The morning times., 1897-02-21

rid by and saw my wife sitting on the front
steps, jest a boohooing- you know how
wimmen willdo, Colonel; If they ain t u ia w
ing they're fi'crying'. SO Addison Aber
crombie, he ups and asks her what's the
matter, and Jennie, she tells him. He got
right off his hoss and come in, and set by
my bed the better part OF the morning. And
all that time there / was a-running on
about notes and a-firing of my troubles
in the air. So the upshot Of the business
was that Addison Abercrombic left the
money there to pay the note and left word
for me to pay him back when l got good
and ready; and Jennie hadn't hardly
dried her eyes before here come niger
on horseback with a basket on his arm
and in the basket was four bottles OF wine
Wine! Why, Colonel, it was worse'n wine.
Jennie says that If any one Of the bottles
had "a had load of buckshot in it, the
roof would "a been blow'd off when the
stopper flew out. And, Colonel! If ever
you feel like taking right smart OF
exercise, jist pass my house some day and
stick your head over the palings and tell
Jennie that Addison Abercromb bie's got
u streak of mcanness III him."
Have you ever paid Abercrombie?" Mr..
Gosett inquired. His voice was harsh and
busne ss-lIke.
Il was laying off to catch this niger of
yours an1 pay him some on account" re-
Piled Mr.. Simmons.
why, ii has been three years since You
paid me-" suggested Mr.. Gossett
Two years, or sech matter remarked
Mr.. Simmons, complacently.
Then, that's the reason You think Aler-
crombie amt harboring my nigger?" in
quircd Mr.. GosSett, scornfu!ly
But. Colonel" drawlcd Mr.. SimrnonS,
what under the sun ever got the idee into
your head that Addison Abercrombe is
harboring your nigger?"
Its as simple as a-b, alb Mr.. Gossett
replied with energy. He tried to buy the
nigger off the block and couldn't, ana
now he thinks I'll sch if the nigGerlI
stay in the woods long enough That's
the reason he 5 harboring the nIgger. And
| more than that, don't know from my own
niggersthatthcy yalIerrapScl comes here
every chance he gets? He comes, but
he don't 20 in the Niger quarters. Now,
where does he go?''
Yes, whcre?" said Mr. Gossett's son
George, who up to that mcnlent mad taken
no part i'll the onvclsation Three times
| this IL onth I've dealt out an extra lasher Of
bacon To two Of our hands, and they tellthe
same tale"
at looks quare," Mr. Simmons admitted,
but as sure you're born Addison Aher-
cIombie amt tie man 10 haihor a runa way
niger If he's ever had ii Lii EG in TIE
woods it's murr'n Know, ana when that's
the case YOU may set il down fCr "A fact
that he Cont believe in runaway nIfgeIs."
~.
best that MI Simmons could muster at the
moment.
NO" remarked Mr. Gossett, sarcasti-
caly, 'hiS niggers Gou't take Ia Tie woods
because they 90 as they blamed please ut
! ONE. 1t sets my teeth on edge 10 see tie
waythingsarc run on onthisplantation. why,
could take the stuff that's flung away
here and get rich on it in five years. Its
a scandal"
II bchcve you," asscnted his son George,
dutifuHy.
Chunky Riley heard this conversation by
snatches, but he caught the drift OF IL.
What lie remembered Of II was that some
of his feIlow-Seryants were ready To tell
all they knew for an extra ''rashcr'' of
meat, and that the hunt FOR Aaron would
begin the next morning and it was
now getting along toward dawn. He
wanted to warn Aaron again. He wanted
especially to tell Aaron that three men
We're sitting on the fence waiting for him.
Bot this was impossible. The hour was
approaching when Chunky Riley must be
in his cabin on the GosSett plantation
ready to go to work with the rest OF the
hands. lie had slept Soundly the fins. half
of the night, and he would toe as fresh in
the field when the sun rose as those who
who had slept the night through. As he
turned away from the fence dog in the
path leading from the spring to the stile
suddenly began to bay. The men tried To
drive him away, and one of them threw
stick a him, but the dog refused 10 be in
timidated He bayed them more fiercely,
finally retreated toward the spring, stop
ping occasionally to bark at the men on
the fence.
If I'm not mistaken" remarked Mr..
GoSsett, that's my dog, Rambler /
know his voice, and he's been missing
ever since that Niger went to the woods.
| wonder if he's taken up over here?
George, | wish you'd make it convenient
to come over here as soon as you can,
and find out whether Rambler is here.
Now, there's a dog. Simm ons, that 5
away ahead of anything you've got in
the shape of a niger dog nose as cold
as ice, and as much sense as the common
run of folks
He amt doing you much good" re-
piled Mr.. Simmons.
That's a fact" said Mr.. Gossett
It'll heard that dog barking I thought
Rambler had been killed by that nigger"
Chunky Riley struck into the planta-
tion path leading to Gossett's right at
the point where the three men had tied
their horses. They had Ridden as far rs
they thought prudent, considering the
errand they We're on, and then they dis
mounted and made their horses fast to
the overhanging limbs OF clump Of
oaks, which, for some reason or other,
had been left standing in the field. One
of the horses whinnicd when Chunky
Riley came near, and the negro paused.
Aaron would have known that the horse
said, PLEASE take me home. and be
quick about it; I'm hungry" but Chunky
Riley could only guess And as he guessed
a thought struck him-a hought that
made him scratch his head and chucklc.
He turned in his tracks went back along
the path q little way, and list ened.
Then he returned and the horse whinnied
again. The creature was growing i'm
patient.
tlA.-