The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-11
: CHAPTER xI. Caught in g Corner.

0d0lACI bOO0 WV de ifSA AeA stA~-zzO SNSN'
 CHAPTER xr.
 Caught in a Corner.
 It was no difficult. matter for Nan Dor rington to infer what course of action Gabriel intended to pursue. The Union Leagues established in the South under the auspices of the political department of the Freedman's Bureau had already excited the suspicion of the whites. The reputation they instantly achieved was extremely sinister, and they had be- come the source of much uneasiness. There was an air of mystery about them which, however pleasing It might be to the pegroes. was mot at. all relisheds by those who- bad been made the victims or radical legislation. There were wild ru- mors to the effect that the object of these leagues was to organize the negroes and prepare them for an armed attack on the whites.
 These rumors were to be seen spread out in the newspapers, and were to- be heard wherever people gathered together. Nan was familiar with them, and, while both she and Gabriel were possibly too young to harbor all the anxieties enter tained by their elders, they nevertheless took very keen interest in the situa- ton; and 1t was not less keen because IL ndu curiosity TUT 1bS bdSAS.
 Gabriel had no sooner digested the pur- port of the conversation to which he had listened than he made up his mind to unravel, if he could, the mystery of the Union League, and to discover what part the new conner, the companion of the Rev. Jeremiah Tomlin, proposed to play. It was characteristic of the lad that he should act promptly. When he left Nan so unceremoniously, he ran to the Clop- ton Place to report to Mir. Sanders, but he found that worthy citizen in no con- dition to give him aid. or even advice.
 It, was then that Gabriel made up his mind that he would act alone. He knew the old school house in which the league was to be organized, as we'll as he knew his own home. It had formerly been called the Shady Dale Male Academy, and it's reputation. before the war, had gone far and wide Gabriel had spent many a happy hour there, and some that were memorably unpleasant. Among the things that Gabriel remembered was, the fact that the space under the stairway the building had two stories-was board ed up so as to form a large closet, which had been used as a reforma tory for re- fractory pupils and this was one reason why Gabriel remembered 1t so well.
 The building had been abandoned by the whites during the war. At the close of the war 1t was turned over to the negroes, who established there a flour ishing school.
 Gabriel thought 1t best to begin opera tions before the sun went down. He made a detour wide enough to place the school house between him and Shady Dale, so that if by any chance his movements should attract attention he would have the appearance of approaching the build iv,o, hk, ITndar lla vfFptITf1- stances 1t was perheps fortunate that he took this precaution, for when he drew near the school house. the Rev. Jeremiah Tomlif was standing in the back door fiourishing a broom.
 Hello. Jeremiah!" said Gabriel by way of saIutation. What's up nowT' Good evenin. Mister Gabe." respond ed the Rev. Jeremiah. "Dey been havin' some plasterin' done in my chu' oh. suh, an we How'd he'd hor pra'r-meetin' here night. But whar you been, MT. I'Gabe?" inquired the Rev. Jeremiah, craft fly changing the subject.
 Just walking about in the woods and fields,'' answered Gabriel.
 "'Twant no use fer ter ax you, suh; you been doin' dat sence you wuz big nufG ter cline a fence. Ef you want wId Miss Nan, you wuz by yo'sef You wuz wid Miss Nan dis vey day" The Rev Jeremiah dropped his head to one side, and smiled a knowing smile. "Oa, you needn't be shame un 1t, suh." the negro went on as the color slowly mount ed to Gabriers face. "I nv said it befo' an I'll say it ag'in; and I don't keer who hears me-Miss Nan is boun' ter make de finest oman in de Ian. An dat aint all. suh; when I hear folks hintin' dat she gwine ter make a match wid MT Frank Bethune. sez I, 'Des keep yo eye on Mir. Gabe; dat zactly what I sez." 't0h, the dickens and Tom Walker!' exclaimed Gabriel impatiently; who been talking of the affairs of Miss Dor rington in that way?"
 Why. purty nigh everybody, suh." re- marked the Rev. Jeremiah, smacking his lips. What white folks say in de parlor. you kin allers hear in de kitchen"
 The Rev. Jeremiah went to work with his broom and made a great pretence of sweeping and moving the benches about. The lad followed him in, and looked about him with interest. It was the first time he had revisited the old school house since he was boy of 10. and he was pleased to find that there had been few ! changes. The desk at which e'had sat was intact. His initials, rudely carved, stared him in the face. and there. too. | was the hole he had cut in the seat. Between those times and the present. the wild and furious pefspective- of war lay spread out, and Gabriel could imagine that the idler who had hacked the desk belonged to another generation altogeth- CT. He went to the blackboard, found a piece of chalk, and wrote fin a large. bold hand: ''ReY. Jeremiah Tomlin will lec- ture here tonight. beginning at early candlelight." The Rev Jeremiah, witnessing the per- | fornance, had his curiosity aroused. What in de world you uv writ, suh?'' he ! inquired, and when Gabriel mad read It or, the, negro, exclaimed Well, suh! You put all dat down. an it didn't take you no time; no. suh, not nc time. But might uv speckted it, bekase hear lot CT talk about how smart you is on all sides-dey all SsssOs