The Jersey City news., 1902-08-02
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90 By Samuel Mnturn Peck - -
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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, dunno
wlar he is. Him an Marse Jack went
off together dis mornin', an Marse Alf
amt been back since. But dey's COM
In back tonight, for 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.
mo, Miss Mary; amt tole her moth
in bout it. 'Twouldn't hep Marse Alf.
An ole miss, she's dat ole an shaky
Ben. sides dat. Miss Mary. know
ed AIarse Alf didn't want ole miss to
know nothin' bout dat cotton till it
was sole an he had de money in his
ham, kaZe, you see, he's plannin' to
give ole miss pleasant surprise" add.
ed the old negro, looking earnestly at
Miss Edgewood.
why have you come to me, Uncle
Ben? am only weak woman and
can do nothing" said the girl, picking
Up her tatting and trying to resume her
work.
"AIiss Mary, come to yo' kaze was
nigh crazy, an / was 'bleeged to talk
to somebody" said the old negro, with
faltering voice and tugging at his old
wool hat. "Den-den, Miss Mary,
knowed how it STAINS tween yo' an
Marse Alf 'Taint all for de miss dat
Marse Alf's reskin' hisself to get dis
cotton. Furthermo'. Miss Mary, come
to yo' kaze dar's some'h'n' yo' kin do
to hep Marse Alf eff SO be yoll des do
it,"
Old Ben eyed the girl closely as she
struggled with her tatting.
'As yo' say, young miss, yo's weak
an yo's a woman, but sometimes de
weakest is de mos powerful. You
know de Scripter say dat David laid
out Goliah wild a pebble from de brook
an sling"
"Surely, Uncle Ben, you don't wish
me to kill Captain Adams with pair
of scissors" said Mary Edgewood,
smiling.
.No, little miss; don't want yo' to
do no KILN 'cept'n' wid yo' pretty face
an de sweetness OBJ yo'r voice. said
Ben. Then, advancing step under the
honeysuckle vine, he added in lower
tone:
"'Pears to dis ole niger dat if yo'
was to ak de cap'n not to fetch Marse
Alf an to let dat cotton alone he
mought to it. Yo' see, it's dis way, Miss
Mary. De wars over an done wild, an
what good would it do to Jail Marse
Alf? He amt gwine fight no more.
An what in de name OBJ Gawd would
be de use OBJ takin' dat cotton way
from Marse ALI an Marse Jack? De
Unointed States is SO rich it wouldn't
make 'em much richer, an it would
make Marse Alf and Marse Jack mon
sous poor. Dem young marsers b'longs
to de quality, an dey des 'bleeged to
have some money to buy plows an
corn an mules to start plantin wild,
for de Lawd knows eff de quality amt
lowed to have nothin' an de country
is give up TO de poor white trash what
never seed de inside OBJ a carriage an
never rid behine a KaintuciSy horse
what's gwine come OBJ dis poor 'stract-
ed LAMP
"But, Uncle Ben, Captain Adams
may not grant my request" said the
girl meditatively.
.WelI, eff so be he don't, Miss Mary,
we won't be no wuss off. But, Lawd,
he amt gwine say no, dat he amt Yo'
know, little missile. dat yo' never look
ed man squeer in de face wild dem
blue eyes OBJ yourn an ak him to do
some'h'n' an he never done it. An de
cap'n amt gwine be de fust one to say
no, for soldier can't refuse pretty
'oman nothin'.'
Uncle Ben scanned the girls face to
see the effect Of his reasoning, and,
perceiving that she still hesitated, he
brought forward his last and strongest
argument.
'sFurthermo', Miss Mary, it's des i'm
possible for de cap'n to say no. Didn't
yo' an yo'r ma take him home an
nuss him when he was at de pint OBJ
death. Bless Gawd, dat man would "a
been dead dis minute eff he had stayed
in dat dar prison, an he knows it. An
little miss. yo' know what de cullud
folks say?
"What do they say, Uncle Ben"
"Well, de cullud folks low. an dey's
good at readin'. dat de cap'n loves yo'
mighty nigh as hard as Marse ALI.
Now, dar's some men would do DER
level best in dem conditions to git
Marse Alf in trouble, but de cap'n amt
dat kline"
"Does Captain Adams know that Mr..
Layburn and are-are great friendsY
Eyes, Miss Mary; he got it from Jake.
'Cordin' dat nigger's account, he des
turned hisself wrong side out"
It was now quite dark, and Mary
Edgewood rose to return to the house
She had almost resolved to follow
Ben's suggestion and seek AN inter-
view with Adams in behalf Of her
lover. One lingering doubt remained,
and she said to the negro as she LETT
the summer house:
II will do what chm. Uncle Ben. I
have great respect for Captain Adams.
lbelieve be is conscientious. and for
thAt reason fear he may think that
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