Daily camera., 1901-06-03

DON'T like to leave you here
alone, daughter" The head oon-
tr9etop looked troubled.
Marion swept a defiant shrek from
her violin. "Alone!" she returned
with the foreman mud ~ negroes
working righs around me, here on tn,
iyNec, and only two miles from town!
Look, dear" Her father beckoneo
he into his tiny -ta'sFqom, He opened
hts trunk and motionca towards hear
of canvas bags and sealed envelopes.
"Why-cc! Why aId You get so much
m The Wem's pay In silvcr?"
THAT fool Rodgers Drought it over
on horseback. Told him TO cash II all
IN ercenhacks, hu, he forgot, as usual
There's s,,6oni the ray for the up-riveI
gang, as well as this one. Think you
eau keep an eye on ii for the hour
I'm away? There's really no danger;
the blacks don't knew It's here
But they know it's always sent you
% Saturday noon"
That's fact. But they would never
try TO rob the cabin in broad da Wight
They're an irresponsible set, though
lie glanced through the cabin window
at the endless chain OF blue .,,irts,'
figures creeping ur and s,ewu 'ae river
bank with sps,,s aud barrow. The
dull rhythm pi their chant mingled
With ne rippie o! the yellow Ohio be-
low. The boathouse seemed to beat
ibe'lieat time as |, swung on the slow
waves,
you mean they might kill the fore
man and me to get that money If they
knew IL was here? 1t would only give
them about $50 piece. They wouldn',
murder us for that"
"of course nst, But I'd take it all
with me u l could, You never know
wat may happen"
Nonsense, papa. Go on TO town
aud 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 MarHa.
Manila, them"
"Of course. Adios. papa!"
She kissed her hand to him rs he
rode away. 1t would be lonely here in
this sitting boat, rocking on brazen
stream, with nothing to see but trees
and sky, q red clay embankment and
an army of half-clad negroes, toiling
nrl.r 10 - ~
Sometimes she wishsa that she had
not INDUCED her whsn 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 and
cool under deep willow shade. I'D
like to row over there, il ! could take
the money along" she thought. as she
lifted the trunk lid again and inspected
the contents. But there's such lot
why. Peter, what do you want?"
Peter, the cooks boy, stood at her
elbow. "Jim wants know what you'd
laik for supper h" said, dropping his
eyes before her sharp glance, but not
in time to hide ,heir covetous gleam
go bask and tell him III send word
presently" She slid the door bolt as
Peter shambled down the deck. 81
am an awful coward, and wish he
hadn't seen this. Here!" She picked
up her violin case and packed the
money into it. ''If they should come
they'll never look therc!"
Half ashamed of her fears, she went
back to the main cabin and took up her
violin again. Unconsciously the music
drifted into slow. tuneless accom-
panimcnt of the chant without; she
played on and on, smiling dreamily to
herself: but autfdenly the bow fell
Eqm her hands,
The chant of the negroes without
had ceased!
"WhY they're stopping work! 1t
isn't near ski" She leaned eagerly
from the window. The men had
dropped their tools and were running
to the skiff landing, where crowd
had already gathered. Above the mass
of woolly heads she saw the foreman's
white shirted arms lifted once, twice
then the crowd swAyed back, as two
huge negroes thrust their way
through, The foreman's body swung
Imply between them. They flung it
into skiff, then kicked the boat out
into the current. 1t careened mo-
meat. then swept away down stream.
The blood leaped in Marion's
throat. She felt no conscious pity for
the foreman. 1t was just hideous
puppet show, this mutiny. And I'm
IT for the next game" she thought,
as she watched the men scrambling
across the plank bridge to the cabin
boat. She put the heavy violin case on
the floor beside her, and picked up her
violin.
"I'll die game" she said, between
her teeth, as she began to play. An
| instant later the barred door crashed
down, and there pressed inward blur
OF powerful shoulders and pitiless
black faces, hot with cruel greed.
Marion staggered little; the music
thrilled on, in leaping ripples under
her cold hands. The men stopped and
glared at her. She read awe as we'll
- question in those wolfish eyes. But
the leader pushed to her side.
1--WE wants that money!" he snarled.
"Pete, he tole us it's here; SO give over,
my lady missy!"
2.iAarion smiled back at him Without
speaking. The violin shrilled into q
high tremolo.