The weekly examiner., 1901-04-06

looked love. His voice had the tone, and his eyes-Well, his eyes were always telling her more than the words of any man she had ever met They had been picnicking one day over at the celebrated tsDuelling Oaks" Ca famous place in the olden time, where many pair of gallants had spilled their hot young blood to win fair maids favor). She had just been introduced to Kate Her bert (the pretty girl who might even now be coquetting with her Phil-With MT. Bar low), when that young miss turned half to- ward Philip and said to Jack:
 "And is this gentleman your brother, MT. DucharmeW
 Mot e1actly,'' laughed Jack, and Philip said:
 Mot yet" at which Agnes had been vexed and offended, while now
 A great numbering figure waddled up, clothed in gay calico, with white apron and 'kerchief stiffiy finishing the grotesque uni form. Above the snowy 'kerchief rose big brown head, and in the immense ears swung long gold earrings like two pendulums of some wondrous human clock.
 Agnes shuddered and thought how for. tunate that she was never seasick, for this was evidently the stewardess, and the horrid being must never come near her. Just then the horrid creature drd sso1l1e near, and, what was more, she spoke.
 
 missy, or yo' gwine git de haidache. Yo' brudder tol me tuh look out fo' yo'; my name Sophie;" and picking up the belong ings of Agnes led the way below, Agnes meekly following.
 Before many minutes the black horror had divested Agnes of her boots, loosened her dress, brushed her hair and calmly com manded that young lady to close her eyes and rest, which she did, without realizing her obedience
 She slept restlessly, and dreamed she was on the deck of a vessel saying good-by to friends, who loaded her with flowers and gifts. Philip, too, was there; this tune the love had crept from his eyes to his lips, and he was saying: "I love you, ]" when she wakened The world seemed very cold that moment, and the fact that she had come away without a parting gift was borne unto her distressed mind He might have said something, he could have slipped note into her hand at parting, concealed a few words in bouquet of flowers. She had often read of such things in books. Yes, yes, if he had cared he would not let her go in this way. The unhappy girl could control herself longer, and burst into wild fit of sobbing and tears.
 When old Sophie entered the stateroom and saw the limp figure and heard the moaning cries, sae put the luncheon tray down, and, taking the unhappy girl in her big, strong arms, cradled her like baby, and crooned an improvised song of love and birds, and peace, ending each line with the musical refrain:
 Desc all come to Gawd's own chile.'
 Agnes forgot the ugly brown face and her aversion to it. She let her aching head rest on the kind old shoulder, and sobbed her. self into a state of comfortable tranquility. Sophie never hurried her, and after awhile fed her bits of toast and sips of tea that went down choklngly, but went down.
 The pair grew confidential during the dressing of Agnes, Sophie insisting she must go on deck to hear de cap'en 'spaciate on Massa Fades jetties, wha' mek dis yere ribber pass'bl all de time. No waitin' fo' tides now, honeyi''
 Despite the resolution to keep her cabin the entire voyage, curiosity conquered, and she was soon on deck, quite eager to see the long, narrow strips of land that had been formed artifeally near the mouth of the great river, between which were thus made deep water channels, through which yes sels might pass at all times without danger from the shifty alluvial soil that made the rivers bed. Thus did the cleverness of that great engineer, Fades, use the jetty system and save ships, money and patience for con temporaries and posteEity
 The Christopher Columbus went bobbing through the choppy seas of the gulf, and at each roll brought down some poor unfor- tunate. Most of the passengers were ill, and Angnes wandered about the deck, her face gloomy, dark and despairing. She ran against poor old Sophie and nearly upset the bowl of porridge she carried.
 Missy, missy! Hyah yo' is well an strong, an yo' look onhappy 'nough tuh be Good Friday hisse'f. Bettah stir up yo' heart tew'd Gawd, an help His critters" :" Without more ado she took the girls arm and hurried her to the cabin, where the plaintiye walls of a baby mingled with groans of the seasick passengers.
 In another moment Agnes found the cry- ing baby in her arms, and began hushing it with true mother instinct Sophie had disappeared and the baby cuddled it's pretty dark head close to the sore young heart. trying to it's gratitude, while it smiled into the sweet young face that returned it