The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-22

haste to go back to Nam Sephny and
safety.
"Will you tell me what the old aunty
name is?" he asked. It's been puz-
2ling me all day"
'Persophone,' 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 cal her 'aunty.' That's only
brcvet title you know. She is a mann
N.Y."
Russell promised to remember, and
opened the gate for his companion. \
moment later he was trying to explain
to Major Dickson that his sending Of
Nam Sephany was the purest bit Of
haphazard and so quite thankless.
But our obligation is the same" said
the major. "Why, bless my soul. sch,
l couldn't feel mo- gratined if some
body had made me a present Of the old
home place in Virginia. couldn't, for
fact! Being from the North, you
cyahn't quite appreciate our feelings
toward these old black mammics Of
ours; you'd have to be Southern bawn
for that. Will you walk out 10 yOuh
dinner, seh?"
Under the circumstances the table
talk was inevitably of faithful old SER
wants, and the patriarchal system OF
bygone days; but later wher they had
all adjourned to the veranda, the ma
jor, with his long -stcmmed pine, and
Russell and his camera, the young man
made good his promise to induct Miss
Dickson into the mysteries of the fad
,l,,t. 1, I ole
pill, 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 sub
iects.
II wish we would get Nam Sephny.
She's q 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
camera.
The light is exactly right On her
| face" he said. Tell her 10 stand lust
as she is for a moment, please. It's a
| chance in a thousand.
Lois called to the unconscious pose
use: "Stand right still, Nam Sephny-
| don't move. Mr.. Russell is going to
take your picture"
The effect of the warning was alto
gether unexpected and not a little dis
concertinG. The old negress threw up
| har hands ShpIakad aud 1isappaaraJ
| and the man on the lawn caught up
| his scythe and made as IL he would
| charge the group on the veranda. Lois
laughed menily.
Dear me-" she said, Il quite forgot
that Nam Sephny might object" And
| then, in explanations: IT'S a foolish
! superstition among the Older ones;
somehow connected with the evil eye,
/ believe"
"She didn't object soon enough" said
| Russell laughing. Il got her before
| she moved"
He said it in an ordinary tone, but
the stalwart negro overheard. With a
| quick thrust Of his boot heel he knock
| ed the scythe blade from its socket
and IT became a sword to slay Catch
ing up the weapon he made dash
for the veranda.
| Russell saw him coming ana realized
dimly that he might presently have tc
fight for his life with a superstition
crazed maniac, but at the critical in
stant the artistic prompting was
| stronger than the self-defensive; the
man was 5n the steps, with his weapon
swung high. became for the moment a
] camera subject not to be duplicated