The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17
By FIR ANCES GRIFFIN,
Montgomery, Ala.

lcountenance l caught a glimpse. and
 shrank away from the door.
 There were a few low spoken words.
 and then Penny turned on. sumter ing up beyond the house: and. sitting down upon a wash-bench. upon which
 some Inverted tubs stood. she gave her
 attention to her child.
 1 A raccoon, shut up in box. nailed against a, tree and slated on top. I through the cracks of which the hum gry littre beast was stretching his fun
 ny little paw. attracted my attention.
 and stood thene moment. after Pen-
 ny had disappeared.
 The mystery of Rhody was uppermost
 in my mind. Nobody had ever said she
 was sick: rot for that matter. had said | she was notN She had asserted that her limbs were ~paralyzed. They had turned dreadful hues,for which tho plantation physician could not account; hut assshe continued to card woman s l task of cotton rolls. for spinning each day, and made no complaints. her pa- | tience was set down ast apathy. and little was said about her. | In the midst of my musings, sudden thud within the cabin. as of plank | falling, aroused my attention. l crept softly through the weeds to the side or
 the house, and through small chink,
 I caught sight of what seemed to freeze | my DlOO0 III my beiHc anu to SsOP sAN
 beating of my heart.
 | Rhody was standing beyond her
 chair, big wooden thing which was 1 turned upside down. and from trap door opening through the floor where
 the chair had stood. protruded the hor- rified head of negro man, whose hairy face and blood-shot eyes would nave been a shock to a stronger frame than mine. The sight thrilled me with the | h fhat ' I teriai presence of the Prince of Dark l ness N
 A moment more, and terror had given
 wings to my feet. With my heart pail pitating and my mind bewildered, I ded towards home again. AS l ran carried on a sort of self | from which ! derived little comfort. To whom could report what I had seene How could I explain my being I in the quarters unattended by any re- 1 sponsible person? What punishment must await such culprit as I, when the dire disobedience should be proven? When had paused for breath, at the edge of the lawn I heard the strains of music, and gay-voices. convincing me that visitors had arrived from neign- boring plantation.
 Being in great disorder. turned to- wards the precincts of the kitchen to find out if my absence had been noted, and to adjust myself before appearing in the presence of company. l met Lettie just coming forth with waiter of fruit that had been served upon the piazza She cried out. In great ex" citement, at sight of me:
 What Is de matter wid you, Miss Jane7 You lok like you had seed ghost. Your grandma has been talkin' about you to dem ladies. and she wants to show you to ole Miss Rainer. Come
 IL
 Indeed my head needed liking" If perturbed thought and conscious dis obedience could be adjusted by Let ties skiilful hands. No thought of di- viding my distress with her had oc- cured to me, for she would have rush. ed screaming to the nearest auditor to announce that Miss Jane had seen .hant,'" species of apparition that always interested her exceedingly.
 Between the strokes of the brush and the adjustment of a fresh apron, Lettie related to me snatches of the conversa- ton among the visitors which she had caught as she passed the finger bowls when the butler served the fruit.
 T heard Miss Rainer tell your grand ma some mighty skeery tales about runaway niggers jes' now; you better min how you roves 'roun' by yo'se'f, somethin's goin' to git you sho'.F
 What kind of a runaway did she 
 to that which was uppermost in my mind,
 How could she know, honey: she never seed him. Her house gal, Eady, done come runnin' home from whar she'd been pickin' wild plums. and say she'd seed a runaway. nigger's cave. You better take keer O yo'se'f, honey"
 But to see a cave is not a runaway nigger. Did Eady see anybody"
 "No, chile, she never stopped to have no 'spute over de place; but she know'd 1t was whar de runaway had been, kase dar was a chunk O fire. burnin' low, and 'tater peelin's an things whar he'd been eatin'."
 Lettie had lowered her voice. as if she felt the presence of some mystery insoluble; but she was not done with 1t.
 Miss Rainer ast yo' grandma if she had any runaway nigger; but she say no, siree,' she had no sich lazy nig- gers as dat. True, honey. but you bet ter not stroll off 1ak you done dis even- in. kase yo' grandma's gwine to be mighty mad anyhow. Whar have you bin, chile?" she asked as she struck the comb against the brush and prepared to enter the house.
 Before I could frame my reply, Ma halle, the attending maid of my grand mother, appeared with the message that I was to come at once. and I moved away. feeling that the strange secret in my breast was already too great for my keeping, and yet I was in doubt where it must be delivered up.
 The company remained over night, five or six persons with two carriages, horses, drivers, ladies' maids and valets. Of course. I was of little i'm portance to grown up people, and after a brief inspection, with compliments to my size and sprightllness, l, was left again to my own devices.
 When I had been sent to bed at the usual hour and Lettie's pallet had been adjusted to the last fold to suit her ideas of comfort. close beside my own couch, l had shivering dread of see- ing the light extinguished found myself too excited to sleep for the ter rible vision Of the afternoon returned with awful distinctness sought for some comfort in Lettie. Perhaps she knew more than I suspected. would try few questions. which should not betray me.
 asked with surprising abruptness, DO you like to go to Aunt Rhody's cabin. Lettie?"
 She paused in the shaking down of her pillows. and brought her voice 10 ] the whispering point, usual to her. | when she spoke of things that mys- tified her.
 No. chile, her house is 'hanted' I've l heyrd things and seed things down ! thar dat Is cuis, and I don't never Iak l for ole mfstiss to send on no errunts l to Aunt Rhody."
 Her courage seemed to grow weak ] CT as she spoke and the last words | seemed to come from beneath the cov- |