The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-10-17

| captains manner.
UNFORTUNATELY for you, Mr.. Brown"
replied Adams, Jake has told the
truth. It appears, sir, that you at
tempted to appropriate the cotton your
self in the most contemplate and un-
derhand manner and, being baffled in
| your dishonorable scheme, spite and
disappointment have led you to inform
| upon others. That duty requires me
| to act upon your information causes
| me sincere regret"
at is an infamous lie of that scoun-
drel," exploded Brown, in rage, "and
| I'll shoot him on sightv'
mo, Mr.. Brown; you will not shoot
jake said Adams quietly. 81 give you
notice that il Jake suffers any vio-
lence l shall arrest you, and you will be
tried by a court martial. Further, if
you are found guilty 1 shall make it my
business to see that yous receive the
extreme penalty"
The captain looked at the merchant
for some time in silence, then added:
"For some of the lowest and basest
actions there is no punishment assigned
by law. The nature of your guilt comes
under this head. You may go, SIR"
At this contemptuous dismissal
Brown sneaked from the room. When
he reached the foot Of the stairs, he
stopped moment to try to pull him
self together and resume his usual
manner. Then he walked down the
street to his place of business, sooth-
ing his malicious soul with the thought
that Layburn and Meriweather would
lose the cotton they had hindered him
from appropriating. 1t was true that
he had been despised and suffered con-
tumely, but he had sown his revenge
with wide hand, and the seeds would
not fail to bear bitter fruit for his ene-
mics.
The Edgewood mansion, like most
antebellum southern homes, was en-
powered in a mass of greenery. Great
oaks, stately relics of the primeval for
est, stood sentry about it's wide door,
and here ard there lofty pine tow
cred in the air, lifting it's crest above
all other growth, and as it swayed
softly in the breeze sang to the ear of
fancy drowsy legends of the long ago.
The house itself was built in the col
onnade Grecian style first introduced
by Thomas Jefferson soon after the
Revolution, style eminently suited to
the warm climate of the south, and
up the white columns, softened by the
shade of the gnarled oaks, rose vines
and jasmines went clambering in a
riot of bloom and fragrance.
On one side of the house stretched a
spacious garden, filed with roses, myr-
ties, pinks and other old fashioned
flowers, which grew and blossomed in
kind of wild liberty, delightful to the
eye.
In the center of this bosky Eden was
an old summer house covered with
trailing honeysuckle, whose graceful
tendrils interlaced lattice and roof in
so intricate a manner as to enable the
frail structure to defy the disintegrat-
ing hand of time, even after the frame
work had gone to decay.
1t was sunset, and Mary Edgewood
house listening to old Ben Layburn,
who stood by the door with his hat in
his hand.
The girl was intensely interested, for
her snowy tatting had fallen unnoted
to the ground, and she clasped and un-
clasped her hands as if she were great
ly troubled.
"Miss Mary, yo' ak me how Black
Jake fine all dis out when he done lef'
de room? Dis de way 1t was, young
miss. When de cap'n let Jake out de
door, Jake say he skeered> to go down
dem back stairs kaze he didn't know
whar Brown mought be, so he crouch
ed down outside de door. Den, when
Brown come back in de room whar de
cap'n was, Jake lowed he'd listen an
hear how de lam lay wild Brown an
de cap'n. Jake say he curtis to know
eff de cap'n gwine STAN by him lax he
said he gwine do"
And you are sure, Uncle Ben, that
Captain Adams is going to- arrest Mr.
Layburn and Mr.. Meriweather and
take the cotton away from themT'
"Dat what he gwine do, Miss Mary.
Jake heerd him say dat he's powerful
sorry dat his duty compels him to act
on de Inflammation"
The young girls anxiety deepened,
and her fingers trembled visibly.
can knows, Miss Mary, dat Cap'n
Adams is gwine arrest Marse Alf dis
night, kaZe when 1 heerd Jake's tale
1 went a-pyrootin' down to de garri-
son, an l cotch a word or two what de
cap'n drap, an, layin' dem words long.
side OBJ what l knows already, l low
de cap'n's sholy gwine Jail Marse Alf
an Marse Jack dis night fore sun-up."
Haven't you warned Mr.. LayburnY
"Bless Gawd, Miss Mary, 1 dunno
whar he is. Him an Marse Jack went
off together dis mornin', an Marse ALI
amt been back since. But dey's COM
in back tonight, for l heerd 'em say
dey gwine carry dat cotton to Mobile
on de steamboat what goes down de
river tonight"
Have you informed Mrs. Layburn of
the danger that threatens her SOM"
asked the girl.
NO. Miss Mary; amt tole her moth
in bout it. 'Twouldn't hep Marse ALI.
An ole miss, she's dat ole an shaky
de shock mought kill her," said old
Ben. "'Sides dat, Miss Mary, know
ed Marse Alf didn't want ole miss to
know nothin' bout dat cotton till it
was sole an he had de monav in hiS