Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-04-14

among her white folks" that had
long been manifest to her subtle in
stincts. Her mistress and the governor
had been serious and troubled. What
for? They who held all the world could
give! AS for Mr.. Adrien, he was like
the butterflies for joyous Irresponsible
ty and gay indifference to the future
He was never serious or troubled.
At last Suzanne knew what it all
meant. For months past she had been
industriously piercing together words
and phrases and disjointed sentences
that had evidently been violently dis
located upon her entering the room.
Her indefatigable industry was reward
ed at last.
Something tremendous was about to
happen. It concerned her 1t concerned
''mammy." 1t concerned her entire
race. She was triumphantly glad of her
small stock Of learning, mere crumbs
of knowledge flung to her at second
hand by the Miss Gabr ella whom they
all still missed and by Eber Martins
daughter, who carried herself SO loftily
now that Suzanne rarely held converse
with her. But she was grateful to both
the girls for what they had taught her
in that scrappy fashion long ago. ;.
Heretofore Suzanne's modicum Il
knowledge had been held in the same
esteem as her modicum of secondhand
fnery, CLEANED from her mistress ward
robe, something to be reserved for grand
occasions on which she desired to over
awe and humble her interiors in the
quarter lot.
But it had a real value at last. 1t
helped her to comprehend the long,
closely printed columns in the afternoon
.dition Of the Scssumsport Herald,
which special messenger was sent to
fetch, and which Adrien read aloud
with eiaculatory excitement enphasiz-
ing certain passages with triur phant
little huzzas and wild waviugs of the
moist sheet.
1t was an enthusiasm, she observed,
which was not participated i'll by tho
governor. In point Of fact, for every
one of Adrien's ecstatio huzzas the gov
ernor returned something very like
groan. Evidently that long column in
the afternoon Herald was full of portent
to the white folks. Sho would read it
over herself that night after ten was
over and she had combed her mistress
hair and bathed the soft, white, blue
yeined feet that never trod rougher
paths than those that wound through
tho rose garden Of the governors man
sion.
There were countless little services
for Suzanne to perform at the big house
before she was at liberty to 60 home
for the night-home to Neck or Moth
ing, where nanny held autocratic
sway over Strong Martin 8 domestic ar
rangements. But when they were all
performed, the soft, waving white hair
tucked smoothly away under the lace
frilled nightcap, the cut glass carafe OF
orange leaf water placed on the little
stand by tho big canopied bed, black
Suzanne stole stoftly down stairs into
the darkened library, and, cropping her
way to the table, eagerly possessed her
self of the paper that meant so much to
her and to her people.
She would read it aloud to nanny
first. Nanny was shrewd witted and
long headed. She possessed tho prophet
ic vision Of "conger woman," and so
could foretell the consequences OF this
great matter better than Suzanne could
possibly do.
1t seemed incredible to her as she
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at the grand white mansion towering
majestically above its glossy evergreen
strawberries that change or disaster
could ever como to her white folks.
The very timbers that sheltered them
seemed as solid as the earth that had
given them growth, the earth, which
belonged by right Of heritage to the
Strongs forever and forever. Who would
dare assail such majesty? Nanny
might say she could not.
Her way led her through the quarter
lot, past the great barnlike log struc-
ture which did duty for a dancehorse.
She had forgotten it was Saturday
night. From between the chinks of the
loosely daubed logs long lines of light
glimmered redly. The sound of shut
fling feet came to her at great dis
tance. Then the scraping of badly
tuned violin and the rhythmic clattor Of
the bones held between skillful fingers.
"The folks" were having "lots Of
fun" inside. Sam Bates was fiddling.
Nobody scraped bow like that but
Sam Bates, and Sandy was 'rattlin the
bones" Sandy, too, was q recognized
artist in his line.
She lifted the wooden latch to the
clumsy door and stood on the threshold
Of the dapcekousc, batkcd il the vel