The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-17

say no. but I'm going to be truthful
and say yes. I've always been led to
believe that your attitude-that is, the
attitude of the southern people-to-
ward the-er-the negroes was a.
He stumbled, not knowing just how to
put it in the least offensive phraSing,
| but he needed not to go.
Il know" she laughed, and the little
Whit of antagonism was gone. But
after you've been here longer you Will
understand. They are men and women
to you, yet, ! suppose, but to US they
are simply good-natured, overgrown
children. And we are kinder to them
than you will be-until you know them
as well as we do
The young man suspected that he
was getting upon thin ice, and made
haste to so back to Nam Sephny and
safety.
"Will you tell me what the old aun-
tvs name is?" he asked. It's been
puzzling me all day"
g 'Persephone,' of course, said Lois.
She cried when papa called her that;
said she hadn't heard her church
name since her old mistress died. But
you mustn't call her aunty.' That's
only a brevet title, you know. She is
a nanny
Russell promised to remember, and
opened the gate for his companion. a
moment later he was trying to explain
to Major Dickson that his sending of
Nam Sephny was the pureSt bit of
haphazard, and so quite thankless.
But our obligation is the same,
said the major. why, bless my soul,
sch, | couldn't feel mo- gratiiied If
somebody had made me a present of
the old home place in Virginia.
couldn't for a factl Being from the
north, you cahn't quite appreciat.; our
feelings toward these old black NAM
mics of ours; you'd have to be south
ern bawn for that. Will you walk out
to youth dinner. seh?"
Under the circumstances. the table
talk was inevitably Of faithful old SER
wants, and the patriachal system of
bygOne days; but later, when they had
all adjourned to the veranda. the ma
jor, with his long-stemmcd pipe, and
Russell with his camera, the young
man made good his promise to induct
Miss Dickson into the mysteries of the
fad Photographic. Lois proved an apt
pupil, and when they had taken snap
shots of the valley, of each other and
of the negro man working on the lawn,
the young girl sighed for fresh subjects.
Il wish we could get Nam Sephny.
Shes a type, you know, and one that
is nearly extinct. Is there light enough?
Shall l call her?''
Before Russell could reply, and as if
the wish had evoked her the aged ne
gress came around the corner of the
house and stood with arms akimbo,
scanning the man at work on the lawn.
Her pose was exceptionally good, and
Russell made haste to adjust the cam
era
THE. light is exactly right on her
face" he sad. Tell her to stand just
as she is for a moment, please. It's |
chance in thousand"
Lois called to the unconscious pose |
use: stand right still, Nam Sephny-
don't move. Mr.. Russell is going to I
take your picture"
The effect of the warning was alto /
gether unexpected, and not little dis /
The old negress threw up I
her hands. shrieked and disappeared; |
and the man on the lawn caught up his /
scythe and made as if he would charge !
the group on the veranda. Lois laughed (
merrily.
Dear me- she said, Il quite forgot |
that Mann Sephny might object" And /
then. in explanation: IT'S foolish SUI
persti:ion among the older ones; some
how connected with the evil eye L be-
lieve."
she didn't object soon enough" said
Russell laughing. Il got her before she
moved"
lie SdlG II IN an OTOIlldIE TUNE, Dul
the stalwart negro overheard. With a
quick thrust of his boot heel he knocked
the scythe blade from its socket and it
became a sword to STAY. Catching up
the weapon he made a dash for the
Russell saw him coming and realized
limly that he might presently have to
Eight for his life with a superstition
,raZed maniac; but at the critical in
slant the artistic prompting was
stronger than the self-defense; the
nan on the steps, with his weapon
swung high, became for the moment a
,amera subject not TO be duplicated in
/ lifetime. The rays of the setting sun,
streaming over the shrugged shoulder
# tn emountain, fell full on the rage
distorted face, and a livid scar, invisi-
)le at other times, gashed one black
heck from temple to jaw angle. IF
here had been certain death in the
'iting of the scythe blade. Russell
ould not have resisted the impulse to
the man as he stood.
The click Of the camera shutter broke