The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-03-03
CHAPTER VII
A MYSTERIOUS FEUD.

ne manner ana language OF Mr.
Dorion did but increase my anxiety to
hear all that he could tell about my
strange benefactor. To overcome his
reluctance, | gave him the story of my
life as it has been set forth in the pre-
vious chapters, dwelling much upon
the deep impression that Mr. Bostock' s
liberality and his interest in me had
produced, how for years | had cher
ished the hope of joining him here.
the difficulties had overcome to do so,
and my present deep disappointment
My account evidently touched the
listener.
81 see must tell you what know
You have a plain right to be told. The
whole story has grown into the most
disagreeable recollection of my life,
and with any ordinary inquirer /
should ignore the whole business And
if you will hear it, you must be warned,
at the start, that it will furnish what
/ should think will be good reasons
why you should now abandon your
search for Pierce Bostock. Shall 90
on?"
"By all means"
will put the narrative in his OWE
language, as nearly as possible.
My acquaintance with Bostock be-
gan about the year 1S41, when he
came up here from Louisiana to look
for cotton plantation that would
suit him. The account that he gave of
himself was, | have no doubt, strictly
true. He had been raising sugar al
most all his life in La Fourche district
of Louisiana, and he desired change
He proposed to keep his great planta
tion there under the charge of a
competent overseer, and to live here
lie must be immensely wealthy; for
seeing and liking this plantation he
paid cash for it. If you'll look over it
with me in the morning, you can
easily make up your mind that it re-
quired a fortune to do that.
He removed here that September,
bringing some of his house servants
He had two children-an infant in its
nurses arms, little Coralie, of whom
you will presently hear more; and a
son, Conrad, then fifteen years old.
He never said much about his wife.
In fact, he never named her of his own
accord; to those who thought they
had the right to ask questions, he in
variably replied that she was Partisan
born, and could not live away from
Paris, even with her husband and
children. All understood from this
that it was case where husband and
wife had agreed to disagree"
l never could see that any one of the
numerous slave women that were
about this house in those days occu-
pied the position of housekeeper. There
were two or three of them who were
quite capable of it; but Bostock was
accustomed to get along in an easy, in
dulgent way, without anyone to look
sharply after the household affairs.
So there was waste, extravaganza and
confusion, as there always will be
where there is an indulgent master,
and no white woman to hold the rein
over lot of idle, shiftless darliics.
The boy Conrad had better dispose
of at once. 1t has been many years
since | saw him. certainly never
want to see him again. He was
wild, undutiful fellow, and in con-
tinual difficulty with his father
When he was twenty he disappeared
l presume that Mr.. Bostock knew
where he went; but he never men,
toned him and nobody cared to know.
If there could be such thing as a
born gambler, should say that Conrad