The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1902-08-23

the time the minute hand had moved
five spaces after the bishop had ut
tered the words of Introduction the
Rev. Philetus Carson was in love with
Miss Miriam Manigault.
The convention was over, and still
Carson fingered and sat on the broad
piazzas with Miss Manigault and talk
ed day after day. There came the
afternoon of the last day of his stay.
1t was now or never, if he was to
learn the state of Miss Manigault's af-
fections. He talked of his approach
ing departure and studied her bending
over her sewing, to observe the effect
of his words.
II reckon I'll be going soon, too,"
said Miss Manigault. my people will
want to see me again. My boy Ike
will be awful anxious to see me-"
a Carson almost fell from his chair.
More to cover his confusion, his agi-
tation, than anything else, he blurted
out, "You have a boy Ike?" and he
heard himself add, MRS. Manigault?"
Was she wife or widow? The bish-
op had surely not said Mrs"
miss Manigault, if you please. I
have always been Miss Manigault.
Yes, I have five boys. There's Ike,
and Jim, and Joe, and Ed down there
on my place, and I have another of
my boys with Cousin George for
awhile. But that is all right, for he's
Georges boy
If the fact that Miss Manigault
might be or might have been married
had struck cold chill to Carson's
heart, what was his horror to hear her
confess herself the mother of five boys
and cut off all palliating speculations
by saying she had always been Miss
Manigault Why, it was monstrous,
this terrible, this awful, horrible
thing. She, so dainty, so sweet, still
a girl, despite her years, a soft pink
still in her cheeks, her fine skin
marked by few gracious wrinkles,
the record Of smiles and sweet SYM
pathy, none of her virgin slenderness
gone over into matronly plumpness,
none of it passed into old maid Slim
ness. To see this woman, lovely en-
bodiment Of delicate purity in her out
ward seeming, and then to hear braz-
en- declaration of shame! Tears gath
cred in Carson's eyes and only by a
supreme effort did he keep them from
bursting forth in a flood. He had
never loved before, he had never al
lowed himself to love before. He knew
| he should never love again, but drag
| out the rest of barren existence,
with his dreams tenanted by the ideal
being which he had once imagined
Miss Manigault to be. He would have
fed at once, but though his connec-
ton with Miss Manigault as man
was over, there remained his duty as a
clergyman and he rallied to it. In
his capacity as spiritual pastor and
master he addressed her. In q voice
whose hardness astonished him, he
said: ~: .s-.} -. =. "a. Il: ..,.7s id s
did your Cousin George ever ask
you to marry him?" ..s.s2s <ss3..
Why how frank you Northern peo-
pie are. No: He's twenty years older
than am" T &.@e5 ~ Z: 5@:5 g. s
| did the father5zof Ike ever. ask you
to marry him?" - ,<.gz.4 u. ,gs. Vi
'tIke!" cried Miss Manigault, spring
ing to her feet. DO you think s. l
would marry 8 Niger, degrade myself
i oh, how could you!' s5 &. a sss. 1
Tar better, adame, z said Carson,
rising to his feet, TO have married
this negro and In honorable wedlock
borne him your son Ike than to have
brought Ike and the other four into
the world as you did. Z
Miss Manigault shrieked, but It was
as much 9 shrek Of laughter as 81
rage or injury. There were tears, but
they, too, might have been tears q
laugh liter. The man before her was
/ suffering as she had never seen man