The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-11-08
The RUNAWAYS
A Story of AntebelIum
Days.
BY ANNA LAURA GRAVES.

''Please. sab. ole Uncle Eph um done
run away ag'in, sah."
WHAT" Numbered Colonel Ran
! dolph, starting TO his feet. This is the
fifth year that negro has run away. III
see about this" And, catching up his
| cane and panama hat. he strobe down
the avenue toward the negro quarters.
He stopped before the cabin of Aunt
| Dinah, the wife of the recreant, and
she met him by answering his unspo-
| ken question.
Yes sab, he done run away ag'in
sah. When 1 git up dis mawnin' he
done gone. It's pow'ful cu'ous, sah
He'll come back. You know, he a1lus
does. Gawd knows / sho' is toah up
in my mind about 1t. He knows what
a kind massa he got, and 'peahs lax
when he come back he pow'ful shame
O. hsself; but he done gone ag'in.''
AS was always the case with him.
the colonefs wrath had subsided by
the time he Ind reached Uncle Ephra-
in's cabin, and after hearing Aunt
Dinah's explanation he said thought
fully:
We'll, tell Eph to come and see me
when he comes back, and we'll not
search for him this time" Then he
walked slowly back to the house.
At dinner that day the family dis
cussed the runaway. He had been
born ON the plantation and was great
favorite with them all. He was only
1 fQw nlInr ha Al
They had been boys together and the
slave had been devoted to ''his white
folks" But every October for five
years Eph had mysteriously disappear
ed, to appear again in about two
weeks, little shamefaced. and his
only explanation to the darkies had
beer that he ''jes had to CO."
The colonel had maintained q dis
erect silence. He remembered the long
years of unbroken loyalty and devo-
ton of Ephrain, and waited for him
to explain his disappearance, but the
explanation had never come This
time the colonel had determined to ask
for it.
About two weeks after this last Oc-
tober day disheveled old darky
walked into Aunt Dinahs cabin His
clothes We're torn by brambles and coy
cred with the mud of the swamps. He
looked tired, but happy. Uncle Ephra-
i'm had returned.
He said little by way of reply to the
upbraidings of Aunt Dinah. who gave
him good tongue lashing' for his
"ongra titude to ole massa to run of
1or- coI. l.. IT.
WINGED at the last appeIlation, for
Uncle Eph was quite an aristocrat in
his way, having been coachman in the
Randolph family ever since he had ar
rived at mans estate. He said moth.
ing, however, for he was rather a 81
lent darky.
When Aunt Dinah had "had hel
say" she gave him the masters mes
sage. He stopped smoking, his cot
pipe went out. At last he arose, put
on his battered hat and. without
changing his mud stained garments
walked slowly up to the big house."
Colonel Randolph solemnly surveyed
the weather beaten runaway.
"Well, Eph," he said sternly, "Ive
never asked you before, but now
{ want you to tell me why you raI
away"
u Ephraim, lingering his hat and look
Q ing at his muddy Shoes said:
I That's JUS what I'm gwine to do
Marse Phil Seem LAX l couldn't wal
d to fix up none. l jus got to tell yor
n now You know, Marse Phil' (ana
] Uncle Eph coughed. I'VE been KNOWN
/
] nanny wah yo' black nanny, too
!. an you know we done play togedder
d we did, an we hunted togedder, W,
did, an you know. Marse Phil. yoI
J, could outride anybody in dis coun
{ | try
That we could" broke in the colo
! mel, forgetting himself for the moment
{ unconscious of his role as judge of
: runaway negro and remembering onl.
g his happy boyhood.
= well, Marse Phil. you know in d
I fall, sab, when de sun shines sort G
s meller lax an when de muscadines an
fox grapes an simmons am ripe an d.
:. cbestnuts am droppin', sab. jes' can
n stand it nohow. jes' 'bleeged to rul
y away. 'Peahs lax | jus recollect d
time, Marse Phil. | do. when you ar
l. me used to so possum an coon huntin
an den atterwhile. when l take
u cbillens-an', Lord. sich times as W
had, An now dey'S all married al
gone, sab. but ole Eph, lie jes' have t
G take to de woods once year an kim
o. circHmnavisate 'roun', sab. jes' fo
| de ol, times sab. I'ze pow'ful sorry I
] discommode you. Marse Phil, but l to
i dat trlhin' Joe how to TEX keer @ d
7 losses, sab. an jes' has to so, Mars
Phil, jes' has to-"
}. The colonel had turned and was loob
ing out OF the window. He did nc
/ speak at once.
From the distant cabins came th
plaintive echo OF Il lullaby sung by
black nanny TO curly headed picks
o ninny. The gold of evening was mel
e ing into the purple glow of twiligh
q and the air was balmy and sweet. 7
e the colonel there came the memory {
e days, long ago, when he had seen an
D felt all this so keenly, when the youn
f blood coursed through his veins warn
L. ed by the fire of youth and when all n;
n ture seemed but to be speaking word
II of WELCOME, inviting him to come fort
Is and revei in its beauties.
well, Eph," he finally said, Il hay
one request to make of you. When yo
feel like running away again. l wal
&c you to tell me, and Ill so with you"
5 You go, Marse Phil, shO' nuff? A
right. sab, I'll tell you, sah."