The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-10-18
written For This Paper.
CONQUERING AN INHERITANCE.
A Serial Story Complete In
Six Chapters.
BIZ 4 Missouridn.
CHAPTER III.
BIZ A Missouridn,

"There certainly was" she re-
Piled, "Some one came to my side
and looked into my face. think it
was a negro; but l could not be sur
i'll the dark"
elbow could he have gotten in?
The windows in here are all fastened
lust as they were when we went to
bed. do not understand it. What
O'Clock is it?'
"Four," she answered, CHANGING at
The clock.
''Then it will soon be daylight.
Let us dress now, then we can ferret
out this mystery
Having dressed, Philip kindled n
fire of lightwood knots in the fire.
place in his room, and, observing
how much it added to the cheerful
ness of things, he though he would
kindle one in his sisters 20 too.
The fireplace was large and a wooden
screen stood against it. Throwing
down his armful of wood on tho
hearth, he removed the screen, and
there, crouching in a corner was an
old negro woman. "What are you
doing here" he demanded,
'Nuthin', young massa,' said the
old crone, coming u into the
room. II is your pas nuss. /
mapped him when ee was a baby, and
[ was hyar in dis room when you
two was born; and | Amt neber
seed you enc your grandma tuck
you away up norf. | lib about ten
miles from hyar, but Ak oon as !
hyur dat you was come home to de
ole place, | say, i muss see my
chilluns right on So yesterday |
start hyar; but | is now seventy
years old and it take me tell late in
the night to git hyar. | knock at de
back do and nobody answer. Den |
urn de knob, and de do open, aud
come in hyar, and dar | seed my
young misses in de berry bed where |
seed her ma last. She look so much
like her ma, dat | couldn't keep from
sayin', de Lawd help me, eff it amt
my young misses herself cum back
agin.' Den she jump up an run an
| git so skeard | hide in de chin
bly,"
"Don't you know that you ought
not to come proving around a house
at night asked Philip,
al never tink O. dat, young massa.
want to see my chillins dat bad
could tink o. nulhin else. On, how
glad | is to see you bot befo' / die
One is de Derry image of her mudder
and de udder is greatly like my ole
massa when he vas a young man. !
member how he looked when he
went up norf to college, and den
when he come back wild his Young
wife. He give something to eDcry
niger on de plantation. De ole
massa, his iader, kill beet an sheep
an pork, an make dc biggest bar
becue de black folks cher see. Oh
how glad | is to see you back"
"Well, said Sarah, "we are glad to
see any body who knew our father
and mother so We'll, but we would
have been better pleased to see sou
in the day time. However, as you
are here, and seem to haye.mcant no
harm, We will say nothing more
about the time of your coming"
"Tank you, man, dat's jest de
way your ma used to talk, so sweet
and iiue.n
As day was now breaking, Sarah
took the garrulous old woman to the
kitchen, and listened to the often
wonderful stories which she told
about ode ole time belo' de wah."
After breakfast Philip got his
horse, and rode about somewhat
over the estate. He found many
houses in very bad repair, large
fields growing up in weeds and tan
gled thicketa, with deep hollows
washed deeper with every rain, and
the rotten fence was nearly pros
trate. But ever his inexperienced
eye could see many evidences of the
beauty and value of the land.
Three creeks ran through the estate,
and Philip thought hat on each OF
them was a good mill site, The
bottom lands along these creeks
We're very rich, while many of the
hills were covered with pine forests
of valuable timber. Several neigh
borhood and county roads ran
through it, and made all parts Of it
quite accessible. From indications
along these creeks Philip inferred
That part of it was undcrlaid with
coal. Game, such as turkeys, ducks,
partridges, rabbits and squirrels, was
abundant, and, as he afterwards
learnt, many small but quite eatable
fish were to be found in the creeks
That afternoon he chose as his
cornfeld a piece of land along &
creek about a quarter of a mile from
the house. By stepping as best ht
could through the thick underground
he measured off what he thought wal
about three acres.
Sarah was delighted with the re
port he made her that morning, anC
insisted on accompanying him in hi