The Portland daily press., 1898-02-22
TContinued.l
CHAPTER, TX.

directing voice were badly missed on
the old Bascom place.
There were yawning gaps in the
trim white picket fence, which divided
the yard from the cotton fields. A ma
rauding sow, the mother of numerous
progeny, made port of entry of them
to pre-empt the bonny clabber set out
for the poultry A mare, with newly
foaled colt struggling after her on I'M
certain legs, browsed unrebuked among
the evergreens that had once been the
boast of the place. A few dispirited
gamecocks and yellow legged pullets
but poorly sustained the traditions of
the once famous Bascom poultry yard.
A pair of irrepressible calves showed a
pernicious industry in the matter Of
barking the colonel's pet apricot trees.
The gate leading into the orchard and
rose garden sagged on broken hinges
without exciting any particular atten-
ton.
When the entire universe seemed sag
ging on broken hinges, what did one or
two more matter?
A brilliant display of autumn's work
as a colorist glorifed every ditch side
and fence corner Of the plantation. Fes-
ICONS of blue and white morning glories
chung in tangled masses about the IN
gathered corn. Intrusive clumps of su-
mac Haunted their crimson plumes above
the creeping pumpkin vines. The whit
ening fields of cotton swung feecy ban
nerets in ever increasing quantities from
neglected hollis. There was no one to
urge expedition in the gathering of the
plenteous harvest
Oscar, sitting in gloomy abstraction
in his cabin door, shook his head mourn
fully. Now that the colonel's dinners,
and even the colonel himself, seemed
things of a past never to be revived, his
own life was all out Of joint.
''There's head needed-needed bad
Things is goin from bad to worse and
nobody to stop 'em. The chile can't
help us-that's one thing sure. -
The spirit of discomfort was spread
ing rapidly over the place. Mutterings
were heard under the lowly roof of
every cabin. Children in all that made
for self reliance, the colonel's people
missed his firm but kindly discipline,
were bewildered by the loosening of the
bonds that had held them all their lives.
AS Oscar said, things were going
from bad to worse. They had never had
to give thought to the things OF to-
morrow. What they were to eat and
wherewithal they were to be clothed
had been the exclusive concern of the
master. But the time was coming when
some one wiser than themselves must
tell them where to look for raiment.
A deputation waited on the little
mistiss."
Jessica, forewarned of their coming,
received them, standing on the steps of
the back gallery with the afternoon
sunshine weaving a halo about her
beautiful head. The delegation had Sc
lected the ruling elder of the church in
the quarters to set their case before her.
He approached with his tattered felt
cap in his hand, his gray hairs barred to
the wind. In @ compact mass, closed
behind him, were grouped the men OF
the place-huge, stalwart creatures,
brawny of muscle, docile of soul.
"It's just this away, missy. When
Marse Merry went away from we all,
he left his place and his folks in mighty
nice fix. Us'ns cribs was full Nv corn,
that sto'room had plenty Nv meat IN IT.,
and there were plenty Nv cloth to keep
the sewers busy. And, furthermore, he
lef' manager on the place in which he
had fullest confidence. But look at us
now. That manager is took hisself off
to jine the army and lef' us widout any
head at all. Folks is mighty unreliable,
missy, and all the unreliable ones is
not got black skins
"Things is goin from bad to worse.
We amt got nobody for to think for US.
A whole year widout Marse Merry is
bleeged to tell on the place. Some Nv
the young folks is gettin mighty skit-
fish, and it's hard to hold them in. We
is come to you for advice, little mistiss. -
And Jessica, looking down upon the
crowd of upturned faces-black, dull,
uninformed as mass, but each one full
of a childlike belief in her ability to
help them-felt great pity yelling up
in her heart. She blamed herself in
that she had held herself aloof from
them in this time of bewilderment and
trial. She had been too much taken up
with the forlorn emptiness of her own
days, and here at her very door was a
mission of kindly words and hopeful
waiting to be spoken.
"What is it you would like to have
me do, Jeptha?" she asked, turning
her lovely eyes, full of sympathy, on
the withered old face
81 suppose there amt much likeli-
hood of Marse Merry gittin back home
soon?"
"None, I am sorry to say. But if
there is anything l can do''-
Her sleeve was twitched violently
from behind, and Miss Turner's sibi-
liant voice Missed warning into her ear
"My dear girl, pray make them no
rash promises. You never will get done
doing for them once you begin"
Jessica nodded encouragement to the
Spokesman.