Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-04-26
NECK OR NOTHING.
By JEANETTE Il. wALwoRTH.
copyright, 1897. by the Author.l
(ooXTINUED.I

copyright, 1897. by the Author.l
fCoNTINUED.
"You amt skeered 10 follow Abe, il
you, little mistis!"
The negative he waited for so anx-
iously did not come readily. Liza's dry
tongue refused to shape it.
"You ben good to Abe, an Abe don't
never forgit. Mars Ran good to Abe,
too. and Abe ain never run way tell
Mars Ran go way and lef' him. He a
gentleman's body sarvint. That wat
this niger is. gwine git you outer
here cf you'll follow me. Abe knows
desc woods tolluble well by dis time.
Liza rose with trust in her eyes and
in her voice. After all, why should he
not be rs good as his promise? Was she
not getting back the bread-Strong' S
bread-which she had cast upon the
waters with unexpected promptness:
Now she could speak that word of COM
| fort:
"Abram, you need not be afraid 10
| pilot me ont of these woods. Mr.. Ran.
dal has come back. You can go to Lau-
rel Dell this morning, If you want to,
without fear of punishment.
MARS Ran come back? Den dis mig
ger gwiue quit his foolishness. done
tole myself gwine stay in de cane tell
| Mars Ran sen me word to come back.
| He didn't b'leeve me, dat good fur
no,hin po' lite trash NV overseer,
wen I say couldn' pick cotton. He
ain wuth u niger. nary Niger nv his
own. don teached him a less'n."
| This in monologue rs he rapidly
wound his way unwaveringly through
the wet green maze about them, closely
| followed by Liza. So, even this poor
starveling, this tattered fugitive slave,
could afford to despise her father-an
overseer! The very abject of the earth
| could fearlessly spit upon the namc Of
Martin! And there was no man among
them all ready to wipe ont the smirch
Il gwine tex you to Unc' Scip's
house. Unc' Scip live right on top the
cliff. Is you tired. little mistis! Hits
the fus' house we come To.
mo, 20 on-straight on. l am not
tired. will pay you for guiding me
out Of this.
She was conscious OF lifting Of the
clouds-''of frightening in the skies. "
The thunderstorm was passing rs it
had come, with magical suddenness.
They were winning their upward way
rapidly. The trees were thinner, but
the underbrush more dense as they
gained the uplands. The briers caught
her sof, serge skirts and held them with
thorny, devastating fingers; cold, wet
limbs sprinkled her with their surplus
moisture. Abrams bare feet bore him
over the rough ground much more rap
idly than she could possibly follow him.
But size was not taking note Of any enc
Of her many physical discomforts. Tie
social degradation Of the Martins had
never been presented TO her so clearly.
Abram had pressed upon a sore spot.
| Overseers had none so poor as 10 do
them reverence.
THAR, now tolc you was gwine
to fetch you bang mp to Unc' Scip's
front do. Dare he maxim baskits on de
back gallery. Gorda.mity! Look a-yan-
der!
Abram had deserted hey and was TAX
ing succession Of kangaroo leaps in
the direction Of two men who were
standing on Scipios gallery indolently
watching the old mans rapid basket
weaving. Even before they had turned
| at sound Of Abe's excited voice Liza
had grasped the meaning Of their pres
ence. 1t was Strong and Randall Cham
bliss, who had taken shelter in old
Scipio's cabin, evidently in pursuit OF
Abram. 1t was his master he was greet
ing tumultuously:
"Howdy, Mars Ran? Howdy ,marster?
Yher's me! Yher's your Niger l tole
dat triflin Foulksis were cumin home
W zen 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 a diversion Of astCn-
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 dr,nched.
Eyes, drenched If it had not been
for Abe there, | should have been dead
with fright by this time; 50 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 tineling with wrath the day before.
"Caliban and Miranda, he said mus
ingly. Then. conventinnally, Il 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. 1"
~ assure you / had nothing to do
with your boys restoration. he has
done me great service, and / did tell
him you had got home. / hope you
will keep your word about furnishing
him.
"T believe have contracted had
habit of keeping my word always. As
for furnishing abe, he infiicts punish
ment much oftener than he receives it.
Don't you, Abe? Speak, you buff col
ored tatterdemalion"
Abram, standing respectfully aloof
from the little group Of "w'ite folks, T"
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 an indissoluble bond Of mutual
affection and mutual dependence. Each
had need of the other.
MARS RAM" he said in a voice OF
solemn rebuke, II is ben had mighty
rough slime sence you ben gone. l is
dat. Mr.. Foulksis. he put me to ginnin
wen / git up frim de measles, an