The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-05-10


mind.
Alec was slave, the son and grand
son of slaves, and though his owners
were always kind, bis work light, and
his privileges very many, strange
thoughts had entered his mind of late
and dwelt there persIstently. he
would be free, free as his master, to go
where be listed, to study and learn.
He would 90 to some land where the
condition of master and slave did not
exist. But how? Many sleepless nights
had this question cost him. and still so
distractingIy hopeless seemed its solu-
ton.
He must run away. Opportunities
for flight were not lacking; but other
slaves had decarnped only to be brought
back to punishment and increased la
Dor, or. worse still, were driven back
from the fastnssses Of the swamps by
cold aud starvation. Alec wished for
no freedom to hide like a beast in
swamp or thiexet-better his masters
rule aud his masters mansion than
that.
But in flash his mistress low ex-
clamalion solved for him the problem
of chow" The little glittering stone
on his young mistress hand should be
his He would become poss ssed Of it,
this kings ransom, and escape, nobody
being injured. Evelina, to whom he
was deeply attached, would not grieve
over its loss. She had many more jew
els. and no doubt her future husband
would replace It's loss 10y second gem
equally as brilliant.
Many schemes for becoming possess
ed of the ring chased each other
through his busy brain. The first that
seemed most likely to succeed he was
forced to abandon forthwith-that Of
making love 20 Amanda Jane, Eveli-
mas maid-and persuading her to steal
the coveted treasure for him. BY few
adroit questions he learned that the
ring never left the white girls hand.
Then an awful resolve formed itself
in his mind. He would enter her room
in the solemn watches of the night and
take it by stealth if he could, by vio-
lence if he must, and then away to lib
erty and new life!
But fate and Evelina together frus-
trated this plan, for shortly before the
night when he resolved to put il in OPP
Grafton the young woman left home for
a round of visits in the neighboring
counties. She was absent many weeks
and did not return until preparations
for the approaching wedding were well
under way. Many guests filled the man
sion then, and Alec's hands were over
full of urgent duties.
The, marriage day was close at hand,
and stils he could not raise his courage
to the point Of executing his purpose.
Each day ne prcc.ised himself that he
would wait TO longer, that the coming
night he would do the work, and the
morning would find him far on his
journey toward new life. Still, he
never acted, and the chain of days slip
ped by, one BY one, until all but one be-
fore the final day bad passed. But that
night he would carry out his plans
when the proper hour arrived, and as
he sat waiting on the doorstep of his
cabin it seemed that midnight would
never come.
Further down in the quarter a field
hand strummed banjo and a couple
shuflied ninlbly in the glare Of small
outdoor fire. The dancers could see
Alec as he sat alone on his step, shim-
mering white blotch against the black
! square of the open door. They called
to him, and he recognized the voice Of
Amanda Jane, Evelina's maid, but he
would not join them, and finally they
also strolled away to bed.
Nowl The great mansion lay in shad-
ow, and profound repose pervaded the
homestead Creeping through the shad-
ows Alec gained small side-door left
conveniently open and groped his way
to the big central hall. Passing along
softly to the wide staircase, near the
, head of which Evelinais rooms were
situated, the would-be thief was almost
+ paralyzed with fear by beholding his
master standing at the top, lighted
: candle in his hand. Not waiting to in-
quire how the slave had gained admit
tance or why he was prowling in mid
night darkness through the halls, when
in all reason he should have been asleep
, on his cabin bunk hours since, the
| Judge shouted in agitated tones:
"Run, Alec, run! Saddle Cannon
Ball and fly for Doctor Sage. Your
, mistress is ill-dying. I'll skin you il
YOU lose m0mentw
Catching the infection Of the judges
5 excitement the dRrky flew, shoeless
{ and hatless, and was soon tearing over
meadows and through growing corn on
] a mad race for the nearest physician,
who lived five miles away. 1t was in
deed true-the lovely young daughter
: Of the house, the fair bride-eleet, lay
= dying. A sudden malady, developing
: from an indisposition too slight, as she
: supposed, to notice, had attacked her.
J and ere the man OF medicine could ar
: rive she was seemingly beyond medi.
4 cal aid.
e There was mourning where festivitie:
i were expected, and grief where joy
should have reigned supreme. Loving
a bands dressed her in all the white dra
t perry of bridal attire and bore er below
[ to the drawing room, where she lay il
q state among banks and gsrlands o
: roses and ferns, where the guests whit
! expected to congratulate her as a happy
4 bride paid her the last homage of sac
b farewell. Fer three days she held 81
4 lent court in the dim, flow-r-scentee
d dusk Of the grand room, and then al
D the servants Of her fathers house an'
II all the slaves on lis plantation wer
r bidden to take a farewell look at thei
!. dear young mistress ere she was born'
e 10 join the silent company of genera
tions of noble kin " no lay in the fam
lily vault beyond the gardens
!. Alec stood at the open hall-door ad
b mitting the black people in twos ant
threes as they filed silently in and will
.oarc.fx a napsa tassed on He bai