The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-01-06

with an Indifferent intOnation:
81 suppose, ma'am, she will be like all
the others, and not believe a word l say,
so what's the use Of troubling her"'
"On the contrary. 1 believe in you
fully, Berenice," l said.
The girl turned quickly toward me,
and putting her two shapely hands on
my shoulders. looked me in the face
with her dog-like eyes. She seemed en-
deavoring to discover whether l was in
jest or in earnest. 1t was quite a time
before she spoke; at length she said:
"Do you believe in julius Caesar and
George Smith, missee?
Il am sure l shall do so when I know
who they are" 1 answered.
"They are my duppies."
"Ohw
"Do you want to know how l came
to swallow them?'
"Why, of course"
"Let us go out on the porch and hear
the story" said Mrs. Latham. This
room is sitting"
\ We went out and watched the blaz-
ing sun go down in a tropical splendor
of red and gold behind the blue hill in
front of us, as we listened to Bere-
nice's tale.
At first she was too agitated to COM
mence it. She walked up and down in
front of us, declaring that Julius Gaze
sar and George Smith objected to her
sitting. 1 drew out a little satchel that
1 carried with me a certain gray pow
der and placed it on her tongue. This
had the effect Of s%teadying her nerves,
and she began talking in quite a ra-
tional manner
Julius Caesar was the baby son of
Mark Antony and Cleopatra, that lived
in the cabin at the foot of the hill. He
died six months ago, and on the third
day after his death a lot Of us boys and
girls went to keep the duppy out Of the
house. AT midnight we were very tired.
We had tapped the sheet for an hour
without seeing anything. 1t was now
agreed that each Of us in turn should
act as watcher. We drew lots, and the
lot fell on me. Soon 1 was the only
one awake in the whole crowd. The
room was very warm, and 1 sat by the
window. There was a tree close to 1t,
and I noticed a movement in the
branch nearest me l fixed my eyes
on the branch and saw a little gray
owl that kept hopping nearer and near
er the window. Its eyes were fiery, and
kind Of glued themselves on to mine,
and still it hoped nearer and nearer.
Presently it got between the moon and
me, and 1 saw right through it. The
moon was shining through the little
gray owl! Then I knew what it was,
and opened my mouth to scream, but
before I could do so it flew right in, and
was down my throat in a jiffy!"
She paused in such agitation that it
was impossible to laugh at her story,
absurd though it was.
swallowed him in the form Of a cat"
she went on presently. '"They fought
right away, and I have dreadful times.
Oh, missee"-here the poor girl wiped
her eyes with the corner Of her apron
81 do have dreadful times! And if 1
don't get up and walk about directly
they begin fighting, 1 have a fit and
stay in it till they are tired out. Do
you think you can cure me-"
"Yes," said I, with a confidence I did
not altogether feel; %whereupon the poor
girl humbly kissed the hem of my dress
in token Of her gratitude.
Berenice, despite her hue, was very
beautiful. She resembled an ebony
statue of Hebe. 1t was dreadful to
think that SO perfectly formed a body
should be numbered with such a ludic-
rously diseased mind.
Whether rightly or not, I diagnosed
the case as one Of acute dyspepsia, and
determined to treat it as such.
"Berenice," said I, ut will take some
time to cure you, as julius Caesar and
George Smith will no doubt obstinate
ly contest my efforts to dislodge them,
but in the end / think I shall succeed"
A rapturous look Of JOY o~verspread
her c~ountenance, and she commenced
to slowly revolve, in a kind Of rhyth-
mic dance, down the narrow garden
path. 1t was a weird sight to see her
graceful, statuesque figure swaying in
the moonlight. Her mother began to
sob Historically, whether for Joy at her
daughters prospective release, or grief
at her present eccentric conduct, I |
could not tell. Probably she did not
know herself, for these black people are |
so emotional that they are stirred up |
by every breath Of feeling. as the bos-