The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17

~ 7
 me to tell dat horriful tale dis time Q mite; kase. you wouldn't slep q wink
 and you'd hear de scream Q dat little white boy in yo' years all night. NO shet yo eyes and go long to sleep, put ty little missy, and gwine to kivei
 up my he'd. fur done got skeert. tes'
 tellin'e dat much"
 She seemed to be suiting the action
 to the word, but my interest was too
 great. and made supplicatian to her to speak out. ".
 q beg you, Lettie, to tell me that ! tale. Tomorrow l will give you the parafine candles in my little candle sticks for your chewing gum" l waited a moment to see if the brfbe 1 was sufficient. Perfect silence pre-
 vailed. She had comprehended the sit- | uation.
 .Tll give you the glass beads on my l little doll; and now, I think of it. my grandmother said yesterday that may give you that red dress of mine with | the white lace on 1t, and if you will
 take the tucks out, 1t will just fit | you"
 Lettie was human. The bribe had
 measured up to her price.
 'If tell you dat horriful tale." she
 began. rising up from her quilts and slowly approaching the bed, you ain't got to let yo' grandma kno' it; kase.
 she'll say, if she had wanted you to
 hear all dat horribleness. she woulder | tole you hersef. and she will be mad. l and she won't let me go wid her nex' time she goes to see her sister in Gaw- 1 gy."
 I promisd all that was required of me; and Lettie gave me the story she had heard many times, for every ne- | gro on every plantation in the county l. n.l. L l- al. f.x. corning it. She knelt down beside my | pillow and folding her arms on the edge of the bed. half whispered the cir | cumstances of an awful event. She said that the black folks had told her. that long ago, Dr. Chambiis. our neighbor, had bought negro man named Jerry from out a speculator's drove, for his carriage driver. He proved an unruly, disobedient servant. He had married Rhody. but nobody liked him on the Westmoreland plan- tation, he was so high tempered. One day, Dr. Chambliss punished him with the buggy whip. because he had killed fine horse by carelessness. and Jerry swore that he would get even"
 The beautiful little boy, the only son of the doctor. rode away on his pony one afternoon; but, at nightfall the pony came back without his little master, nor was he ever seen in life again.
 The lake nearby was dragged and the dead body of the boy was found with a great gash in the throat Along the shore was found a bloody knife known to belong to Jerry. and a piece of his coat. Screams had been heard, but investigations had revealed noth- ing.
 Lettie closed her story with the statement that de white folks day k,N. Rhody's cabin long time, thinkin' maybe Uncle Jerry might come back But he was too glad to git away, and nuthin's been hearn nor seed of him from dat day to dis"
 The thought of her reward of the wax. the beads. and the red dress, could not assuage the ennui of the Hong familiar story, and falling back upon her pallet. her slumbrous breath ing soon testified to her unconscious ness of earthly concerns, Uncle Jerry's 'hant" included.
 To me, sleep came not so easily. I knew that to reveal what I had dis covered would produce utmost conster- nation and punishment, and besides. by revelation must crinlinate myself in positive and deliberate disobedience. To decide what to do was most diffi- cult
 After much betossing. coaxed my self to sleep. under the resolution to conf1de the matter to my grandmother the first thing on the morrow.
 It was not until the carriages con- taining the visitors had rolled away through the opened gates, which little Daniel had run to shut as fast as his legs could fly. and things had taken on 1 the daily routine. that sought my grandmother I had determined to un- burden myself of the ghastly secret. | which done oppressed me, though knew not half its horrors. How many | times this gentle old lady had slept with | doors and windows unlocked, believing | herself in the utmost security. while q | savage and pitiless murderer, abided | within stones throw of her windows. |
 I shall never forget the gh6stliness | of countenance and wide-eyed horror | with which my grandmother listened | to my recital Of the experiences of the l previous afternoon. She did not ask q | single question. Whatever there was | to know. she seemed to have gathered l from my flash light revelation.
 Assuring me that I had been wise In | confding nothing to a servant and im- | pressing the need of further silenca | she turned to the girl her bell had | summoned. and speaking with com posture. she gave the not unusual or- der:
 Send Ned with a saddled horse to the doorway"
 A note was written to her neighbor l Enoch Barkley, sealed and tossed upon ! the table. While she awaited the Tnes- | senger, she took advantage of our | being alone a moment to say:
 "Whatever shall happen, my dear, do not feel that you are in any wise responsible for events. It is the will | of God. We must be extremely care full today; prylng eyes study our every movement, and since 1t Is probable 1 that more than one on this plantation knows this thing, we must not awake suspicion"
 The chatter of horses hoofs rang out as Ned halted at the door.
 This note for Mir. Barcley and bring his answer my grandmother said quietly; and the boy, putting on his cap again. dispersed from the lawn. at full speed.
 It was always most convenient that slyaves could not read.
 Seven miles, with the river to cross. at a plantation ferry. managed by a negro boatman. whose leisurely plan of setting passengers over, was exas- perating enough, would make 1t near ly night before counsel with neighbors could be obtained.
 The overseer must be brought into consultation without awakening the suspicious of the slaves. One breath of admonition that something unusual Is astir at the White House. will give alarm to those whose fears are ever on watch. The utmost precaution Is the watch. The utmost precaution is a decision against his race, when life