Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-07
MIR. DUKES FRIEND.

MIR. DUKES FRIEND.
Twas waiting for car and he was lean
ing against the corner Of building watch
ing me. He was tall, shambling, ragged,
dirty and black. He dropped at the shoul-
ders and his head hung low, as if he feared
something unseen in the air that might
come down upon and crush him. He
looked at once underneath his eyebrows
like badger in den. His detection was
extreme and apparent.
The car was long in coming, for the
hour was late, and at last, when no one
else was in sight up or down the dark
street, he half Strengthened himself and
made bold to slouch forward toward me,
taking off his hat as he did SO. The act
was humility itself, and turned round to
meet him. He didn't hold out an open
hand, as beggars generally do. He seemed
to straighten himself bit more when he
said in tone that trembled:
"Mlstuh, will yuh gimme uh dimeP'
If the 1nendicants Of the side streets had
half his pathos Of manner and voice they
would own tenements. There were years
of bondage and servitude in the tone as he
asked the suppliant question, and he drew
out the "dime" in sort of moan, as if
he knew he wouldn't get it. 1t was pitt
full.
What do you want with dinner"
~ want uh co n pone, suh."
"You can't get corn pone in New
York"
"Well, sub, might take chicken"
The humor that lies at the bottom of
every negro's heart had to crop out in spite
Of his miserable condition. He smiled an
apologetic sort Of smile, and in mo-
ment you knew he didn't belong in his ell
vironment.
whats the matter with you, anyhow,
Samp Haven't you homer
eyes, sub, I'ze got uh home, sub, but
faint hyah"
"Where, them"
"Down in Moth Ca'lina, suh.''
"What on earth are you doing up heres"
"Well, suh kahn hahdly tell you bout
that. / belongs tub thu Dukes down
thah. You knows thu Dukes? / ustah
work in thu 'bacca patch faw 'em an me
an Mistuh Buck Duke ustah play tuhge-
thah long time ago. Mighty fine man
now Is Mistuh Buck. He's done growed
up an lef' home.
"Mistuh Buck been gone now bout
three yeahs, an I ustah kindah git tub
pinin faw him sometimes when thu spring
was smilin an thu fish was bitin, kase we
ustah tub do uh powah Nv flshin when we
wuz little. got tub pinin an pinin lax
uh sick cat twell one day say to masef
Use gwine tub go whah he is an stay thah.
"I'm maxim some money in thu patch
an savin it, an when git 'nough l go tub
town, an thu white folks tell me Mistah
Buck done come tub New York, an is
gwine live hyah all thu time. Then say
tub masef tina New York is thu place faw
me- an lit uh shuck faw thu steamboat
landin. ain nevah worked round thu
house much an when wanted tub wait
on table tub git tub New York, thu cap
tain say he don want no field niggahs in
his cabins, an SO haf tub pay nav way.
1t tux des bout all ma 'bacca patch tub
settle.
"Cose didn know New York was SO
faw way, an Use 'ginnin tub git skeered,
when thu big whistle blow one mawnin,
an thah was thu bank. I didn' have no
dunnage, kase niggahs ain much faw
dunnage nohow, an when she slide intuh
thu whahf / des walk down thu gang
plank wiv piece Nv money in ma pocket,
fyin light LAX uh Friday jay bird. see
uh big man wiv uh unifo IN on standin on
thu whahf, an asst him Of he know whah
Mistuh Buck Duke live. He look at me
kindah Gu 'ous lax, an he say: Move on,
now. Move on Didn' look lax he want
tub talk tall
II move on till see uh gemman stanin
in uh sto' do, an asst him bout Mistuh
Buck. He look at me an kindah laugh an
say, Yes, Nv cose des go up yonder bout
20 miles twell yuh come tub thu end Of
thu road an thah's whah he lives. Ho
must nevah been up thah road, kase
reckon it's des bout uh hundud miles fun
whah met him tub whah stopped an
thu road is goin yet. Mistuh Buck sho'
dom live out thah nowhah.
"It do look tub me lax, bein SO many
people heah, somebody ought tub know
Mistuh Buck, but somehow kahn fin
'em. Down in Calina cvah yallah dog
wag his tail when yuh say Duke tub him,
an heah nobody kahn tell yuh nuthin
bout him. l asst uh gemman las night ef
he knowd whah Mistuh Buck live, an he
asst me whut street he live on. Mistuh
Buck don live on no street. He's uh rich
man. Niggahs live on streets But thas
thu way evahbody talk bout him, lax he
was uh no pup
"And YOU haven't found any trace of
hims"
"No, sub; least I ain flndin him, an
I'm com,nencin tub reckon ain gwine
find him tall The thick lips were trcm.
bling.
"Well, you listen to me. See this cardq
ANYBODY can show you how to get where