Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-05-19
Chapter X.-(Continued.)

" eDuS, III an accession OF terror. SelZ-
Ing the hand of Astrea, and hurrying
her on to Il gate letting out from the
poultry yard.
The gate opened upon a WORKOUT
and abandoned field, now grown
sparsely up with high weeds and har-
dy shrubs, such as could find nourish-
ment in it's exhausted soil. \ narrow,
diSuSed, graSS-grown path ran through
this field.
Deere, you see dis path? Follow it
trough dis feel till you come to de wild
fig trees: den trough dat till you come
to de plains-den dere isn't no path.
but you can see de Cypress Swamp
straight afore you. right agin' de sky,
an not more'n half mile off,
THANK you. Venus; and now one re-
quest more! Pray do not mention that
you have seen me unless you are uues-
toned
"Who-me? Not if knows it. Who
YOU think wants dere head bit off for
lettin' of you go? rot Venus! tell
YOU. honey! is tween two fires wild
you IN ole marse! You t'reaten to kill
yourself if don't let you go: an he
lie sure to kill me if he fine out l let
you go! No. chile: l amt gwine to say
muffin tall. l gwine keep a still
tongue in my head. in dis we're ticklish
business. An now eff you will 60
you'd better go long. l gwine lock dis
here gate arter you. an t'row away de
Key" said Venus.
THANK you, again. and good-by"'
said AStrea, as she disappeared
through the gate.
Venus locked it after her. and threw
the key over the fence into the high
weeds. where it must have been hope
lesSly lost.
''Derc. now! Uncle Satan get de
blame O losin' dat key! cause it's his
business to keep dat gate locked an
dat key safe! which, if he'd done his
duty. dis gal nebber could O bullied
me into lettin' O her trough. cause
why: why, cause couldn't a done it
widouten de key. Oh! but amt she
lamb. neidcr? When she t'reaten me
wild dat little p'inard. her eyes flash
sparks O fire! Who'd Il thought it O
her. to see her so gentle, most times?
But. lors! so is a wildcat-de softes'.
gentles. purrin'est creetur' dat ebber
Was till you makes it mad. Den take
care o yousef. will you! All O. sud
dinr its muffin but fangs and claws an
tail. all in a blaze o'spittin fire. He
better take a she-tigreSS for sweet
heart afore she. She ies' soon p'inard
him as look at him. an heap sooner,
too. Now. what l gwine to say if dey
ak me any questions? Lie like de
debbil. l s'pose. wild de risk O bein'
foun' out. to make my case worse.
Well. Venus, l wish you we'll out'n
dis scrape"' said Venus to herself. as
she left the poultry yard. and went ILL
to the house to do the chamber work
Cybele was still in the dining ROOM
standing at the head of the table,
washing up the breakfast service. She
came out and spoke to Venus. inquir-
ing:
See anything O Fora dis mornin'y
Deere! | know dat gwine to be de
berry first question! Why, where is
she?' said the woman. who was not
quite prepared with her falsehood.
''She went out here bout an hour
likewise in de poultry yard: fought as
how you an she We're 'quainted long
O. each oder, you might "a seen some
fin of her.
How l gwine see her an she in de
house an 1 outside? Who want her?'
Il do said the angry voice Of Mr..
Rumford. as he walked into the room.
Il have something to say to her. and
ordered her to come to me directly
after she had finished her breakfast
She has not done SO. She has kept me
2. waiting for nearly two hours. You
were her companion! Where is the
woman. Tell me at once!'
ooh. lors! it's a-comin'!' said the
trembling girl to herself
Answer, woman"
Eyes. sir! l is gwine to. sir. deed l
isl said Venus, twisting her apron,
without the remotesI IDEA Of what she
should say.
''Then why the deuce don't you?
Don't YOU understand the question?
Where is your companion? Where is
Zora?' Numbered the reused man.
ooh, lor', sir! oh, lor', sir! she's
Sle'S-'
''Where?''
Locked herself up in her own room
to go to sleep. sir!' discharging the lie
with the suddenness of a bullet.
Rumford dropped the arm Of Venus,
and his rage subsidized into a good-hu-
mored surprise, as he said, slowly:
well, upon my word. this is one Of
the coolest proceedings l ever heard OF!
l order girl to come to my presence
uIeCtlA dltcI DIedhliSl anu lllSLcdu VI
coming she goes calmly off and locks
herself up in her own room to go to
sleep! like thatn'
But. marse," said Venus. who now
that the fountain of falsehood was I'M
sealed, lied most huently-"Zora was
mos dead for sleep, sir! deed she was:
cause she didn't sleep all las night
Tong O the fright she got a-bein by
herse'fr'
''Fright?'
Eyes, marse! You see, she allus use
to have me in her room, an she 'fraid
to sleep by herself at night. An SO
she couldn't sleep! An so dis morn
in she dead for sleep! An ebber since
heI long sickness she's subject to
tlntteration OBJ de heart. which, if she
don't get her good sleep it comes on"
"Hunph! that is very bad. Mer-
rick told me nothing Of that" said
Rumford, shaking his head with an air
of dissatisfaction.
eli, marse, you t'ink any trader
gwine to run down an misparage his
own. goods? But you needn't be no
ways Uneasy bout Fora, if you only