The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-12-09
An Unexpected Host.
az ErsHER -AMEs, JE

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For six lonely weeks Ned Talbot
had been trapping along the upper
st. Lucte. There had been no partic-
ular reason for his paying visit to
the settlement except to break the
monotony of camp life, and Talbot
found himself able to endure that.
But what he would not do for himself
ne was willing to do for his dogs.
When the little red .jiggers got into
Jessie's ears, he started Immediately
down the river trail for supply of
Uncle Georges insect ointment" the
desMtory manufacture of which form
ed the old negro's sole business.
He started late, and it was past
noon before he reached Uncle Georges
shack The two old people were just
sitting down to possum and roasted
yams. and the perfume of the dinner
was all that was necessary to second
their hospitable proposal to set
plate for Talbot.
The possum was done to nicely
Through the cracks in his brown,
crisped skin the white fat laughed
unctuously, and he dripped like full
sponge as Uncle George turned him
about in the platter.
II haven't had anything as good
as This for long time, Uncle George,
said Talbot, plying knife and fork as
siduously.
mo, sab. I reckon dats right"
beamed the old negro. Mus De
mighty lonesome, too, feedin all by
yoself. You .een gone right smart
time sah.'
ANY news in town since left?'
asked Talbot, taking another sugary
yam.
"Yas, sab. Deys been heap o.
news sagashitatin' round, but dis
remmeber exactly what it is"
DE circus's been YER" suggested
Aunt Lily. somewhat reprovingly.
"Oh, it has, has it," said Talbot.
"Circuses don't often favor this town."
"No, sab. And reckon dey's
through favorin TO- good an all. Dey
cert'niy done bus her wide open"
''Who bust her open?"
Mate Reynolds and his gang, sah
It was de corn whisky done it, reck-
on. Dey was pirutin' round mighty
obstrepolus befo' dey cut de ropes.
Dere was de bigges' kin of fight
right den. De cages got broke, an dey
amt cotched some of de animiles yet.
Doan' look like dey would, neither,
cause de circus is done gone
That was very reprehensible OF
Reynolds said Talbot. lightly. In his
eyes, Just then, jiggers doomed larger
than elephants. "Well, Uncle George,
If you'll get the stuff ready, reckon
I'll start Looks like I'd get wet be-
fore get back"
With a sardine can full of the oint-
ment in his pocket, Talbot started on
his return to camp. The afternoon
sky was rapidly growing black with
low. greasy rainclouds. The dust
aroused by Talbot's steps fell on the
road again close behind his heels. Not
breath of air stirred the long needles
Of the pines The hooking birds that
had cheered his coming had fled 20
the hammocks.
He had been walking the better part
of two hours when the first low growi
of thunder broke the oppressive quiet
He was near the end of the road,
where it dwindled away among the
trees to the little trodden foot-path.
Six miles up the path lay the camp.
The journey through the semitropi-
cal storm did not appeal to Talbot.
and he resolved to spend the night
at the abandoned Walton plantation.
In the dim light he saw its broken
fences just ahead.
The place had been pretentious
one in its day, but the great freeze
of 1SS9-90 had ruined its master and
driven him to humber quarters The
biackened skeletons of the orange
trees across the way were all that re-
NAMED of the ninety-thousand-dollar
grove. Some scattering wild trees had
sprung up. and their bonghs. now
white with bloom. cleaned among
their dead kindred like votive gar
lands.
On the front walk weeds and shrubs
elbowed one another for existence. The
dilapidated veranda was full of pit
falls for the unwaFy foot. Talbot step
ped across it, and passing through the
short hall. entered wha: had once
been the drawing room.
The house had warm, stagnant at
mosphere. and strange, arresting
smell quite distinct from the heavy
mingled odors of orange flowers and
rorting vegetation nat was blown in
through the broken windows.
Talbot struck match and in the
lights of the CHEEKY flame looked ah1ut