Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-03-10

W&&&O
She .cas tlhng the rumplcd strings Of a
0rCen 0indhdm Slinbonnct.
Mrs. Strong said, short and crisp. I
wanted to talk to you about my girl.
You was the ono that urged us on to
sendin her away from the quarters till
her schoolin was done. You was the
one that done all the letter writin for
me and helped to keep her in the dark
without our ever thinkin of the day
when she'd halter come back to it all.
But she's comm. We can't keep her
away no longer. She's finished. Dom
you reckon We'll be somethin of shock
to her-us down home, Imean-me and
Martin and the boys?'"
"What did she say, mammy?"
1t was a moment Of thrilling interest
to them all. Mrs. Strong's opinion car
ried incalculable weight with it. Mrs.
Martin had paused retlectively.
'She is a great woman, Seth. She
weighs her words as exact as she weighs
out the sugar for black Suzanne to pre-
serve with. Speakin of preserves, Eben,
she wants you to have them gherkins
gathered for the pickles. She says Cher
kins is Adrien's favorite pickle.
''All right about the gherkins-but
bout Liza. What did she say?'
"Nothin. She asked me to leave the
picture there. She wanted to show it to
bor fotbar Sha co,na dow, cto;rc c+i11
a-holdin on to it. Her face looked sober
CT than when we went upte fix fix !Atfien S
ROOM 1~reck0a she was thinkin how
sweet it would be if her Gabrielle was
comm home lookin like that to sleep in
the rose scented room that looks out over
the lily pads.
"She didn't say nothin?" Seth voice
was full of disappointment.
"Nothin that counted, Seth. She Just
said oncet or twicet, Mrs. Martin, I
envy you. The idea of her envyin me -
The overseer tilted his broad shoulders
sidewise, the better to consult huge
silver watch by the light of the moon.
A broad beam of white light fell athwart
the recumbent form on the steps. Char
lie had taken no part in the family
council. His eyes were closed and his
folded arms rose regularly with the rise
and fall of his jeans waistcoat. Seth
leaned forward and took him gently by
the shoulder
"Blest if the boy amt gone sound
asleep! He's just tuckcred out He knew
I wanted to finish that fence, and he
stuck by me. Wake up, old chap! Nine
o'clock. Bedtime!"
Better blow the horn fus', Seth.
hear them niggers in the dancehouse
yit."
From nail in the side of the back
door Seth took down the long tin horn
and, putting it to his lips, executed soft
melody more i'll unison with the quiet
serenity of the stars and the tender, wan
light of the moon than with its own
sordid mission. 1t was the plantation
tattoo.
AS the melody of Seth's horn playing
penetrated to the ears of the governor
and his daughter law it gave fresh
impetus to the discussion that had filled
all their evening.
"That's another one of them, Adele
That boy has real musical talent. Mar
tins children are rather an unusual lot
I am sorry he ever married"
''Fatherr'
Eyes, sorry. What has he brought
children into the world for? No amount
of beauty OF brains will give them posi-
tions. They are overseer's children and
will be to the end of the chapter"
"Strong need not necessarily remain
under the ban. He has all the world be-
fore him. But this girl''-
"Yes, this girl And, if I understand
you Alright, she is herself in ignorance
of her fathers true position You did
wrong, Adele, very wrong"
II SEQ it myself now, but my mo-
tives were good. knew the class preju.
dices Of the girls with whom she was to
associate for five or six years. School
girls can be 50 very merciless. I thought
1t would initiate against her reaping
the full benefit of her opportunities
well, now that she has reaped the
full benefit of the opportunities given
her, what then?'
What then? I am troubled for the
girl, father
The governor waved his hand auto
cratically.
make governess of her.
but If she doesn't want to teach?"
Doesn't want to teach Do you sup
pose she will want to settle down for
life yonder?'
He jerked his head impatiently to-
ward the quarter lot
Scarcely. Poor child! If it were not
for Adrien''--
"Yes--but it is for Adrien. Don't en-
terrain the idea of having her about you
a second, Adele. Young men can make
awful fools of themselves sometimes.
And there is temptation in that girls
face. Help her out of the mess in any
other way you can contrive.