The Washington times., 1901-10-06

Colonel Randolph sat on the broad CO.
| loniai porch of his ancestors home gaz-
| Ing abstractly at the vista spread before
| him. In the foreground stretched undu-
lating fields of cotton and In the distance
| toward the Blue Mountains the woods
cleaned in all their autumn coloring. To
| the left could be seen the long rows Of
the negro cabins and the little pickanin-
mes rolling in the grass. The soft stiTi-
ness OF the October day was unbroken.
| save by the occasional dropping of a.
| chestnut from one of the old trees down
the avenue II was typical scene of
| ante-bellum days
Colonel Phillip Randolph was In an In
| dolent. reminiscent mood this u,ornfns
ihe exhtiarating air of autumn brought
pack memories of his youth Half a CEN
eury mad left its impress on his face but
at heart he was still boy. Suddenly his
peaceful reverie was broken by the ap-
pearanee of small negro, whose ebony
lace wore a curious mixture of import
ance, suhdued mirth. and awe. as he ap-
preached the master of the house and
said:
Please, sab, or Uncle Eph'um done
run away again. sab"
WHAT thundered the coIonet s+ur,
ing to his feet. This is the fifth wear
that negro has run away. IN 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 unspoken ques-
tion.
Yes. sab. he done run away agin, sab
When / git UP dis mawnin' he done gone.
It's pow'ful cuous. sab. He'll come back:
you know he allus does Gawd knows I
sho' is toah up in my mind about it, He
knows what a kind massa he got, and
peahs LAX when he come back he pow'ful
shame O. hisself. but he done gone ag'in-"
As was always the case with him, the
colonel's wrath had subsided by the time
he had reached Uncle Ephraim's cabin,
and, after hearing Aunt Dinah's explana-
ton. he said thoughtfuIly:
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 slow
ly back to the house.
AT dinner that day the family discussed
the runaway He had been born on the
plantation and was great favorite with
them all. He was only few days older
than the colonel. They had been boys to-
gether. and the slave had been devoted to
his white folks" But every October for
five years Eph had mysteriously disap-
peared. to appear again in about two |
weeks. a little shamefaced. and his only
explanation to the darkies had been that |
he ''jes had to GO"
The colonel had maintained a discreet |
silence. He remembered the long years |
of unbroken loyalty and devotion OF Eph- |
rain. and waited for him to explain his !
but the explanation had |
never come. This time the colonel had de- |
termined to ask for it.
About two weeks after this last Octo- |
ber day a disheveled old darky walked |
into Aunt Dinah's cabin His clothes were !
torn by brambles and covered with the |
mud of the swamps. He looked tired but /
happy Uncle Ephraim had returned.
He said little by way of reply to the |
upbraidings Of Aunt Dinah, who gave
him good tongue lashing'' for his on
gratitude to or Massa to run OF lax a !
field niggah-" He 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 arrived at mans estate. He /
said nothing however, for he was rather |
a silent darky.
When Aunt Dinah had had her say
she gave him the masters message. He |
stopped smoking. his cob pipe went out.
At last he arose, put on his battered hat, |
and. without changing his mud-strained /
garments, walked slowly up to the big
House"
Colonel Randolph soiemnly surveyed
he weather-beaten runaway.
''Well, Eph,'' he said sternly, I've
never asked you before. but now 1 want
Ephraim. lingering his hat and looking
It his muddy shoes, said:
That's jus what I'm gwine to do,
Narse Phil. Seem lax 1 couldn't wait to
tx up none 1 JUS got to tell you now
You know. Marse Phir' (and Uncle Eph
,oughed) we been KNOWN one 'nudder
ong time You know my nanny wah
70 black nanny, too. an you know we
lone play togedder, We did, an we hunted
ogedder, We did, an you know. Marse
Phil. we could outride anybody in dis
THAT we could" broke in the colonel.
forgetting himself for the moment, un-
conscious of his role as judge of run
iway negro, and remembering only his
iappy bOyhoOd.
Well. Marse Phil, you know in de fall
sab. when de sun shines sort O. meller
ak an when de muscadines an fox |
grapes an simmons am ripe, an de
,hestnuts am droppin, sab, l jes' can't |
itand it nohow. 1 jes' 'bleeged to run
way. Pears lax jus recollect de time,
tfarse Phil, 1 do, when you an me used
o go possum and coon huntin', an den
tterwhile. when 1 take de chillens-an'
ord sich times as we had. An now dey's
IL married an gone, sab. but OF Eph. he
es' have to take to de woods, once a
eah. and kind o circumnavigate 'roun,
ah. jes' foh de OIL times, sab. Use pow
I'll sorry to discommodate you, Marse
hill. but l toll dat trifln' Joe how to TEX {
eer of de hosses sab. an 1 jes' has to
o. Marse Phil. jes' has to-
The colonel had turned and was looking
1t of the window. He did not speak at
nee. l
From the distant cabins came the plain
We echo of a lullaby sung by a black c
ammy to a curly-headed pickaninny n
he gold of evening was melting into the
Irple glow of twilight and the air was Il
ilmy and sweet. To the colonel there e
Ime the memory of days, long ago, when +
, had seen and felt all this so keenly. L
hen the young blood coursed through
s veins warmed by the fire of youth, and n
hen all nature seemed but to be speak '
g words of welcome, inviting him to II
me forth and revel in its beauties. J
We'll, Eph," he finally said, Il have .
lie request to make of you. When you -
ell like running away again l want you !,
tell me and I'll go with you" ~
You go. Marse Phil sho nuff? All =,
sht. Sab. I'll tell you. Sah. %
The colonel turned and took up his pa W
r. Don't forget he commanded. - II.
all expect you to tell me-" And the in
yy-1s ended