News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-02-12

: MAS TER ana
: SLAVE 3 Ry = ruopvr
Copyright, 1901, by T. H. Thorpe.
Copyright, 1901, by T. H. Thorpe.


pressons with apparent unconcern and
evinced a preference to avoid any dis
cussion of the supposed merits or de-
merits of the bill.
After the evening meal had been par
taken Of in the long saloon, with the
usual clatter of china service and sour
rying of the numerous yellow and black
walters. the extension tables |ere
closed and run together, and while mu-
the women and young folks in the la
dies cabin the tables in the forward
end were arranged for cards and were
speedily occupied by the older men
and some of the younger, gambling be-
ing an unfailing feature of the steam
tables were in close neighborhood to
the bar. and this was the beginning of
the harkeeper's business day.
Oakfell passed the greater part of the
evening reading in the captains state
room on the hurricane deck. Returning
to the cabin at II o'clock, he found his
constituents from Avoyelles at the ia
bic nearest the bar. They were not
playing, but cards, ivory chips and
half drained glasses of liquor were on
the table. None of the chips was on
the side where LatiOlais sat. Some
few were in front of DR.. De Roux, and
the remainder, in many stacks, were
before Quillebert.
The young man sat at a distance
from the three, but not so far that their
conversation was not audible to him.
Quillebert in a half iocular and half
bantering tone had said:
"Lcondas- if were not not d MAN of Ux=
traordinary good nature you and |
would now be at outs instead of sit
ting here over a friendly game of polk
er and blinking our social glasses,
because it wasn't neighborly in you to
sue me for $1,000 for that old negro of
yours when You know that you couldn't
have sold him for $700 even on credit"
NO, | don't know that" replied
Latiolais. 81 could have sold him for
$3.50. But that isn't it. | never tried to
sell him, didn't want to sell him, and,
although he was so years old when you
shot him, / wouldn't have sold him for
$1,000 cash. was attached to Bap-
tiste. He was the best judge of horses
among my negroes. He was faithful
and nursed me and my son through the
yellow fever, and, although my son
died, have always believed that had
it not been for Baptiste's care and
watchfulness | should never have re-
covered. Therefore | never thought
that $4,000 could have at all repaid me
for his loss. Moreover, it would have
been the act of a good neighbOr in
you to have complained to me of any
offense Baptiste had given you and
allowed me to correct him. Instead of
that you shot him dead"
Il admit that" said Quillebert, but
when he struck my pointer dog with
that OK whip and saw the blood red
den the white skin of the poor brute
was so enraged that | couldn't help
shooting the internal negro down in his
tracks, and you would have done the
same"
But had not the dog bitten the
negro before he struck it with the
whip" Latiolais inquired.
81 have heard something of that
sort" said Quillebert CURLY.
1T was a fact" insisted Latiolais,
"and the wounds inflicted by the dogs
teeth were found upon the dead mans
body. But, as we never quarreled about
that" LatioIais continued, let's not
quarrel now. OF course, when you de-
stroyed my property you owed me
something, and, since we couldn't
agree upon the amount. there was
nothing to do but leave it to jury,
so brought the suit. / was willing to