The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-07

if she was good 10 Strong Liza wa.
quite ready TO condone all personal
Sights.
All these revived reflections went with
her as she began the steep and steples'
ascent Of the cliff, holding fast by every
branch and root that offered co support
her. trusting blindly TO stumble on the
steps Strong had told her of. But pres
emily there was nothing in her mind
but that green, endless wall stretching
up. up before her. Between the wind
tossed branches Of the trees She could
catch glimpSes OF high piled cumulus
clouds that were pregnant with thunder
and rain. Whey was right, after all,
and she was venturesome little sim
pleton.
A sharp reverberating report, follow
ing almost immediately ON a zigzae
line Of light that seemed fairly TO cleave
the heavens in twain, completed heI
dismay. Blinded. bewildered, terrified
she glanced wildly about her and recog
nized the extremity Of her foolish dar.
ing. She was lost on the cliffs and knew
not which direction to give her next
steps
Like veritable babe in the woods
she sat down On the nearest tree root
lifted mp her voice and wept.
A gentle, Intellectual protest against
fate's malicious treatment of her was
that wall, mingling with the ominous
cracking of dead limbs suddenly part.
ing with the parent stem, pealing thun-
der and the impetuous rush Of countless
rivulets dashing headlong down the
cliff 10 pay tribute 10 the black pond az
its base. But that human cry was most
unexpectedly answered in human fash.
ion. AT her very feet, apparently, a
question was asked in "a wondering,
sympa thiZing voice;
cord nifty Wat you dom here:
Is you los, little mistis?'
"Oh, Abram, lost and frightened to
death -
Then she recoiled in a greater terror
than any that had gone before, but
only fieeting distrust seized upon her
and il left her full of remOrse
"You ketch your def NV col settin on
dem wet roots. gwine git you out or
here, little mistis, III a hurry, even #
dey bags me fur il. -
From a hollow in the trunk Of an
immense tree, leaf strewn and ga.
pacious cave, the tattered shoulders
were first thrust, then the agile limbs
and French Abe, already degree less
wolfish about the eyes, stood fully re-.
vealed
"You amt skeered TO follow Abe, Is
you, little mistis?"
The negative he waited for so anx
iously did not come readily Liza dry
tongue refused to shape it,
You Len good to Abe an Abe don't
never forgit. Mars Ran good TO Abe
too, and Abe ain never run way tell
Mars Ran go way and lef' him He
gentleman's body sarvint That wat
this niger is. l gwine git you outci
here ef you'll follow me. Abe knows
desc woods tolluble we'll by dis time.
Liza rose with trust in her eyes and
in her voice. After all, why should be
not be as good as his promiset Was She
not getting back the bread-Strong'
bread-which she had cast upon the
waters with unexpected promptnessf
Now she could speak that word Of com
fort
"Abram, you need not be afraid t.
pilot me out Of these woods Mr. Ran.
dial has come back. You can so 10 Lau
rel Dell this morning, if you want 10
without fear Of punishment.
Mars Ran come back? Den dis mig.
ger gwine quit his foolishncss. done
tole myself | gwine stay in de cane tell
Mars Ran sen me word to come back
He didn't b'leeve me, dat good fur
nothin po' wife trash nv ovcrsccr,
wen I say couldn pick cotton He
ain with niger, nary niger NV his
own. don teached him less H. -
This in mouologue as he rapidly
wound his way unwaveringly through
the wet green maze about them, closely
followed by Liza. So, even this poor
starveling, this tattered fugitive slave,
could afford TO dcspise her father-an
ovorseerl The very abjcct of the earth
could ftarlessly spit upon the name Of
Martin And there was no man amcng
them all ready to wipe out the snlirch
SWIM tNh ybu W OuC DtlD )
house. Unc' Scip live right on top the
cliff. Is you tired, little mistis2 Hit g
the fus' house we come to "
No, go on-straight on. am not
tired. Twill pay you for guiding me
out of this ="
She was conscious of lifting of the
clouds-'of IA Frightening in the skies. -
The thunderstorm was passing as it
had come, with magical suddenness.
They were winning their upward way
rapidly. The trees were thinner, but
the underbrush more dense as they
gained the uplands. The briers caught
her soft serge skirts and held them with
thOrny, devastating fingers; cold, wet
limbs sprinkled her with their surplus
moisture. Abrams bare feet bore bin
over the rough ground much more rap.
idly than she could possibly follow him.
But she was not taking note of any ono
Of her many physical discomforts. The
social degradation Of the Martins had
never been presented to her so clearly.
Abram had pressed upon n sore spot.