The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1897-07-10

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# head, cleaving the right cheek an
e slanting downward through the mouti
: and dashing squarely across the fac
p so that it spattered both eyes, was
e hideous black ink spot.
I Here at last was q clue TO the mys
, terry, but what it would lead to coul,
! not even conjecture. Was it tn
shimmering black spot that ! ha'
seen so often now, which dartet
! across the Faun's face as / set il OF
the high library msntel between tn
two portraits? Perhaps it was only I
passing shadow, for someone hal
crossed the threshold.
"'Fo' Gawd, missy, honey, whar
bouts you git dem things?" said Aun'
ella rs she entered. Better pu,
'om back whar dey come fun, honey,
better put 'em back"
By this time the old woman had
reached the fireplace and stood looking
up at the pictures.
"Po' I'LL Massa JEAN" she said ca
ressingly, ''po' I'LL lamb"
"Who is the other boy. Aunt 'Cilla?"
l asked.
'Da's Massa Pierre, missy, OF
marster's older gran'son, the old
woman answered, hesitating.
''Jean's brother?" asked.
''No. no, missy" she said quickly;
she's iii Jeans cousin"
Tell me about them"
''Dere amt much to tell, missy"
she said, slowly. 81 wish dere was
mo-. Dere amt nothin' tall but Jess
dat de I'LL boys ulster to live here wild
OIL marster, an den when OIL marster
died he lef everything to Pierre an
po' I'LL Jean nothin'."
"How long ago has that been?" I
asked.
Long ago." the old woman an
swered; ''wher de boys wus I'LL fell
lers, soon arter desc pictures was
painted.
And what became of the boys,
Aunt 'Cilla?"
"De Lawd only knows, honey" she
said, earnestly. 81 wish I did. Massa
Pierre he went abroad, an spec he's
Twin dere yet. It's him you rent de
house FIN. He's got mo- houses here,
too. what de same agent looks arter.
But po' ill Massa Jean, 1 wish I
knowed where he is, po' lamb. 1 been
tryin' all desc years to fin out. Eff
knowed-" The old woman paused,
sbruptly.
IF you knew, Aunt ella" sug.
gested, what then?"
"Nothin', honey; nothin'," remon-
strated the old woman, hurriedly, and
she left off caressing little jeans pic
ture and left the room.
As the summer advanced il seemed
to me that the flashing of the black
spot in the library increased. Fur
ther, it began to follow me all over
the house. I could not get away
from seeing it by day or from dream
ing of it by night, and it flashed back
and forth from Pierre's bold, dark face
to httls Jeans pale one, and thence TO
the grinning Fam, till I felt at last
as if it would run me wild il I could
not solve its mystery. Positively the
thing haunted me.
One day in late summer, with the
little Amelia for company, was walk.
ing along through narrow side street
above Canal, up tOwn," as We had
come to call it following the fashion
Of our neighbors. 1t was hot and
sultry, with not breath Of air to stir
the dusty leaves that hung limp on
the languorous trees, Suddenly on
the hot pavement before me danced
the black spot; then waving and skim
ming it rose and fash ed before nv
eyes, binding me. staggered and
would have fallen, but the little maid
caught me.
A moment later VAS in the cool in.
side of the little shop before which
we had been passing, and . kind faced,
blue-eyed, white-haired old man va
bending over me, feeling my pulse.
''You became faint, is il not, mademoi.
: seller" he asked, gently.
Yes, it is the heat think, SAID
l L
"Ah, yes, the heat no doubt" h,
$ said with smile, and the malaria.
, He gave me something 10 drink
4 something that was very cool and yer,
a acid, and by and by he called . oai
4 and handed me into it as tenderly Q
9 il I Ind been child glanced bacl
n at him IS he stood in the little ofic
8 door, and read on the window besid
o him the sign painted in gilt letters
Y doctor jean"
d When got home I was still YER
g weak. 90 Amelia brought some ri
rec lows and propPed me up on the leaths
y couch in the library beceuse il va
r. cooler there. Late in the Afternoon
IS when the sun crept round that y,
ne for farewell touch, the little maj
y closed the blinds. drew back the re
H tapestry curtains and famed me
X sleep.
'er ! must have dosed for soms tim
v, for suddenly svoke With q ssnse
% hAviAsss and oppression Ths hls.