Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-04-14
No 81

pine torches stuck in iron baskets
against the mud daubed walls. She
looked upon the flying figures that were
dizzily executing q reel according to
Sam Bates stenSorian ORDERS with en-
vious contempt.
No doubt "them poor quarter mig
gers" thought it was fine fun. Sam
Bates was mos dead drunk already,
and Sandy was Gathering his bones
with discordant energy. After a second
Of irresolution she stepped farther into
the hall, and, waving the stolen news
paper over her head to attract general
attention, said peremptorily: "Quit your
foolishness. got somethin to tell you
all. -
She was always an impressive figure,
by reason of her stately stature and
general air of acquired superiority, but
tonight the gravity of a sibyl lay in the
shadowy gloom Of her splendid eyes,
causing her command to be obeyed in
simultaneously, even to tho silencing of
Sam Bates brazen voice and Sandy's
rattling melody with the bones.
She advanced as far as the first torch
Basket before speaking again: "Some-
thin S gwine to happen. Somethin great.
Somethin that Mars Adr'n is hurrahin
about and old marster groaning over.
And know all about it,
"Sonethin gwine happen to who?'
"Sue alters croakin bout somethin.
"What we all got t. do wild it emmy
which a way?"
All this came from various directions
tauntingly, but they all quit their fool
ishness and gathered in an ezpectant
crowd about black Suzanne. The news
paper looked important and corrobora-
tive. Suzanne herself looked immensely
Important.
She stood under the torchlight with
her gayly turbaned head held well up,
looking gravely about her, as she
smoothed the creascs out of the Ses-
sumsport Herald with a long, yellow
hand that faded to pallid pink in it's
palm.
Black Suzanne was not black at all.
There had been white Suzanne once,
the mistress sister, for whom the girl
had been named, and the distinctive
adjective had been found necessary.
Aside from her serious, lustrous brown
eyes and the waving black hair, Of
which she was excessively proud, Su"
zanne was homely mulatto
Having purposely prolonged the sus-
pense of her audience until it would
bear no greater strain, she spoke again:
1--WE been KNOWN it was .-.Iuin for
long time. It's been in the ar. Black
Suzanne can see as far as the mex one
through a milestone with hole in it.
I've KEEP my eyes skinned and my ears
pricked. "
Sandy ratified his bones impatiently:
"Well, if you SO got any news wuth
totin down here from the big house,
let's have it. Times a-passin.
Suzanne turned look of solemn re-
proach in the direction of this frivolous
interruption. She regarded Sandy in
the light of an impertinence. With
serious deliberation she folded the news
paper So as to bring into due prOmi-
nence the lar1o headlines, which had
sounded so impressive when :.... .5ydd
by Adrien that AFTERNOON. CO., ...r'. ES!'
she began to rGt;.. ,i.- p. ".A. .a'@ 20
profound tnat the 81, rs .al.. 81. the
paper in her hand W., @.>- .la. = audi
bic. She wa Mt IL ....N.r ,.N. .,tionist.
She halted norvCu y at every verbal
stumbling block Wh.'G rra,. u'"i moro
than two sylI"ul,s f. I.n mastered. But
rustaincd by tie c.&@iuu-n..~ thal she
was doing it better l..,a ;-v enc NJ her
auditors could do it, upG n G'yl"; tl&t
she had news worth Communicating
she forged ahead rvsl,g ,v:
"The big letters AT t4a top roads,
Con C-o-nCon--'"
"Confonnd It'll e .p'rapGoa"
"Shet up, boys. lu-l ,I5u@ .',rr TOO
brightly"
A resonant maternal cuff a>"l@'G@-
MED this rebuke The inter -. .. ' hJl
been valuable to Suzanne .,l,> l.a@I~'i
glibly: Confederate states Of +.0ler-
ica Rat ratyfercation meeting.
She heaved sigh of relief. T. vas
tougher work than she had antici = ii,
but she proceeded under the ci!aering
conviction that she kad tfeied over the
worst.
IToCetilHs,S Va LIZ SS '''f5 VI
the citizens of Se2suiaa@ @0rt. without
dis-tinc-t ton of former party lines, held
at the courthouse in Scssumsport :oatur-
day, February 16, 1861 '"
1--WE all knows that much already
Unc' Dolbear driv ole mars to the Cote
house hisseff. don't hear nuthin bout
us folks in that"
This was discouraging. Suzanne put
hand up to her turban with disarrang.
ing effect.
"But it is bout we all, AL the same
I'm comm to it. Mebbe didn't begin
at the right place. Herel Ireckon L got
it this time.