The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-12-10
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orange leaf water placed ON the littl
stand by the big canopied bed, blacl
Suzanne stole stoftly down stairs int,
the darkened library, and, cropping he
way to the table, eagerly possessed her
self of the paper that meant so much t
her and TO her people.
She would read it aloud to nanny
first. Nanny was shrewd witted anC
long headed. She possessed the prophet
ic vision of "cOnger woman, and Sc
could foretell the consequences of this
great matter better than Suzanne could
possibly do.
1t seemed incredible to her as she
turned at the side gate to glance back
at the grand white mansion towering
majestically above its glossy evergreen
strawberries that change or disaster
could ever come to her white folks
The very timbers that sheltered them
seemed as solid as the earth that had
| given them growth, the earth, which
belonged by right of heritage to the
Strongs forever and forever. Who would
dare assail such majesty? Nanny
might say she could not.
Her way led her through the quarter
lot past the great barnlike log struc-
ture which did duty for a dancehouse.
She had forgotten it was Saturday
night. From between the chinks of the
loosely daubed logs long lines of light
glimmered redly. The sound of shut
fling feet came to her at great dis
lance. Then the scraping of badly
tuned violin and the rhythmic clatter of
the bones held between skillful fingers.
The folks" were having slots of
fun" inside. Sam Bates was fiddling.
Nobody scraped a bow like that but
Sam Bates, and Sandy was "rattlin the
bones. Sandy, too, was a recognized
artist in his line.
She lifted the wooden latch to the
clumsy door and stood on the threshold
of the dancehouse, bathed in the yell
low light flung from half dozen pitch
pine torches stuck in iron baskets
against the mud daubed walls. She
looked upon the flying figures that were
dizzily executing reel according to
Sam Bates stentorian orders, with en-
vious contempt.
No doubt them poor quarter Mig
gers" thought it was fine fun. Sam
Bates was mos dead drunk" already,
and Sandy was Gathering his bones
with discordant energy. After second
of irresolution she stepped farther into
the hall, and, waving the stolen news
paper over her head to attract general
attention, said peremptorily: "Quit yolr
foolishness. l got somethin to tell you
all. "
She was always an impressive figure,
by reason of her stately stature and
general air of acquired superiority, but
tonight the gravity of sibyl lay in the
shadowy gloom of her splendid eyes,
causing her command to be obeyed in
simultaneously, even to the silencing Of
Sam Bates brazen voice and Sandy's
rafting melody with the bones.
She advanced as far as the first torch
basket before speaking again "Some.
thin S gwine to happen. Somethin great.
Somethin that Mars Adr'n is hurrahin
about and old marster groaning over
And know all about it. y"
"SOmethin gwine happen to who?"
"Sue alters croakin bout somethin."
What we all got t. do wild it emmy
which way?"
All this came from various directions
tauntingly, but they all quit their fool
ishness and gathered in an expectant
crowd about black Suzanne. The news
paper looked important and corrobora-
tive. Suzanne herself looked immensely
important.
She stood under the torchlight with
her gayly turbaned head held we'll up,
looking gravely about her, as she
smoothed the creases out of the SEES.
sumsport Herald with long, yellow
hand that faded to pallid pink in its
palm.
Black Suzanne was not black at all.
There had been a white Suzanne once,
the mistress sister, for whom the girl
had been named, and the distinctive
adjective had been found necessary.
Aside from her serious, lustrous brown
eyes and the waving black hair, of
which she was excessively proud, Su-
zanne was homely mulatto.
having pulposely prOlOnReu Jne sus-
pense Of her audience until it would
bear no greater strain, she spoke again
I've been KNOWN it was comm for
long time. It's been in the ar. Black
Suzanne can see as far as the mex one
through milestone with hole in il.
I've KEEP my eyes skinned and my ears
pricked -
Sandy ratified his bones impatiently
well, if you got any news with
totin down here from the big house,
let's have it. Times a-passin. -
Suzanne turned look Of solemn re-
proach i'll the direction Of this frivolous
interruption. She regarded Sandy in
the light of an impertinence. With
serious deliberation she folded the news.
paper so rs to bring into due promi-
hence the large headlines, which had
sounded so impressive when read aloud
by Adrien that afternoon. "Lis'n, folksr'
She began to read amid silence so
profound that the soft rustling of the
paper in her hand was distinctly audi.
BILE. She was not a fluent elocutionist.
n.