Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-14

plantation in the southern states Little
| Marse Gabriel, hAoz ease Gabriel's horn,
they thought, riust be like his voice
only mo- so, an dat chile was Dawn to
ride ON de golden mule. -
You would not, from his manner or
voice or dress have called him an Amer.
lean You might have said he was a
: gentleman planter from Cuba OR Java
or Fiji, or successful miner from Cen
trail America who had more than Il
touch of Spanish blood i'll his veins. He
was not at all the type from over sea
who are i'll evidence AT Wild west shows.
Or as poets from a western lion, who ride
; in the Row with sombrero. cloak and
| Mexican saddle Indeed, certain Off J..
Ger of Indian infantry. who had once
picked up some irregular French in
Egypt and at dinner made remarks on
Telford's personal appearance to pref
! ty girl beside him. was confused when
TelfOrd looked up and said to him in
admirable French: I'D rather not. but
can't help hearing what you Say. and
I think it only fair to tell you SO. These
grapes are good Shall l pass them:
Poole made my clothes, and Lincoln is
my halter Were you ever in Paris?'
The slow, distinct voice came floating
across the little table. and ladies who
that day had been reading the last
French novel and could interpret every
word and tone smiled slyly at each 9TH
er or held themselves still to hear the
! sequel; the i'll bred turned round and
stared; the parvenu sitting at the head
I 90 81,
buyer of some London firm, chucllled
coarsely and winked at the waiter, and
| Baron, the Afrikander trader. who sat
next to Telfor1. ordered champagne on
the strength CT it. The bronzed. wealth
, er Worn face Of Telford showed imper-
| turbable, but his eyes were struggling
with a strong kind of humOr. The Off
Ger flushed to the hair, accepted the
| grapes. smiled foolishly, and acknowl-
| edged-swaliowing the reflection on his
accent-that he had been in Paris.
Then he engaged in close conversation
with the young lady beside him, who,
! however, seemed occupied with Tclforl.
This quiet, keen young lady. Miss Mil.
cred Margravc had received an impress
! sior not of the kind which her sex con-
| tide to each other, but Of graver quail
! ity. She was girl Of sympathies and
| parts.
The event increased the interest and
| respect felt i'll the hotel for sz,ls stran-
| ger. That he knew French was not
strange. He had been we'll educated as
a boy and had had his hour with the
| classics. His godmother, who had been
1,.,t l,<1l Is n
| naparte, taught him French from the
time he could lisp, and what was dan
| gerOus i'll his fathers eyes. filled him
| with bits of poetry and fine language,
so that he knew Hcinc, Racine and Be.
ranger and many another. But this was
| made erdurable to the father by the
fact that, by nature, the boy was war.
rlor and scapegrace. could use his fists
as we'll as his tongue. and posed as q
Napoleon with the negro children in the
plantation. He was leader Of the reyels
when the slaves gathered at night in
| front of the huts and made a JOY of
captivity and Sang hymns which sound
ed like profane music hall songs, and
songs with an JUNCTION now lost to the
world, even as Shakespeare's fools are
| lost-that gallant company who ran a
thread of tragedy through all their Jest
ing.
Great things had been proplesied for
| this youth in the days when he sat up-
on an empty treacle barrel with long
willow rod in his hand, cooked hat on
his head. sword at his side-a real
sword once belonging to Il little Bona
| parte-and fiddlers ard banjoists be-
| meath him. His father OH such occasions
called him Young King Cole.
All had changed, and many things
had happened, as we shall see. But one
thing was clear-this was no wild man
| from the west. He had claims to be
considered, and he was considered Peo-
pie watched him as he went down over
the esplanade and into quiet streets.
The little occurrence at the dinner table
had set HIM upon train Of thoughts
which he had tried to avoid for many
years. On principle he would not dwell
on the past. There was no corrosion, he
said to himself, like the memory of an
ugly deed. But the experiences of the
last few days had tended to throw him
| into the past, and for once he gave him.
| self up to it.
Presently there came to him the sound
OF banJo-not an unusual thing at Her
| ridon. 1t had its mock negro MINISTRIES,
whom. hearing. Telford was anxious to
| offend. This banjo, he knew at once.
| was touched by fingers which felt them
as If born on them, and the chords were
| such as are only brought forth by those
| who have learned them to melodies of
the south. He stopped before the house
| and leaned upon the fence He heard
the voice go shivering through negro
hymn. which was among the first he
had ever known. He felt himself sud-
denly shiver-a thrill of nervous SYM
pathy. His face went hot and his hands
closed on the palings tightly. lie stole
into the garden quietly, came near the
window and stood still. He held his
mouth i'll his palm. He had an inclina.
ton to cry out.
Good Godf' ne said in a whisper.
ITO hear that off here after all these
years. Suddenly the voice STONED
There was a murmur within. 1t came
to him indi>tinctly. she has forgotten
the rest - ne said Jnc,a,tlro -.