, as If in deep
meditation: Maybe it's because Tn
most dead You couldn't be let wait
any longer. -
There was so little Of African accent
OF tdiom in her speech as 10 proclaim
snnt abe had been in her youth more