Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-11-11
CHAPTER LyIJ.

constitutions that easily rebound from
depression and lightly throw off deDli-
ity. AS she grew well enough TO on
serve what was passing around her'
she began To discover that something
unusual had occurred: that a serious
change had taken place in the FAMILY.
She 10 longer heard Humford's voice
or step; but the negroes walked ABOUT
with greater liberty and conversed
with more freedom.
What had happened?
That he was not i'll she knew, De-
cause his ROOM, mex TO her own, WAS
u~noccupied.
By little and little she first began TO
suspect. and then 10 know, that the
! planter was dead. and that his hers
were soon expected to arrive.
By the same slow process she grail
ually came to the knowledge that she
had been i'll OF brain fever for many
DAYS. And she inferred that Rumford
must have died during her WI ILL
Less.
Hitherto she had vainly sought 10
gain any correct information from We
nus.
Venus had either evaded her cues
tions or else answered them with what
she considered. under the circum-
stances Unsuitable falsehood. No one
Is perfect, and the reader already
knows that Venus. Notwithstanding all
her other good traits OF character, had
Il supreme contempt for truth, which
she seemed to consider, like fire, q
good servant but a bad master; a
thing to be regarded or condemned, as
it promoted or retarded the interests
of her friends. With this untutored
and -unregenerated child of nature,
friendship ranked first, and everything
that interfered with that was sacfl-
feed. Thus she had told lie upon lie
to shield Astrea; and thus b had
told lie upon lie TO compose her spirits
and aid her convalescence. Nor had
Venus one single twinge of conscience
for doing so. On the contrary, she
would have had many twinges of con
science ii she had not done SO. But
then. Venus was not enlightened.
Astrea understood all this, at length,
and forebore to question Venus far
tEer until such time rs she thought
she would hear the truth. And mean
while she noted all the chance conyer.
sation OF the servants who passed her
door. And. as the weather was ex-
tremely warm, and the door was al
ways open, III he passage OF the
servants very frequent, she soon gath
cred n great mass of ~incoaerent infor-
nation.
At length she was so very much bet
ter she could 20 doubt even Venus
would longer hesitate to tell her the
truth, and she resolved TO question her.
SO n morning, after Venus had
Brought her breakfast, and seen her
eat ii with a good appetite, Astrea
said:
Il am nearly well now, Venus"
Yes. honey, thank Marster."
And now | hope you will keep
nothing from me longer
Hi, chile. what | keep from your
Many things-the first, the death Of
Mr.. Rumford. Now then, | want you
to tell me all about ii, Venus"
Hi, chile. don't you known
How should /? You know that,
from the time he disarIaed me and had
me at his mercy, l swooned with ter
ror. and passed from that swoon into
Il brain fever, and knew nothing more
for eight or nine days, when | came to
myself. Then, in a few more days. 1
learned from the gossip of the negroes
that their master was dead. Now. how
and when did he dic?'
Hi, honey. is all you tell me les so?
Don't you know nothing as happened
arter he wrun2 dat little dagger out'n
your handy'
Nothing whatever. Venus; | must
have swooned immediately"
Den, sure's Is a Iibin' sinner. 3Ge
brain feber done burned 1t all out'n
Your head. And deed, faint Venus
us a-gwine TO stress your feelin's by
teilin' OF you how much hand you had
III that business" said the woman 10
herself.
But you have not told me 0
Rumford's DEATH
Well, honey, you know ho,v he lad
dat dinner party. an sat drinkln'. an
boozin, an singin' o songs, wild ae
other riporates, till all hours o. the
night an mornin'-"
Yes. yes, | know that; but his
DEATH"
"Lor', chile, amt | comm TO dat?
Well, you see, arter all dat fuss he
made long o. you, and arter he twist
ei che dagger out'n your hand. he laid
himself back ag'in de wall, he did. an,
lie laughed, an laughed, until he hev
treat into de hiccups, an hey his
blood to his head, an hev hisself into
an ~aprlepesky tit; which he died of II
III bout twelve hours time; an which
dey do say he 'pented Of his sins an
nc prayin'; hopes twas true!,
Astrea made no reply; she was ST.
lent for some time; she could not hear
the death or her dreaded enemy thus
confirmed without strong, conflicting
s~-rotions-joy at the event that re-
leased her from an impending q
more horrible than death: compunc-
tion for this seemingly selfish joy; and
awe at he's uddenness Of the summons
that had called a.ay his soul
Cut off ven in the blossom OF his
sins,
Unhouserd. u%nanointed, unanneard.
No Reckoning made, but sent to his
account
With all his imperfectlons on his
head"
And when she did speak, It was TO
change the subject.
II hear the servants talk of the ex-
pected arrival Of their masters rela-
lions. Who are theyY'
stkyi hnsxAvx -