The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-10-06

blrning with an :inxfety that made him for
ct all pain, toy talk to the Sergeant, and
lean from him nil that was possible in regard
% his home. family, and, above all, his charm
ing cousin Artemisia..
Sero't Athertoh hid thawed under the
kindness he was receiving, and became quite
communicative with that garrulous, unin-
termittence customary with Southerners when
themselves or families are the subjects of the
conversation. foi r
He gave the genealogy of the Athertons
from the time they had first set foot on
Mount Ararat ont of the stranded ark, it
seemed, to Karl He detailed their peculi-
arities, their wonderful courage, and their
high intellectual abilities; their multiplied
ton. like the seed of Abraham; the ramifica-
tons of the family tree into every part of
the South, and the fact that its branches
formed part of the very highest social foliage
wherever they might be found.
'Dis ting can't last always" thought
Karl; 'he will get troo talking about the
Athertons sometimes, and den mebbe we'll
hear someding bout de oder branches OBJ de
family. If he will only gif Us as moOch in
regard to dem / will slant all pleasantly"
The Sergeant threw out a quid from his
mouth, as if he had been extracting from it
information relative to the Athertons, took a
drink of water, cut off with dirkkniie from
plug of natural leaf" a fresh chew,
which he placed in his mouth and began to
masticate it slowly, rs if to evolve materials
for a fresh start and then started Off about
the Cunninghams, who were the first to com
mingle their blood with the deeply-blue
stream that flowed through the veins of the
Athertons. He was proud that his middle
name was Cunningham as that his last was
Atherton, and it took him another hour to
| pump out of the quid as voluminous details
in regard to the Cunninghams as he hal eX-
tracted from the other i'll relation to the kith
| and kin of whose name he bore.
When he stopped and threw the exhausted
quid with dexterous motion acquired by
long practice, Karl pressed his burning head,
which seemed to be dancing dizzy waltz to
the beat of the hundrcdfold reiterated Cum
ningham - Atherton- Cunningham - lirSt
families in the country, sub, F" and murmured
inwardly:
Now, den, he must be tru lie hev
mentioned ef1ery respectable man in de
Soudern Gonlederacy 'cept de Simpkinses,
| and if he says any more it must pc apout
DEM"
The Sergeant hewed off another chew of
tobacco, with the savage looking dirk, placed
it in his mouth, raised the spring and let
the dirk close with vicious snap, adjusted
| his wounded leg, and addressed himself again
to speech:
- Now, he will dalk about her folks and
her." thought Karl, and his eyes shone with
| fond anticipation.
| One, two three vigorous crnnches OF the
Sergeant's jaw seemed to get the quid into
an information-yieldin condition, and he
| began
:" haven't told you yet about the Ran
| dolphs where | get my first name. You
| heard Of old John Randolph of Roanoke,
who belonged to 0ne of the very first families
of Virginia, and Ras descendant of the
| Indian Princess sP9cahonta5 He was the
| granddaughter Of Peyton Randolph the Presi-
dent Of the Hrst Continental Congress,
and the second son of Sir John Randolph,
who belonged to one of the Oldest and
noblest families i'll England Ny mothers
, father was a cousin to John Randolph Of
Roanoke, and second cousin to the Randolph
Of Mecklenbura, n. c., and brother to
Sidney Randolph of ,Jessamine County, Ga,
and and for aIother hour that quid exuded
information in regard to the various branches
Of the Randolphs.
Karl was desperate: He resolved to make
a bold stroke TO introduce the long-deferred
Simpkinses and as the Sergeant was reload
ing for a fresh start he said:
- Lemme see, didn't you say someding
about the Simpkinses marryin' into your
family? L once knew some people of dat
namen
Why, I really don't remember it.
They're late corners into the famly-only
come in in the last generation. That was 80
years after the Randolphs came in. Before
them came the R;indalls, the Robertses, the
McChesneys and the Gibsons I'll tell you
all about them sometime, but Pm awful
tired and sleepy now, and my leg's beginning
to hurt. I'll try to go to sleep. Good
night"
. Great heavens" thought Karl: ''de var
will be over afore dat Teller gifts to anyvheres
near de Simpkinses
ITO be cOntinued.1