Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-06-13
The Conjur Tune
By X. II. Brown.
Observation-Disclosures
Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndieate)

tractor looked troubled.
Marion swept a defiant shrek from
her violin. "Alonel" she returned,
with the foreman and 60 negroes
working right around me, here on the
levee, and only two miles from town!
Look. dear" Her father beckoned
her into his tiny stateroOm. He opened
his trunk and motioned towards heap
of canvas bags and sealed envelopes.
"Why-ee! Why did you get so much
of the mems pay in silver?"
"That fool Rodgers brought it over
on horseback. Told him to cash 1T all
in greenbacks, but he forgot, as usual.
There's 81, 600; the pay for the up-river
gang, as well as this one. Think you
can keep an eye on 1t for the hour
Pm away? There's really no danger;
the blacks don't know it's here"
"But they know it's always sent you
on Saturday noon"
That's fact. But they would never
try to rob the cabin in broad daylight.
THEY'RE an irresponsible set, though.
He glanced through the cabin window
at the endless chain of blue-shirted
figures creeping up and down the river
bank with spade and harrow. The
dull rhythm of their chant mingled
with the ripple of the yellow Ohio be-
low. The boathouse seemed to beat
,bedient time as it swung on the slow
waves.
"You mean they might kill the fore
man and me to get that money II they
knew it was here? 1t would only give
them about $50 piece. They wouldn't
murder us for that"
"Of course not. But I'd take it all
with me if 1 could. You never know
what may happen"
Nonsense, papa. Go on to town.
and don't you dare to come back with
out letter for mel"
From Manila or New York;"
"There's just one town in the world
for me-" hummed Marion.
Manila, then""
"Of course. Adios, papa!"
She kissed her hand to him as he
rode away. 1t would be lonely here in
this sitting boat, rocking on brazen
stream, with nothing to see but trees
and sky, red clay embankment and
an army of half-clad negroes, tOiling
under the lash of the foreman's voice
Sometimes she wished that she had
not INDUCED her whim to spend the
month with her father at his work;
but the Manila mails are far between
and she could not sit and look at one
photograph all summer, no matter how
attractive it might be.
The opposite bank lay green an(
cool under deep willow shade. "It
like to row over there, if l could take
the money along" she thought, as SHE
lifted the trunk lid again and inspected
the contents. "But there's such lo
why, Peter, what do you want?"
Peter, the cooks boy, stood at he
elbow. "Jim wants know what you''
laik for supper" he said, dropping hi
eyes before her sharp glance, but no
in time to hide their covetous CLEAN.
$50 back and tell him I'll send wor
presently" She slid the door bolt a
Peter shambled down the deck. .
am an awful coward, and l wish h
hadn't seen this. Here!" She pickle
up her violin case and packed tn
: money into it. eff they should com
!, they'll never look there!"
Half ashamed of her fears, she wen
back to the main cabin and took up he
violin again. Unconsciously the musi
I drifted into a slow, tuneless accom-
Il paniment of the chant without; sh
pfaved on and on, smiling dreamily
herself: but suddenly the bow fe
7, from her hands.
E. The chant of the negroes withol
J. had ceased!
g. "Why, they're stopping work!
isn't near sikh" She leaned eager
from the window. The men ha
a. dropped their tools and were runnir
al TO the skiff landing, where a crow
had already gathered. Above the ma
- of woolly heads she saw the foreman
w vvbite-shirted arms lifted once, twi
ne then the crowd swayed back, as tv
" huge negroes thrust their Wa
through. The foreman's body swur
- Imply between them. They flung
o. into a skif, then kicked the boat o.
e. into the current. 1t careened m
e- ment, then swept away down/streal
The blood leaped in Marion
" throat. She felt no conscious pity Il
Of the foreman. 1t was just hideo,
1rt puppet show, this mutiny. And L
1T for the next game" she though
- as she watched the men scramblll
W. across the plank bridge to the cab
OF boat. She put the heavy violin case
az the floor beside her, and picked up b
violin.
. "I'Il die game" she said, betwe
,h- her teeth, as she began to play. !
ze- instant later the barred door crash
i0n down, and there pressed inward a 81
of powerful shoulders and pltii'
black faces, hot with cruel gre
e enl, Marion staggered little; the mu
iras thrilled on, in leaping ripples un'
her cold hands. The men stopped
. glared at her. She read awe as "
Va as ouestion in those wolfish eyes.
H. the leader pushed to her side.
"We wants that money!" he snarl
NV "Pete, he tole us it's here; SO give o'
lid my lady missy!" -,
v SS- Marion smiled back at him with
v 4 1wxk