The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-08
GABRIEL TOLLIVER.
 ANOvEL or RECONSTRUCTION.

. -"
 wild and untamed passions of the woman.
 He went in, in response to her invitation
 and found that she desired to ask his ad-
 vice as to the best end easiest method
 of converting Ike into a Union Leaguer.
 Hotchkiss gave her such advice as he could in the most matter-of-fact way, ana went on about his business. Edie was not accustomed 10 this sort of thing, and 1t puzzled her. She went to her looking glass and studied her features. thinking that perhaps something was wrong. But her beauty had not even began to fade. Time and again she called MT. Hotch- kiss in as he went by, and on some oc- casions they held long consultation. Ike was not at all blind to these things, if he had been, there was more than one friendly white man to call his attention to them. The negro was compelled to mes sure Hotchkiss by the standard Of the most of the white men he knew and he was well aware of Edie's purposes | ike listened to Edie's arguments in behalf of the Union League with great deal , of patience. Prompted by Hotchkiss, she , urged that membership in that body I would give him an opportunity to serve his race politically; he might be able to : go to the Legislature, and, in that event,
 Edie could go to Atlanta with him. where !, (she said to herselD she would be able 1 to cut a considerable shine.
 Ike argued little, but not much, and | at last consented to join the league, and
 appeared to be very enthusiastic. As l Mir. Hotchkiss went along home that night-the night on which the young men | had gone to the country dance-he was | feeling quite exultant over Ike's conver- ] sion and the enthusiasm he had display ! ed. He hunted about the crowd for Ike, | but the negro was not to be found. As | their roads lay in the same direction l Hotchkiss would have been glad of the | negros company, and he was somewhat l disappointed when he was told that Ike had started for home as soon as the l meeting adjourned. Mir. Hotchkiss there upon went on his way, walking little l more rapidly than usual in the hope of overtaking Ike. At last. however, he
 came to the conclusion that the negro had remained in town. He was sorry, for there was nothing he liked better than to drop gall and venom into the mind of a fairly intelligent negro.
 As for Ike, he had his own plans. He had told Edie that in all probability he wouldn't come home that night, and ad- vised her to get a nearby negro woman to stay all night with her. This Edie promised to do. When the league ad- journed Ike lost no time in taking to the road, and for fear some one might over take him he went in a dog-trot for the first mile, and walked rapidly the rest of the way. Before he came to the house, he stopped and pulled off his shoes, hid- ing them in fence-corner. He then left the road and slipped through the woods until he was close to the rear of the house. He wormed himself along like a snake, and crept and crawled until he was close enough to see Edie s.tting on the front step of their little cabin. He was close enough to see that she had on her Sunday clothes, and he thought he could smell the faint odor of cologne; he had brought her a bottle home the night before.
 He lay concealed for some time, but finally he heard footsteps on the road, and he rose warily to standing position. Edie heard the footsteps too. for she rose and shook her pink frock. and went to the gate The lonely pedestrian came | leisurely along the road. The hour was l rapidly approaching when solitude would be at its meridian on this side of the | world and a mocking-bir not far away l was singing it in. Mr. Hotchkiss would have passed Ike's gate without turning his head, but he heard a voice softly call his name. He paused and looked around, and at the gate he saw the figure of Edie. "Is that you. MT. Hotchkiss? What you do with Ike?"
 Isn't he at home? He started before did"
 He ain't comin' tonight, an I was so lonesome that I had to set on the step here to keep myse'f company" said Edie. Wont you come in an rest? I know you must be tired; I got some cold wa ter in here. fresh from the we'll" "No. I'll not stop" replied MT. Hotch-
 kiss. Tt is late.'
 Well, tell me bout Ike" said Edie.
 You got i'm in the league all right, I
 hope?" She came out of the gate as she
 said this, and moved nearer to Hotch-
 kiss. In her hand she held a flower of
 some kind, and with this she toyed in a
 shamefaced sort of way.
 MT. Warner is a member in good stand
 lng," replied Hotchkiss. "and I think he