The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-12
The PROMOTION OF
ROCKY LEDGE.
by ELMoRE PEAKE.

windows or a canary twittered IN the ticket
office. It was the only station where the
Way-freight brakemeu did not spit tobac-
co juice on the platform; the only sta
ton where a delicate, bewitehing scent
hovered around the telegraph instrument;
the Only station where all conductors al
ways peeped in, just to see that everything
was 20. X"
In fact there was probably no station
like it in all Southeast Georgia. The
auditors office in Savannah never found
errors in the ticket reports signed, in
bold hand, a Carroll" The waybiIs
and abstracts received from a. Carroll
always tailed. The travelling auditor
checked up a. Carroll merely as mat
ter Of form, unless indeed the personal
equation entered into the transaction. And
yet A. Carron-so uncomprlsing on paper,
so infallible so prompt, 50 austere in the
performance of duty-was only a fluffy
headed girl, a Yankee, so-called, whose
father had come South to die of consump-
ton and leave his motherless daughter
stranger among strangers.
Rocky Ledge was no earthly paradise.
OF its 400 inhabitants, -fourths were
back, and the remainder. with the ex-
ception of the railroad agent herself, were
the trashiest of white trash" The near
est gentleman" was at Col. Singleton's
plantation, three miles distant. But If
Amy Carroll ever got lonesome or sick at
heart. or ever pinned for the smiling fields
of Wisconsin, no one heard of it, She
might grow weary of the eternal pine bar
Tens that crowded up close to the track
and almost invaded her back door; she
might fear that the ague would in time
rob her OF her robust health, and dye her
blooming skin a sicky yellow; she might
tremble at times for her refinement among
the un.ettered horde around her But
her sunny face never clouded. The drip
ping brakemen who bedraggled her white,
clean floor on tempestuous nights never
missed her bonny words, and Barney Nc
Call the handsomest conductor on the III
vision, swore daily that one of the little
4ank's" smiles was a better bracer for
him that three fingers of whisky.
When Fan-Tan, a notorious colored out
law of the neighborhoOd, was carried into
her office one night, with his body nearly
severed by the down freight and his life
blood fast oozing away, she gravely sat
by him and spOnged his brow until he
group around her on that memorable
night afterward declared that Fan-Tan
took Miss Amy for an angel and fancied
he was in heaven some time before he
died. He might easily have done it, for
her sweet plying face that night was as
white as any piece of scu.ptured marble
On that same night Col. Singleton in the
comfortable sitting room of the big plan
tation home. declared with an expression
not found in dictionaries that Amy Car
roll, Yank or no Yank, was a girl after
his own heart
mot after your heart, papa" corrected
his daughter Charlotte, with a sly play
upon his words, but after your dutiful
son, Rods, heart"
Frederick could hardly marry a girl in
her station, Charlotte" said the mother.
with a languor that evinced no appre-
pensions.
f"Rod codld marry a Gypsy If she were
worthy of him." answered Charlotte. spir-
itedly with a note of sisterly pride in
her voice, and the colonel quietly chucl<l-
ed to himself behind the pages of his At
lanta Constitution.
About month later, one night in early
June, No. 19, down freight for Savannah.
was wrecked at the sixty-sixth mile post
one mile below Rocky Ledge. brake
man lost his life. A posse of Indignant
planters, assisted by the train crew. scour-
ed the swamp with dogs for the criminals.
and before sunrise a negro named FIJI
more was dangling from the arm of
telegraph pole.
The subsequent excitement among the
blacks in Rocky Ledge was intense
though manifested in a way characteris-
tic of the negro Their dun. muddy eyes
and sullen movements We're not TO be mis-
interpreted. With hangdog looks, they
shifted about the settlement in duslxy
groups, mainly oscillatng between the
two saloons and giving vent to their
wrath in rolling eyes, pouting lips and
mumDied threats and courses-chlldish
manifestations, but such as, with this
race, may portend the most terrible out-
RACES.
The first violence was the stoning from
ambush of the north-bound passenger
from Savannah. The news at once spread
over the division by telegraph At noon
the conductor of the down freight Cook
ed in" at the cozy little office to see how
things stood with Miss Amy. She told
him with a smile that she guessed every
thing was all right, but she did il only
because she fancied that that was what
a man would have done AT o'clock.
Barney McCalrs handsome face. with its
rapier-like mustachios, was thrust in the
ticket window He got his usual "bracer."
but he Imagined ii was a little diluted.
You're lookin' little peaked, Miss
4ank, amt you2" he demanded.
Maybe, but l don't feel that way" she
answered cheerly. 81 don't think there
viii be any more trouble. but if there Is
they won't hurt me. l didn't hang FIJI
more"
Honestly" asked Barney, quizzingly.
Il imagined you would be just the girl
TO hang a niger" Then he added blithe-
somely, holding out a heavy revolver.
Just shove that in your pocket-or keep
II somewhere handy You needn't get
scared; I've always said you ought to
have pistol, you know and now you
got one All you got 10 do with that, girl,
is 20 point her and pull the trigger. and
she'll do the rest. It's kingdom come to
anything in front of her She'll make a
hole In a niger that you could hyswitch
a box car through. You needn't try Just
20 see If Pm tellin' the truth; but if the
time comes just remember that niggers
will be awful happy in heaven, with all
them harps ana things"
After Barney had seen her gingerly de-
post the weapon in a drawer. and had
been rebuked for his irrevereuce he step
ped outside and took a ebarn look ar,,Yd