Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-07-14
Beeswinp broke out of the circle, al.


Turn 'er high, turn lady,
Turn lor'.
Turn dat lady roun.
The men turned their partners with
one hand held overhead, and the lady
spun until her dress swelled out like (.
balloon. Then she bowed, and the mer
patted quick time, all singing, wh!sa
their partners sprang to the center and
danced:
Knock candy. candy gal;
Knock candy, candy gal:
| No harm 20 knock candy;
Littl' In d. wais an pretty in do face:
No harm 10 knock candy
Two ways to knock candy gall
No harm to knock candy.
Again came the quaint song. Turn
'er high. turn lady," again the slow
march and again the whirl. This time
the men sprang to the center, and old
Morris, sweeping his head TO his knee,
struck up breakdown, to which the
women sang:
You sif' de- meal you gimme de husk;
You bake dc bread, you gimme de- crus' I;
You bile de- pot, you gimme do grclss;
ole Kate, Kit over.
Git over, ole Kate.
Git over
Several verses followed. first the wo-
men dancing. then the men, ever re-
turning to the promenade song.
Dance followed dance. jig, shuttle,
song and refrain, and the hours glided
by. 4 tiny silver crescent was the moon,
but il had long since sunk behind the
hill. Old Morris nodded. but his bow
kept moving. Wake up, old man. ="
shouted voice ~ the rOut went round.
Hush yo' mouf. Niger. " he answered
back. "D.s fiddle knows me, an hit nd
keep er-singin II / NJ 10 90 plum ter
sleep" And the livelier wave in Sal
| lie Gooden. which the interruption
had stimulated, faded away into mo-
notony again.
s. went the night. But gaunt spec
| ter stood unseen on the black bank OF
shadows piled up beyond the gum tree
Into those old plantation dances, harm
less once and picturesque, had come,
with the new freedom. new element
| On the porch in the shadow, where he
had rolled over unnoticed, stupid with
drink. lay Ben Thomas, the host A
| heavy. brawny negro, he seemed some
| 80 years old when the stirred logs flash
| ed light up0n him. At the far end of
the little porch his young mulatto wife
was tossing small coins in circle OF
men. who applauded when she won and
were silent when she lost Suddenly the
game ended, the woman empty handed
What stirred the sleeper? Who can
tell? But stir he did, then walked and
gazed about him. The last throw Of the
coin attracted his attention. He felt III
his pocket Then letting his feet 10 the
ground he staggered forward and sup
ported his wavering form against a
| post.
Mandy" he said gently, and he
seemed 70 sober rs he spoke, did you
tex my money!"
Yes" she laughed, Il did =" Her
tones We're careless and defiant.
"Whar hit. Mandy"
"Whar you reck M"
"Whar hit, Mandy" The mans
voice was still calm Silence had fallen
ON the group
Los.
"Oh. wat you mekin er fuss erbout
er littl' money fur? Ain er mans wife
got der right ter hit ef hits his'n:'
The speaker was low browed, vicious
locking negro, Mandy's late opponent.
Ben did not notice him, but returned &
his query:
"Who got dat money, Mandy"
The gambler contenptuously threw
three silver quarters into her lap, fol
she was still sitting.
"Heah, Mandy, len you nuf ter pay
i'm. Dern er man wat II 'buse O. wife
TO folks an en 'er own house. The
gambler looked around for Endorsement,
but got none All eyes We're upon the
husband lie stopped forward and took
the coins, placing them in his pocket.
"No man kin len money ter my wife,
he said gently, for the first time adj
dressing the gambler, ian hit ain len III
wen money " at : stole comes back. "
Who stole hit? Who stole hit:' A
savage look cleaned in the gambler
eye
Fuss she stole hit, said the hus
| band, "an den you stole hit, fur tel
cheat er wooman 81 de same es steal.
| in. "
Quick a. the spring Of panther W..
the movement Of the gambler as ht
threw himself upon the now sober mar
who had accused him There was Z
brief struggle. The gambler clasped one
hand over his breast and staggered A
knife dropped from under his hand "a
he suddenly extended his arm, and with
deep sigh he sank lifeless in his
tracks
The crowd opened, letting the REQ
freight food the scene. Ben stood Will
folded arms gazing upon the corpse,
but like shadow falling the woman
glided from her low perch by the pros
trate figure and snatched the bloody
knife from the ground For an instant
she crouched, her yellow face upturnet
10 her husband, strange light IN hel
eyes and her long black hair tumbline
down upon her shoulders. She seemed
about to spring at his throat. But only
| for an instant The knife vanished IL
the folds Of her dress, and she pointed
straight into the black depths Of tn,
swamp.
Run, runp' she whispered. Ben gaz
ed about him detiantly, then turned ant
strobe away into the shadow. None pur
sued. His arms dropped as he disap
peared, but no eye was strong enough u
follow and see the faint fash of lighI
that trembled for an instant upon th'
steel in his hands, like the glimmer o'
q glowworm through the texture Of deat
leaf
The woman still crouched by tn,
corpse but she saw it not. Her eyes
were fixed upon the shadow that hat
closed over her husband. Horror ant
fear seemed to have frozen her Th'
wondering group discussed the tragedy
and constructed rude litter for thu
dead But us they bore the body of {
man approached her and asked to SEE
the knife. She turned her yellow fac'
TO his for an instant, then bounded Ly
him and was swallowed up in thu
swamp. Forward she went through
brake and bramble Agreat gnarled oal
reached out to stop her, but in vain
and from Il , grasp Of the bushes thai
clutched her she rushed madly. Sudden
ly the silent stretch Of a great lagoon