The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-07-19

were 2lsOf fruit and game, And "a
silver plAte. Everything showed tn
presence Of great wealth, and, 4 sup
posed, thought knew nothing about It
great taste. / was kept waiting fOa
nearly two hours. That /, did MOI
mind, because every moment brought
me, I thought, nearer to the hour q
my deliverance. l was certain that !
had only to put the case to MI. Grum'
below-I remembered his name the mo
ment I was back In that room-tO ap'
peal to his generosity his honor, his
pity, in order to obtain my release. MT.
Observation-Disclosures GrumbeloW--she
was the charitable client OF Messrs.
Crackett and Charges, was he? Why,
| might show him up to popular der1s.
ion and hatred. 1 might tell the world
who and what this great benefiactor OF
young men really was.
Suddenly, as the clock struck seven,
he stood upon the carpet before me
while Boule-de-neige stood at the table
with a soup tureen in his hand. | de
clare that I did not see at any time
any m enter the room or go out OF 1t.
They appeared to be suddenly in it.
l hope that the appearance OF small
details like the above, at first incred-
ible, will not be taken as proof of want
of veracity on my own part. l wish
that 1 could tell the tale without these
particulars, but l cannot. 1 must re-
late the whole or none.
"You here?' said Mr.. Grumbelow,
looking at me with an air of contempt.
He seated himself at the table and I'M
folded his napkin. Soup, Boule-de-
neige."
"Massa hungry? Dat young debbel
there he look berry pale already
pretty well, Boule-de-neige, consid-
ering. You, sir, come here. and let me
look at you" 1 obeyed. Hold out
your hand. 1t shakes. Let me look at
your eyes. They are yellow. Do you
know that your appetite seems to me
to be failing Observation-Disclosures it
is only the fourth day."
ct is not my fault" 1 said.
Nonsense. Don't talk to me, sir, be-
cause l will have one of your inso-
lence. / say that you do not walk
enough. [ order you to walk twelve
miles a day-even twenty, after q
heavy night-do you hear?:"
TT is not in the contract" I replied,
doggedly.
ut is in the contract. You are to use
every means in your power to keep
your faculties in vigor. What means
have you used?"
He banged the spoon on the table and
glanced at me so fiercely that | had
nothing to say.
"Massa, sou get cold" said Boule-
de-neige.
He gobbled it up, every now and
grunt.
"Now then, you and your contract.
This is pretty ingratitude, this is.
Here's a fellow, Boule-de-neige, l pick
up out of the gutter, starving; whom l
keep extensively; whom l endow with
an income; whom l deprive of the
temptation to gluttony."
"Nebber see such a debbel in all my
days. said the negro; "nebber hear
such a ting told nowhere"
"No, nor ever will. Listen to me,
sir. You will walk ten, twelve, OF
twenty miles a day, according to the
dinner I have had. And mark you, il
will be the worse for you if you do not,
Remember, if I cannot eat l can
drink"
There was a fendish glare in his
blood-stained eyes as he spoke, and !
trembled. My spirit was so complete.
ly gone that I had not even the pluck
to appeal to his pity. Perhaps a secret
consciousness of the uselessness OF
such an appeal deferred me.
"You will now,' said he, watch me
making as large a dinner as your mis-
erably languid appetite will allow"
81 have been drunk for four nights, -
| pleaded.
sThen you have no business to get
drunk so easily. Your head is con.
temptibly weak-what did l take yes
terday, Boule-de-neige"
"Big bottle champagne, big bottle
port, eight goes whisky grog."
81 did-and that was all. Why, your
predecessor stood double the quaint
ty."
"Beg pardon, massa. Last young
gegleman poor trash-last but two
him mighty strong head-head like
bull-nebber get drunk
s'Ah, we wasted him, Boule-de-neige;
we fooled him away in n imprudent
evening. l told you at the time that
noyeau punch is a very dangerous
thing
"Ho, ho!'' the diabolical negro
laughed till his teeth showed like the
grinning jaws of a deaths head. "Ho
no! him SO blind drunk he tumble out
of window-break him neck. Ho, ho!'
This was a pleasant conversation fol
me to hear.
Then Mr.. Grumbelow resumed his
dinner.
He ate a good meal in spite of his
grumbling, and then he began to drink
port. I observed that the wine had