The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-05
CHAPTER XII.


sAe-of date furniture that hsr late mis-.
arsss had given her, from time to time.
A pier glass with heavily gilded frame,
the top Of it lavishly ornamented in TO-
10000 style, reached from the floor quite
to the ceiling, which was dazzling with
wAitew ash, as also were the walls. A
hfe.sized portrait in oil Of Richard s
mother hung on ono wall. The old negress
sat before the Ere in large mahogany
easy-chair, the cover Of which was faded
brocatelle of rich design. She had quite
modern crate, in which burned good
coal fire.
"Come in she said, IN response to .
knock at the door.
It was Clnker, who had come down
the day before.
"Good evening, austie. It 10 rather
cold evening, and as the house over
yonder is cold, I thought I would come tt
see you How are you standing itf''
"Poly, sub, pc "; rs done had the
rheumatic till rs most dade, sho; and
de doctor he done say dat hit done gwine
ter reach my heart some desc days-der
I ills go out lax snuff O. ca die. -
tfDo you believe it, auntisf'
"Yas, sub; j does b eve it; knows
hit-and de Lawd have mussy but il
mighty ole, Bliss de Laudl my ole Miss
Miss Eleanor s gran ma, would be niah
bout ninety now, and is older dan her. y
"a lonely life, Aunt Delilah but you
can have nothing on your conscience that
should make you afraid to die
81 do know, marster; my sins is as
scarlet, sho huff. / 8 done rastlsd nigh
ty hard fur ter git de grace o. God, do
dyin grace is what I IS needin now.
"And your master, he is kind to yous''
"Marster Rchard' bless him Lawd
vas, sub; he done tole me dat dey is q
stannin order at de bes undertaken 4
fur to give me de faes buryin' dat
money Will git Oh vas, sub; he amt
furget his ole manahy.'
81 am not 50 pieus as you, auntie
but I couldn't die with my conscience
like yours is. You know that Gerald
Soule is suffering for crime he did NOT
commit; and if you die without
The room was suddenly filed with a
dazzling white glare and just over thd
face of the portrait of Eleanor Soule ap
peared that Of Geralds mother-sad
wistful in its expression.
''Oh, my Gawd,' screamed the old wo
man, Miss Alice, I didn t go fur to huri
Marse Gerald Marse Richard done tel
me tain t muffin but projickin, jis lax
dey al 'ays plays on bridegrooms. c
Lawd o Lawdi it is dy Judgment G.
way, Miss Alice, please, ma am; do 60
'wayl"
"What is the matter, auntieH are yor
| illT'
/ She looked up, shuddering; there wa
nothing to be seen but the usual furnish
ings of the room and the firelit dusk.
Setu NlSS fallcC4 9cCu hcij bai o
Ter; she done come to ha mt me case don,
hep fur to ruin her boy. Lawd knows
| didn t mean fer to ha m him. !"
/ of you have anything like that OF
your mind, you had better got it off, ant
the only way for that is confession. y
ri is done repsnted SO; is bog Mars
Richard on nay knees fur to max it right
but he's SO dade in love wi~ Miss Alice
dat he Won listen; he done said he 2
wade trough hell-fre fur to git hsrl he'
ruin a thousan' &c aid Seules befe de
can keep her " ZEN man feed dat-s
way, what you gwine dof / CAIN Il do n
mol " She grew defiant, and looked ne
veusly, from time to time, at the po
trait
Clinker walked about the room, thinl
ing; he disliked intensely the part he WI
playing; he seemed to himself to be
spy, and only to release an innocent ms
would he 80 play upon tho feelings ar
superstitious terrors of an old negro.
ITO be continued.)