The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1897-01-13

her line, subtle lnSvlnCtS, sac l11ttu ner
eyes and said clearly, with no trace of
shy confusion: Excuse me, please. l
think my father would not like to have
me dance with you, and know should
not like it myself"
Poor, misguided child wonder she
is so unmannerly. Her mother was
lady if ever there was one" good Mrs.
Talbot said when such speeches, distort-
ed and magnified hundredfold, came
to her ears. 1--WE must remember,
though, Rob has almost brought herself
up and judge her as kindly as possible.
1t is dreadful to be motherless.
"Ah, yesl' Mrs. Winfield sighed in
answer. "Mayby that does have little
ter do with it. But, Mrs. Talbot, l be-
lieve people act like they were born ter.
know eff Alice had lost me years ago
an had grown up with jest nobody but
brother ter look after her she never
! never in the world-would have been
Rob McGregor. Do you know some
times when 1 think of her-Alice,
meant git down an ask the Lord ter
keep me from idolatry-ter make me
Jest humbly thankful over havin had
such a daughter given me-"
"H-m-ml wonder what Miss Alice
prays over having such motherp Jack
said irreverently when he heard Of the
| good woman's prisons. Jack liked Miss
Winfield so sincerely he had much ado
to keep from hating her mother. In
fact. he quite agreed with Rob. She
said upon the rare times that she named
the mother and daughter, laughing
little and with dancing eyes: "Oh,
Jack, do be good to poor stubby Alice!
| There is not mite of harm in her. In
deed she is rather nice. And think what
she must endure in being her mothers
daughter"
Rob had q habit of regarding all
things humorously, even herself. 1t was
we'll that she had. Her laughing bridg-
ed many minute Of heartbreak. Ros.
coe had been fine and furnishing when
its master last looked upon it, Now it
was woefully desolate after 1 1 years Of
thriftless freedman tillage. Hillsides
showed red and barren; gullies gashed
the fairest slopes; the richest bottoms
had overlap of sand and gravel, to say
nothing of the tangle that yearly en-
croached farther upon the arabic land
or the rank bedgerows waving where
once there were trim lines of fence.
All the troopers had belonged in the
old days to Mr.. McGregor. Possibly he
Jared better at their hands than he
would have done at those Of strangers.
But he had never got out Of the way of
regarding himself as sort of special
providence to his black people. In sick
ness or trouble his hand was open to
them always, and when it came to the
matter of division and payment of ac-
counts he always enjoined his daughter
not to charge "little trifies Of meat and
bread and occasional money against the
poor things"
For he knew nothing Of how his land
was served. Rob was eyes to him. and
when in the beginning she saw how it
panied him to hear of rack and ruin she
made up her mind to paint all things in
the rosiest colors. Yearly she had told
him tales of growth and blowth. pa
thetic in their untruth and sublime in
the motive that underlay them. No
matter how bare she went. he lacked
nothing, not even gold TO jingle in his
pocket, and she agreed dutifully when
he said: "You must not dress extrava-
gantly, dear child. That is always bad
taste in so young a woman. But some
thing is due your position as mistress
here. 1t is my wish that you be we'll
clothed, though. So be sure you have
always plenty Of good silk gowns. with
lighter frocks for home wear and neigh
borhood visits.
Pretty soon she had q silk 1t was her
mothers wedding gown refurbished.
Then it was the easiest thing in the
srs. 1t was the same with ell else. The
girl was so gallant. so loyal in her love.
the sternest moralist might have con-
doned her sins against fact. Mrs. Win
fold did not condone them. A fine soul
may gauge with sympathetic accuracy
one of lower fiber. A coarse one invari-
ably puts into all things the faint OF it.
self. She said. casting up her eyes !:
"That po-ore little mink Ter think
how she does lie ter her old blind ia
Their, maxim him believe they re we'll off
when we all know tbev haven't more'n
got bread ter eat an maynt have that
long. Bet, that used ter belong ter us,
IL mighty thick with ola Liza, that
cooks fer Rob. an Bet says Liza says ef
things amt changed she don't see how
In the world they'll keep ole marster
from findin out another year. must
think they don't manage. Why, brother
says l live we'll on what another wom-
and half starve ON. But then have
him ter help, AN Alice too Besides, l
don't really think the Lord can bring
himself ter prosper the McGregors, with
Rob goin ON like she does.
The good woman spent her opinion
once too often. IL happened to be where
Jack Talbot heard her He flung up his
head and said pointedly;
81 don't think Rob sets up for a pat
tern of all the virtues. but know she
is above gossiping with servants about
her neighbors' affairs. As TO her truth
fulness, I'd take her word for gospel
I've almost brought her up and never
knew her to vary an inch from 1t. ex-
cept to her poor old father. Truth would
be only torture to him. I'd feel like
shooting the man that told it. Rob sim
ply could not lie malioiously or falsely.
but am sure she could and would keep
silence IL she knew anything that would
wound another person in feeling or In
reputation.
n IL.