Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1898-04-07

"Howdy, Mars Ran? Howdy, ,marster?
Yher's me! Yher's your Niger! I tole
dat trifiin Foulksis were cumin home
wen you git back. Who ben black your
shoes. Mars Ran? Dey look nifty rusty"
Painting, laughing, questioning, he stood
before his adored owner.
Liza appearance simultaneously with
Abrams caused diversion of aston
ishment in her direction. Strong was
regarding her darkly; Chambliss with
perplexed, impersonal curiosity.
Strong scarcely waited for her to
reach his side.
"What is the meaning Of this, Liza?
Why did you not stay at my house?
You are drenched."
eyes, drenched. If it had not been
for Abe there, should have been dead
with fright by this time; 80 a drench-
ing seems slight by comparison. got
lost trying to find my way back to poor
little Fancy. Abram found me, and
here am"
She was composedly shaking the rain
drops from her hat Its removal had
brought to view charming disarray Of
moist brown waves curling tightly
about her blue veined temples. Randall
Chambliss was regarding her with that
inscrutable smile that had set her cheeks
to tingling with wrath the day before.
"Caliban and Miranda, he said mus
ingly. Then, conventionally, II am
sure ought to be very much obliged to
you, Miss Martin"
"For what?"
"For restoring this ragamuffin to
my arms. Life is barren without Abe. "
II assure you had nothing to do
with your boys restoration. He has
done me q great service, and did tell
him you had got home. hope You
will keep your word about furnishing
him."
II believe have contracted bad
habit of keeping my word always. AS
for Furnishing Abe, he inf1icts punish
ment much oftener than he receives it.
Don't you, Abe? Speak, you buff col
ored tatterdemalion!"
Abraln, standing respectfully aloof
from the little group of "w'ite folks"
showed faultless set Of teeth at this
challenge. grinning with happiness. His
adoring eyes had never once left Ran
dal's face since that first ecstatic well
come. Between master and man OBJ
tanned all indissoluble bond Of mutual
affection and mutual dependence Each
had need of the other.
MARS Ran, he said in voice of
solemn rebuke, II is ben had mighty
rough time scnce you ben gone. l is
dat Mr. Foulksis, he put me to ginnin
wen l git up frim de measles, an l
don't know uothin tall bout ginnin.
Den Mr.. Foulksis, he put me to pickin
cotton, but dc driver tell him / amt
wuth my salt as q picker. Den Mr.
Foulkss he put mo to splittin fence
rails down closet to de woods an dc
devil he peeps out'n q heller tree one
mawnin, an Ee Fay, Abe, you kin sleep
in here wild me Nv nights, an you kin
scrimmudge rom fur simmons an pa
paws to live on tell Mars Ran git back.
An l say, All right, Mr.. Satin, an
stick my AK in rail an light out JUS
so. But the simmons gittin mighty
sccerce, an the hawgs beats me getherin
paraws all hollor, an I would er ben
mighty hollCr inside right now, Mars
Ran, eff little mistis hadn't gle me
whole paper full cr vittlos reckon
dey worn cook fur me doa. amt eet
em all up yit. Fore finish my dinner
yhcre somebody cryin sof' lax, outside
er my dinin room do, an l peeks out
an thar was little nistis, JUS as white
bout the gills as fresh w'itewash
fence and a-cryin cause she was los and
skeered. / dono lcf' er heaps er dem
vittles in dat holler. Reckon better 90
back artcr 'em, Mars RAM
Randall laughed his lazy, indulgent
laugh. Abrams irrepressible sense of
fun was one of his highest recommen-
dations in his masters eyes. He was
the kings jester
"No, sir. You can leave them there
until you take to the woods again"
Ahram rolled his eyes reproachfully
until nothing but the whites Of them
We're visible.
MARS Pan, you oughtn't to lef' your
niger to be cuff 'roun by do oversecr
lax common fiel'hun. You oughtn't
dat. cyarn't 'bide You wife trash. "
The amused look died out Of Randal's
face abruptly. Liza was fastening her
hat on again with her back to him.
Strong had gone to fetch his horse from
the shed. A gulf had seemed to yawn
visibly between them all in q second.
There was nothing to do. nothing to
say. He stood stupidity by, looking at
Strong helping Liza into his own sad
die, and long after the gray had passed
out of sight with his slight burden he
stood there, pondering the nice things
he might have said to cover Abe's In
fernal blunder if only he had thought
of any one of them before it was too
late
Abram alone was supremely and ig-