Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-06-07

Conrad postock looked inquiringly
at the book.
''Have you a list of the people on the
place there?''
.'Yes."
sid like to see it,
lie Fevre cut out several leaves with
his knife and gave them to him. He
read aloud at the top: Field hands
and children in the quarters, seventy
nine; house servants, thirteen"
SIS this all?'' he asked.
eyes. We've never cultivated the
whole plantation in any year; and
was here some years before Mr.. Bos-
took came back
Him, HIM, HIM Jerry,
Lucy, Vic. Esther, Prue."
His eye ran rapidly down the list,
and he spoke name here and there.
When he came to the end he folded the
leaves. put them in his breast pocket
and lit cigar. His companions fol-
lowed his example, and soon the parlor
was filed with smoke. LIE Fevre
looked at the lounging, loaferish fig
ures and then 1 saw that his gorge
was rising. He rose and threw open
the windows.
LIZ yOo " Oil u SlA1y AiOAC VI L1C.
he asked.
Eyes. I want to know how you hap
pened to omit one name from that in
ventory."
Nothing is omitted. 1t is a correct
list of the negroes belonging to the
place.
II correct you. The name of Coralie
Bonfant, daughter of one Louise Bon
l,a cIa - s.,
is nowhere on these papers,
l started up, almost speeches. with
passion.
"Coralie was his daughter, you know
that?''
The man merely glanced at me; he
took no other notice of my Interrupt
ton.
THAT girl is one of the most valuable
properties on the place; probably the
most valuable. She appears to have
been treated rather too much like one
of the family; but that was my fathers
way. Gardette, you saw her at the fn-
| neral-the slim girl in black, with the
| long veil, that this chap here was max
| ing some fuss over. What should you
| say she's worth?'
The man addressed suspended his
smoking long enough to give shrill
whistle.
'Why, the devil! You don't mean to
tell me that shes your nigger2"
Just So"
'She's worth twenty-five hundred
dollars. She'd bring two thousand at
the block any day
''Stayl'' 1 exclaimed. My voice was
hoarse, and 1 shook with emotion
| Conrad Bostoch, she is of your OWL
blood-your's fathers daughter. The
! last evening of his life he gave lis con
sent that 1 should marry her. He sent
for lawyer to draw her free PAGERS
and to draw a will, leaving her every
| thing. The lawyer arrived here after
he had died. Mr.. LIE Fevre here knows
this. Coralie will go with me; you
have nothing to do with her"
An insolent laugh from Bostoclx's
companions greeted my frantic protest
| Conrad looked on me with undissem
| bled contempt.
Young man, your stay in this house
will end right now. Your effects and
those of your friend, Mr.. LIE Fevre
| will be set out on the veranda. As
for all this foolishness about the CIR
you've been preaching, I've nothing tc
say. It's hardly the thing in Louisiana
| for white man to marry q slave; the
law don't permit it. If it did, do yot
suppose / would be fool enough to give
you twenty-five hundred dollars worth
of property? Not l. If it will make
you feel any better, I'll say to yor
! that, if the girl behaves herself, I'll get
! a good master for her. If motif she
goes into any tantrums-oM she goe:
to the Orleans slave market
My head swan, my heart seemed tt
stand still. l saw the faces of leerine
| devils through the smoke wreaths.
strong hand grasped my shoulder. LII
Fevre stood by my side.
81 make you proposition, he SAID
to the proprietor. Il will give yor
twenty-five hundred dollars for her."
No"
'Three thousand dollars"
mo. She is not at present for sale.
-Four thousand dollarsr' LIE Fevrt
cried, with an excitement that haC
never known him to betray. ''Foul
thousand dollars; every cent own il
the world 1 will give you for her. She
is nothing to you more than her money
value; she is everything to Dorr. Con
sidering who and what she is, you
ought to be glad to let her go in thi.
way"
The fiend shook his head. l coulC
bear it no longer. With fists clencheC
and muscles strained, dashed at him
The iron hand of LIE Fevre restrained
me and dragged me from the room
AS the door was closed behind us,
heard roar of laughter from within
ITO BE Continued
|