Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-10-06
DUKE OF
DEVIL
MAY=CARE
BY HARRIS DICKSON
CHAPTER L.
Author of
The Black VOLTS Breed" Etc.
Copyright, 1905. by D. Appleton & Coz

THE DUKE.
Serene September night sparkled
ON the diamond studded Mississippi
a girt1Ie, broidered with stars, which
beItefz the somber continent.
Twin columns of smoke uprose
above the trees, monsters groanings
came. the dash of paddles. A blind
ing glare flashed round the bend, then
straight down the quiet stretch of
river there shot one dazzling shaft of
light
The steamer Sultana moved arro-
Eantly through the silence On her
lower decks a group of "rousters'
amused themselves between the land
fngx
The whistle blew. The mate shout
ed- Here, SNOWFALL, get your head
line ready
The black man dropped his banjo,
took up a hawser, and prepared to
spring ashore at Devii-May-Care
plantation.
Three ladies sat upon the forward
guards of the Sultana. Mrs. Ash
toE. OF Ivanhoe, was a slender alert
woman of so, with penetrating black
eyes, and hair that was just begin
ming 60 turn. By ten years of hard
work in managing her own plantation
she had demonstrated an ability to
take care of herself-and Alice. Alice
sat beside her. timid little blue
eyed echo of everything her mother
said The girls fair hair might have
been beautiful, but beneath Mrs Ash
toms shadow it lacked sheen and LUIS
ter. as grass that has grown up color
less In the dark When she spoke at.
all it was diffdently, and with
<pI1 at al
Mrs Ashton manifested the great
est impafience to reach her landing.
The boat, the river the negroes, all
the hundrum incidents of her ordi-
nary route of travel bored her, and
she did not fail to show it.
The other girl, Anita Cameron,
much darker than Alice, with deeper
violet eyes, looked upon this new life
with curious, if not an eager inter
est She had never seen the Missis-
sippi river until that morning when
Mrs Ashton met her at Greenville,
and brought her aboard the Sultana.
All that day Anita had amused her
self watching the roustabouts as they
scrambled up and down the river
banks, putting off freight, and taking
ON cotton for the market at Vicks-
burg But when night breathed its
came out, when God drew nearer and
the boundaries set by man seemed so
immeasurably small, a swift rush of
loneliness bore her back to those be-
loved mountains in Virginia where
she was born, and where her people
slept
Her aunt and cousin had been kind
enough. Alice extended childish well
come, shy and sweet: Mrs. Ashton
had even kissed her-once. But the
homesick girl craved a sympathetic
breast to lay her head upon and weep.
She gazed into the silence, into the
night. and wondered what she would
find TO love in this new life to which
her amt was leading her.
anita said Mrs. Ashton, pointing
to the landing I'VE are coming to
Devil-May-Care plantation; the next
landing is Ivanhoe.''
II won't be so ungratesul, 1 won't, .
Anita thought, lifted her head and
laughed brightly.
This was to be Anita'E home, these
were to be her people; aga she looked
tn see what manner of men they were
who lived in such a Wilderness.
The searchlight blazed on a little
group at the landing, hurting theiI
shadows against the bank beyond
There's that miserable Noel Duke.
smiled Mrs. Ashton; tthe Duke OF
Devil May-Care they call him.
Even in the dark Anita could see
AIRS Ashton's jaws shut rigidly
tight as a swapping turtles: Mrs
Ashton had the kind of jaws thai
never compromised. and never for
gave
There We're only two white men al
the landing, with a multitude of ne
Erpcs. mules and dogs. In that bril-
liant light Anita could see every fea
ture of the men, every wrinkle anC
every button on their clothes. Boil
man were roughly dressed. TIL.
heavier of the two. with the small
blond naustacfre had the air of
city man, somewhat conscious of tn
hunting garb he wore. But the othe
naa wore his corduroys. SLOUGH ha,
1eEzings and spurs as naturally as tn
royal stag carries his antlers-
Independent looking, black-haired
erect IS a soldier, Noel Dukes keen
Nv Humorous eyes twinkled as h
watched Joe Balfour scraping the mu
ON hfs boots
--O8. never mind the mud h
II you do take a little mud back t
VicRsbtsrg with you-we've got pler
~ Es1i wear on"
M1. Ashton touched Anita's arm