San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-03
Ill,

Charley Clayton and the sheriff s vic
Tins had a funeral train three miles
long. Only the Austin slaves followed
the coffin that was thought to hold the
last Austin. Yellow Jim, of course,
took charge of everything. Mrs. Austin
was too much Frustrated by the horror
of it all to think of leaving her room.
She kept it indeed until the new master
came and she was summoned to hear
the reading of her husbands will. As
she left her chamber she found herself
face to face with Jim and started back,
crying out:
"How dare you come in my sight?
Carroll is dead. l hate the look of you!
I will not have you gaze at me with his
very eyes,"
"Are you glad he is dead, Miss Lis
ette?' the man asked, looking down.
She gave herself a quick impatient
shake.
cit was the one thing for him." she
said ENORMOUSLY, latter he had been
SO foolish-so wicked, indeed! He never
cared for me, I am sure of that, or he
would never have put me in such a po-
sition. To think how it might have
beenl Why, if he had not died as he
did, people would have drawn away
from me always. Nobody will counte-
nance a woman whose husband has
BEEN
please, ma'am, they are waiting for
you in the library" Jim said respect
fully, still without raising his eyes
But they burned after her as she went
down the stairway, a picture of grief,
d~ecorous and beautiful in her trailing
Grape covered sable robes.
The heir of Summerlands, Austin
Reid, thought he had never seen a
woman who bore herself SO thorough
hredly through such trying conditions.
Though she said her husbands will
gave her less than she had right and
reason to expect, she would ask, would
take, no penny beyond what it allowed.
She had been obedient in life. She
could do no less than accept his wishes
now that it was no longer possible for
him to modify the expression OF them.
She was very grateful for all his cousins
generous offers, but she must go away,
back to her W people. With them she
would find safe shelter. Yes; she would
take her own maid, Julianna, whom
she had brought with her when she
came to Summerlands a bride. As for
the rest of the black people, she would
only beg Cousin Austin to remember
that they had belonged to Austins al
ways and loved the name. Jim-Yellow
Jim-might perhaps be a little insub-
ordinate. He had been spoiled all his
life. No doubt, though, he would come
after awhile to recognize the changed
condition of affairs.
Mr.. Reid besought her to change her
mind-to keep Summerlands as her own
for so long az she might choose. She
only shook her head with a little, Woe
full, wintry smile, infinitely pitiful,
and took herself out of his life as early
as was possible. He was a generous fell
low, of gentle nature and the finest nur-
ture. Naturally me fact of her absence
raised her in his mind to something
very like an i'll used saint-a ONE
thing too high and sacred for common
speech.
Though he was already rich, he was
also landless. Hence it was natural that
he should make Summerlands his home.
He loved the place indeed more than
ever Carroll Austin had done and set
about making it the model of the coun-
tryside. He mixed but little with his
neighbors. The shadow of appalling
tragedy seemed to fall between when he
came to casual speech with them. But
rumors got about of the wonderful
changes not less than Of the fast friend
ship between Yellow Jim and his new
master, who, it was said, made more of
him, gave him greater authority and
liberty than even the Aastins had done.
There were tisces indeed when he
had sole charge of everything. Mr.. Reid
made journeys somewhere that took up
weeks and weeks. But one knew more
than the fact of bis absence. though