Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-07

happen. 1t 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 Gabrielle whom they
all still missed and by Eben 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 Of
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 Oh which she desired to over
awe and humble her interiors in the
quarter lot.
But it had a real value at last. It
helped her to comprehend the long,
closely printed columns in the afternoon
edition Of the Sessumsport Herald,
which a special messenger was sent to
fetch, and which Adrien read aloud
with ejaculatory excitement, emphasize
ing certain passages with triumphant
little huzzas and wild wavings Of the
moist sheet.
1t was al enthusiasm, she observed,
which was not participated in by the
governor. In point Of fact, for every
n of Adrien's ecstatic huzzas the gov
ernor returned something very like a
groan. Evidently that long column in
the afternoon Herald was full Of portent
to the white folks. She would read it
over herself that night after tea was
yer and she had combed her mistress
hair and bathed the sol white, blue
veined feet that never trod rougher
paths than those that wound through
the 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 go home
for the night-home to Neck or Moth
ing, where nanny held autocratio
sway over Strong Martins 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 the 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 the prophet
ic vision Of a "conger woman, and 80
could foretell the consequences Of this
great matter better than Suzanne could
possibly do.
It seemed incredible to her as she
turned at the side gate to glance back
at the grand white mansion towering
majestically above its glossy evergreen
strawberries that change or disaster
could ever come 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 dancehouse.
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 a great dis
lance. Then the scraping Of a badly
tuned violin and the rhythmic olatter Of
the bones held between skillful fingers.
"The folks" were having "lots Of
fun" inside. Sam Bates was fddling.
Nobody scraped a bow like that but
Sam Bates, and Sandy was "rattlin the
Sandy, too, was a recognized
artist in his line.
She lifted the wooden latch to the
clumsy door and stood on the threshold
of the dancehouse, bathed in the yell
low light flung from half a dozen pitch
pine torches stuck in iron baskets
the mud daubed walls. She
upon the flying figures that were
dizzily executing a reel according to
Sam Bates s~tentorian 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. I got somethin to tell you
She was always IN 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, oven to the 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 8 gwine to happen. Somethin great.
that Mars Adr'n is hurrahin
about and old marster groaning owe
And I know all about it."
"Somethin gwine happen to who?"
"Sue's alters croakin bout somethin."
"What we all got t. do wild it emmy
a way?"
All this came from various directions
tauntingly, but they all quit their fool
ishness and gathered in an expectant
crowd about black Suzanne. The news
paper looked important and corrobora-
tive. Suzanne herself looked immensely
imn0rtant.