The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-10-27
MR.. DUKES FRIEND

derS and his head hung low, as II 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 a 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 SLOUGH forward toward me,
taking off his hat as he did 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 a bit more when he
said in u tone that trembled:
''Aiistuh, will yuh gimme uh dinner"
If the mendicants 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 a sort of moan, as il
he knew he wouldn't get it. 1t was piti-
full
''What do you want with a dinner"
81 want Uh CO pone, sub. -
you can't get corn pOne in New
York
''Well subj might take chicken. -
The humor that lies at the bottom OF
every negros heart had to crop out in spite
of his miserable condition. He smiled an
apologize sort of smile, and in a mo-
ment you knew no didn belong in his en-
vironment.
whats the matter with you, anyhow,
Sam? Haven't you a homer"
Eyes, sub, Ize got uh home, sub, but
faint hyah. -
"Where, thenf'
"Down in Moth Ca'lina, subj
"What on earth are you doing up heref'
'We0, suh kahn hahdly tell you bout
that. 1 belongs tub thu Dukes down
=, u,
work in thu 'bacca patch faw em an ne
an Mistuh Buck Duke ustah play tuhgc-
than long time ago. Mighty fine man
now is Alistuh Buck. He's done growed
up an lef' home.
"Mistuh Buck been gone now bout
three yeahs, an 1 ustah kindah git tub
pinin faw him sometimes when thu spring
was smilin an thu fish was bitin, kase we
ustah tub do nh pOWah ishin when We
wuz little. I got tub pinin an pinin lax
uh sick cat twell one day say to masef
Use gwine tub go whah he is an stay than
I'm maxim some money in thu patch
an savin it, an when git 'nSugh 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 1 say
tub masef tina New York is thu place faw
me, an lit uh shuck faw thu steamboat
landin. I ain nevah worked round thu
house much an when 1 wanted tub wait
on table tub cit tub New York, thu cap
tain say he don want no field niggahs in
his cabins, an so I hat tub pay nav way.
1t TUX des bout all ma 'bacca patch tuh
settle.
"Cose didn' know New York was so
faw way, an Sc 'ginnin tuh git skeered,
when thu big whistle blow one mawnin,
an tkah was thu bank. 1 didn' have no
dunnage, kase niggahs ain much faw
dunnage nohow, an when she slide intuh
thu whahf 1 des walk down thu gang
plank wiz piece NV money in ma pocket,
flynn light lax uh Friday jay bird. 1 see
uh big man wiz oh unifo'n on standin on
thu whahf, an I asst him eff he know whah
Mistuh Buck Duke live. He look at me
kindah Gu Gus lax, an he say: Move on,
now. Move on Didn' look LAX he want
tub talk tall
Il move on till see uh gemman stanin
in uh sto' do, an 1 asst him bout Mistuh
Buck. He look at me an kindah laugh an
say, Yes, Nv cose, des 90 up yonder bout
20 miles twell yuh come tub thu end Of
thu road an thah's whah he lives He
must nevah been up thah road, kase L
reckon it s des bout uh hundud miles FUN
whah I met him tub whah 1 stopped, an
thu road is goin yet. Mistuh Buck sho'
don live out than nowhah.
1T do look tub me lax, bein so many
people heah, somebody ought tub know
Mistuh Buck, but somehow I kahn fin
'em. Down in Ca'lina evah yallah dog
Wd& MS Tall WllGn J IN say LUKE Jun nIlLs
an heah nobody kahn tell yuh nuthin
bout him. asst uh genman las night ef
he knowd whah Mistuh Buck live, an be
asst me whut street he live on. Mistuh
Buck don live on no street. He's uh rich
man. Niggahs live on streets. But tha's
thu way evahbody talk bout him, lax he
was uh po' pup"
And you haven't found any trace of
him?'
mo. sub; least I ain fndin him, an
I'm commencin tub reckon 1 ain gwine
find him tall. " The thick lips were trem-
bling.
well, you listen to me- See this card?
Anybody can show you how to get where
it says. Day after tomorrow you come
there and ask for me and we Il see. -
He looked at the card, took the accom-
panyiDg quarter, curled himself into a
bow and sloUched of into the darkness
with something of alacrity in his step.
Next day the finding Of the address Of
Mistuh Buck Duke was an easy matter,
and 1 dropped him a note to say that if he
would call on me he would hear OF some
thing which would please him greatly and
cost him little.
At the appointed hour his card came in
and not minute after the boy said dar-
Ky at the door wanted to see me. Duke
turned languidly to the window and be
gan tapping on the pane as the boy went
for the darby. In a moment sam was
ushered in, slouchy, droopy, apolOgetie,
lonely.
lis this the gentleman you wanted to
see?'' 1 asked him.
Duke turned slowly round and faced the
negro. Sam stood stock still a minute,
then he slowly drew his nat of, stepped
back a slow pace or two, and then a great
grin began at his lips and Travelled over
the ebony expanse Of his face.
Then he chuckled somewhere down in
his throat and said with a light in his eyes:
"Howdy, Mistuh Buck?''
AND Mistuh Buck smiled in glad way