The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-04-25

sic udO DlUOeD ulEu I'LL ueT INTO Il
grapevine swing that looped itself
from branch to branch of two wild
plum trees. They were white with tho
| fullness Of their blossom tide.
| She was but light armful. T.
could easily have put her in the covct
! ed seat with che hand. but he trelnb'cs'
under the pressure of her sweet youn
body. and his great heart thumped vie
| lently against his ribs. all because h,
was such a coward RalstOn. you see:
The swaying Of the swing set Il!
delicate plum blossoms a-falling. They
gemmed her brown hair and fell up",,
her lap. She filled her little hans
with them and laughed gay!y:
| ''Such pretty. gauZy petals. i'"v
look like fairy lace. Titania's wetidin.
veil might we'll have been woven q"
| just such stuff"
| He had thrown himself on the grounc
at her feet. His great brown eyes We:s
full of the dumb alteration of a slave.
"When get married" he heard hci
say. 'I'll have wedding bell mad
of the wild plum blossoms-so much
daintier than the stiff, conventions!
things one always sees"
| He laughed nervously. iii have I.
whole wagon load Of them gathered as
soon as you say the word
| She stared at him insOlently. WIN /
word?'
''Such little word. Katie-yes.'
She still held him mercilessly with
the blue eyes that had taken on the
chill Of polished steel.
What are you talking about, John
sic Ralston:"
He rose from his crouching posture
to tower over her commandingly.
Don't you know that l love you
Katie? You will have to answer Yes
to that There's no other honest an
swer."
She flung her answer at him defiant
ly: "Yes. What then?"
"And don't you know that want to
marry you? Haven't you known it
these half dozen years, Katie?'
Eyes. What then?"
'"Then"-he held out pleading hands
to her-'oil. my little girl. will you
not come to me while the sweet wild
plums are blossoming for you and fol-
me? will try so hard to make you
glad all the days of your life
From under her crown of wild flow
ers she looked at him with a cruel
smile of negation. She vaulted lightly
earthward and stood before him with
her small hands clasped behind her
Standing thus. she dealt him his death
blow.
"Never. never. never. John RalstGn
I'll marry no coward. an it please YOU
sir Why didn't you kill Dave Stu-.ns
the other day instead of turning the
other cheek? All, you thought wou!5
never hear of it. but you see l have
have" Her pretty face was dark Will
passion. mo man shall ever point t!H
finger of scorn at my husband. Wee
ding bell will never hang over yci
and me. John. Goodby"
She flung him a hooking farewe
from the tips of her fingers and spe>
homeward alone through the leafs
aisles of the forest
He stood like a man who has re
ceived his deathblow in battle. Al
the sweetness had gone out of the
air. all the light out of the sum!
day. He flung out his hands with
gesture Of despair.
She had never loved him or She coult
not have condemned him unheard
How easy to convict her of error Il
| II had hean worth while!
It was then that he retired to tht
Cross Bayou place and took up the life
of a hermit crab. all because he was
coward. you see.
Only one human being accepted hin
rnquestioningly. believed in him ALSO
lutely. That was Black Prince. ant
when Johnsie went into retirement OF
the Cross Bayou place Black Prince
went with him.
Prince was his foster brother anC
his chattel Nanny Ann had nurset
them both from her full maternal foun
tains. There was nothing princely
about the chattel save his loyalty ant
a chivalric devotion that found all the
reward it asked in obliterating self fol
the object it adored.
me and Marse Johnsie' comprised
the universe for Black Prince.
From Black Princes point Of view
life as it was lived at Cross Bayou by
tine and Marse Johnsie" was simply
perfect. A little labor and great dea
Of resting-what more could heart Of
man ask?
If the white man had his periods Of
self disgust and bitter retrospection
the black one was never the wiser fol
It. If there came to the master mo
ments of passionate longing, when 8
shadowy girl face looked at him from
out the memory land with crue
smile of negation on her sweet face
the chattel was never the sadder fol
it. If Prince was conscious of any de
fined longings. it was to have thing.
60 on just as they were forever ant
forever unless, indeed, it might be fcl
the glorious annual excitement of s
barbecue.
There was an unwritten law which
impelled the people about Cross Bayo,
| - bot Fob