The free press., 1897-07-08

Steep.
/ must have dozed for some time,
for suddenly awoke with sense of
heaviness and oppression. The black
spot flashed before my eyes, then
shimmered and danced across the
room till it rested like scar, blood
red, across the face of the Faun, which
in another moment fell to the floor
with loud crash
I remember to have screamed and
covered my face with my hands, and
then / must have been unconscious for
long time.
When came to myself / was in my
own room, and the white-haired old
man from the little uptown office was
bending over me. My aunt was there,
too, smiling joyously to see me COM
ing round again, and Aunt 'CilIa was
turning my pillows while the little
maid famed me.
"You are much better, mademoiselle,
is it not sop said the old man in his
soft French.
'Have l been very ill?" asked
eyes, perhaps, mademoiselle."
''Long?"
'"Three weeks"
"And the black spot-do you know
about it?" L asked.
''You told me while you were i'll,
the old man answered. ''But it is
gone now."
'Tell me about it," said.
'It is long story, and mademoi-
selle is weak" he said gently, "a
story about two boys, Pierre and
Jean, whose portraits you found in
the little closet, and about will that
was hidden in the Faun's head and
which was not found till that day
when you were taken ill.
ST remember" I interrupted him,
'the Fauns face was cleft with
blood-red scar.
The old man smiled 'The Faun's
head had been broken" he said, "and
mended again with wax. The heat OF
the sun on that hot afternoon melted
the wax and parted the old cleft.
There are red curtains to the library
windows, MAIDEN moiselle doubtless that
accounts for the bloodred scar as the
cast fell in two before your excited
gaze.
"But the black spot?" 1 persisted.
"I'd "a told you bout it befo', missy,
honey" said Aunt ella, "ef Massa
Pierre hadn't "a hoodooed me. 1
knowed bout it, case 1 was here TO
| it started, an L heard folks what lib
here talk bout it eber since. But
Masser Pierre he hoodooed me, an rs
| skeered to tell"
81 dunno how come, the old woman
went on, "but Masser Pierre was OF
marsters favorite. Look lack Masser
Jean was too gentle an good fer to
please him." and Aunt ella turned
her eyes humbly to the old, white
haired man beside me in a way that
set me thinking"
$50 OF marster mex a will an lef'
everything to Masser Pierre. Masser
Pierre he was allus bol' an reckless,
an one day, when I went dere in de
libr'ry to tex OF marster a cup O. coffee
Masser Pierre was dere talkin' to him
an akin him fur money. An some
how 'nuther OF marster wouldn't let
him have it, an den Pierre got mad
an jerk up de big ink bottle an dash
it at marster's head. 1t hit him side
de head, den glance an strike 'ginst
dat what you call a Faun an splash
in de face an break it open. Den OF
marster riz up in his wrath an he
tell Masser Pierre dat he g'wine disin-
herit him an fur him to leave de
house. 'Twarn't long after dat TO OF
marster died, an de very day of de
funeral, dess as dey's takin' de corpse
out, Masser Pierre cum walkln' out er
de libr'ry an him been gone sence de
day marster ordered him Off He had
paper in his han an look like he
didn't want de folks to see him, case
he pulled me in de libr'ry an shut de
do, an he rub hoodoo bag on my
face en- gin me de paper an tol' me
eff 1 didn't 'stroy it my flesh would
rot an my bones would crumble. Den
he rub me wild de hoodoo bag agin',
an when 1 came to myself he's gone,
an de folkses was all gone to de fu.
neral.
$50 dats when 1 cram de paper in
de Faun's head an got some wax an
stick it togedder an put it away in de
| I'LL closet to keep Masser Pierre I'm
findin' it out. Presently de lawyers
come and foun de will where oil mars
ter lef' everything to Pierre, an so he
| took it all an went away, an I'LL Jean
he was to have nothin', an the law
yers sent him off to his mas kins-
folks, an OF Nanny ella what loved
him so, she never heard no mo- I'm
him, po' lamb" And again the old
| woman looked at the little man.
"And the paper in the Faun's headT'
/ asked.
"Was the second will, explained the
old man, leaving everything to Jean, :
"And you are Jean?" | said.
'.And I am Jean" he answered,
gently, ''but you must go to sleep
now, mademoiselle. = Philadeiphls