Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-12-08
CHAPTER 1.

pelleu the som Der continent
Twin columns Of smoke uprose
above the trees. a 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 AFRO
gantly through the silence. On her
lower decks a group OF "rousters"
amused themselves between the land
fngs.
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 70
spring ashore at Devil-May- Care
plantation
Three ladies sat upon the forward
guards OF the Sultana. Mrs. Ash
ton. OF Ivanhoe. was a slender alert
woman OF so. with penetrating black
eyes. and hair that was Just beein-
ming 20 turn. BY ten years OF hard
work ia managing her own plantation
she had demonstrated an ability %
take care OF herself-and Alice Alice
sat beside her. a timid little blue
eyed echo OF everything her mother
said. The girls fair hair might have
been beautiful but beneath Mrs Ash
tons shadow &c lacked sheen and lus-
ter. as grass that has grown mp color
less in the dark when she spoke az
all 10 was dimfcuuy. and with
glance at the older woman.
Mrs. Ashton manifested tho great
est Impotence Go reach her landing
The boat the river. the negroes. AIN
the humdrum incidents Of her ordi-
nary route Of travel bored her. and
She did not fair 90 show It,
The other girl. Anita Cameron.
much darker than Alice. with deeper
violet eyes. looked upon this new lie
with curious. ~ not an eager inter
est She had never seen the Missis-
sippi river until that morning when
Mrs. Ashton met her at Grcenviie.
and brought her aboard the Sultana.
All that day Anita had amused hcr-
self watching the roustabouts as they
scrambled MP and down the river
banks. putting on freight. and taking
on cotton for the market az Vicks-
burg But when night breathed IT'S
peace upon the river. when the stars
came out when God drew nearer and
the boundaries set by man seemed so
UNNECESSARILY small a swift rush OF
Loneliness bore her back 20 those be
loved mountains I'm Virginia where
she was born. and where her people
slept.
Her aunt and cousin Ind been kind
D. D. ID
come shy ana sweet. MIS- Ashton
had even bisecd h,r-oncr But the
homcsick r'rl craved sympathetic
breast 90 lay her head upon and weep.
She gazcd into the silence into the
night and wondered what she would
find 90 love in tt,s new life 90 which
her aunt was leading her.
Anita" said Mrs Ashton. pointing
20 the landing eve are coming to
Devil-May Care plantation: the next
landing is Ivanhoe"
4 won't be so ungrateful. won't"
Anita thought lifted her head and
laughed brightly
This was 20 be Anita's home. these
were 20 be her people; and she looked
20 see what manner OF men they we're
who lived In such wilderness.
The searchlight blazed on a little
group at the landing. hurting their
shadows against the bank beyond.
There's that miserable Noel Duke"
shifted Mrs. Ashton; "the Duke OF
Devil-May-Care they call him"
Even in the dark Anita could see
Mrs. AshtOn's jaws shut rigidly.
tight as a swapping turtles: Mrs
Ashton had the kind OF jaws that
never compromised. and never for
gave.
There we're only two white men at
the landing. with multitude OF ne
groes, mules and dogs. In that bril-
liant light Anita could see every fea-
ture OF the men. every wrinkle and
every button on their clothes. Both
men were roughly dressed. The
heavier OF the two. with the small
blond mustache. had the air OF a
city man. somewhat conscious OF the
hunting garb he wore But the other
man wore his corduroys. SLOUGH hat.
leggings and spurs as naturally as the
royal stag carries his antlers.
Independent looking. black-haired.
erect as a soldier. Noel Dukes keen
ly humorous ewes twinkled as Re
watched Joe Balfour scraping the mud
OF his boots.
"Oh. never mind the mud" he
laughed: "lct it alone; we don't care
II you do take a little mud back 10
Vicksburg with yOu-we've got plen-
ty. TN wear on"
Mrs. Ashton touched Anita's arm.
That other young man, the heavy
one" she whispered lis Joe Balfour.
you've heard me speak OF him. He's
my lawyer. lives al Vicksburg But
/ never could understand how he had
any use for Noel Duke"
Anita looked closer at the horrible
example OF swamp depravity that her
aunt pointed out-the poker-pIayer
cock-hghter, horse-racer. bear-hunter
whisky-drinkeT-Mrs. Ashton had
every one Of his shortcomings cata-
loeued on the tip OF her tongue.
His father cheated your Uncle
John out OF the nomination for con-