Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-04-02
AN EASTER
LOVE,TALE
BY ELVIRA FLOYD FROEMCKE.
Use rusty, yaller coon,
But de Lawd gwine change me soon,
When | gifts on high-y-igh!"

K1Y then, you lazy niger, it you
- don't move quicker with them
trunks! shouted the steward OF the Chris
topher Columbus from the d,ngy gang.
plank.
'Yessah! Comm, sah!" and the "rusty,
yaller coon" ran his rickety wheelbarrow
swiftly on deck and deposited thus last adj
dltlon to the steamers cargo; fairly flying
back to the levee, glad to escape farther
abuse.
A bell rang, a whistle blew, ropes were
loosened, coarse voices talked at once, or
ders to sailors, abundant profanity, a few
shouted good by's," and the Christopher
Columbus was off, down the waters of the
muddy Mississippi, ON her way to New
York.
A long line of relations and friends stood
watching lonely, girlish figure on the deck,
waving farewells and sending CHEEKY smiles
and signals to the young traveller. An I'M
expected voyage means discomfort, but
when one leaves old New Orleans on HOLY
Thursday, with Easter pleasures so near,
and leaves in yellow fog; when the dear
est brother and sister in this world arc
standing on the lcvee; when the little
cousins and nieces are dancing up and down
with some appearance Of JOY and when the
man one loves best stands beside 4 pretty
girl, chatting and smiling with her, the
prospect OF Il sea voyage alone is wrctched
enough. Agnes Ducharmc felt II to be too
much, and murmured: ''rhey seem glad
to see me CO. but she knew that thus was
not true, and sent a watcry smile IN an
swer to the last farewell shout and waving
OF hats.
AS the fog cleared the warm April sun
slime beat down on deck, causing passengers
and crew to dotf all extra apparel, but Agnes
shiverrd and took a gloomy view of every.
thing. 1t was too bad. went her thoughts;
why could not she have finished her visit,
and had, what dear old brother Jack called,
"hcr fling 1t was hateful OF her little IN
valid brother Joe to imagine he was going
to die, and must have her with him; quite
unnecessary III mother to write urging her
return, and objectionable in father to teie
graph: Start for home at once"
Such time as she had had calming Jack
and Nellie, who were raging at Joe for spoil
ing the Easter gayeties; and then the rush
to pack up, and write notes of apology,
pathetic and incoherent, to the friends who
had prepared round of pleasures for her.
She had not seen Mr. Barlow alone a mo-
ulent, and now she would probably never
see him again Well, possibly it would be
better. If he did not care for her, it were
better far he should not know that his face
ever in her thoughts, and that she loved
him so tenderly.
Not that he had ever given her cause for
this by one spoken word. Only he-he
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 "Quelling Oaks
"a 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
he coquctting with her Phi-with Mr.. Bar
low, when that young miss turned half to-
ward Philip and sad to Jack:
And is this gentleman your brother, Mr..
Ducharme"
Not exactly" laughed Jack, and Philip
SAID:
Not yet," at which Agnes had been
vcxed and offended. while now
A great numbering figure waddled up,
clothed in gay calico, with white apron and
kerchlef stiltly finishing the grotesque uni.
form. Above the snowy 'kerchief rose a
b,g brown head, and in the immense ears
swung long gold earrings like two pendulums
oil 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 horrld creature did come
| near, and, what was more, she spoke.
Don stan gain at dat water no longer,
missy, or yo' gwine git de haidache. Yo'
brudder top me tub look out TO- yo'; my