Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-02-19
CHAf1El; XII.

House u NAS tAfHiSbed With fclIcS 0I out.of date furniture ,hat her I;de n,s. trsss had given her, from time to time. A picr-s with a heavily gilded frame, the top of it lavishly ornamenlcd in ru. soeco style, reached from the floor quite to the ceiling, which was dazzling witt yhitewash, as also were the walls. | fesiaed portrait in o!l of Richard ' mother hung on one wall. The old negrcs sat before tho hre in large mahogany easy-chair, the cover of which was fade l brocatellc of rich design. She had qu.ts t modern grate, in which burned good coal fire.
 "Come iu, she said, in response tf ( knock at the door.
 It was CInker, wlo had come dowa the day before.
 'Good evening. auas;e. 1t is rather cold evening, and as the house oves yonder is cold, thought I would come to soc you. How are you standing iti'
 Poly, sub, poly; Is done had tho ,heumaiiz till Is most dade, sto, and de doctor he done say dat hit done gwre ter reach my heart some desc daysden I lis go out lak q snuff O adle. V
 "Do you believe il. auntie9''
 Yas, suh I does D ' eve it knows hit-and de Lawd have mussy but is mighty ole, bsss de t.awd! my ole NJ SIS, Miss Eleanor s gran ma. would he niah bout ninety now and is older dan her. '
 "A lonely life, Aunt Dclilah; but you can have nothing on your conscience that should make you afraid to die. V
 do know, marster; my sins is as scarlet, sho huff Is done rastled nigh, ty hard fur ter git de grace O God, de dyin grace is what l $ needin now
 And your master, he is kind te you9' "Marstcr Richarde bless him Laval vas, suh; he done tole me dat dey is a stannin' order al de bes undertaken : fur to give me de fines' buryin dat Iponey will git Oh vas, sub he ain't furgct his ole mammy
 1" am noi so pious as you, auntie, but l eoudn' I die with my conscience like yours is. You know that Gerald Soue is suffering for crime he did not commit and if you die without--''
 The room was suddenly filled with 2 dazzling white glare and just over the face of the portrait of Eleanor Soule ap. peared that of Gerald s mo.iler--sad, wistful in it's expression.
 "Oh, my Gawd!" screamed the old wo. man, !" Miss Alice, didn't go fur to hurt Marse Gerald. Marse Richard done tell me tain't nntfn but projickin, jis lal1 dey al avs plays on bridegrooms. O Lawd 0 Lawd it is dy iedgmcnt Go 'way. Miss Alice, please, ma am; do go 'way!'
 "Whai is the matter, auntic9 are you illq'
 She looked up. shuddering; there was nothing to ba seen but the usual furnish ings of the room and the iirelit dusk.
 "I seed Miss Alice--I seed her, mars ter; she done come to l,a mt me case l done hep fur to ruin her boy. Lawd knows didn t mean fer to ha Tn him. s'
 "1f you have anything like that on your mind, you had better get it ofl, and the only way for that is esnfession''
 ''I is done repentsd 50; is beg Marse Richard on my knees fur to nak it right ; but he's so dade in love wiv Miss Aileen dat he won listen; he done said he II wade trough hell-fre far to git her! he T ruin thousan' Gc 'al Seules befo dey can keep her. W 'en man feel data. way, what you gwipe dos I cain I do nc mol" She grew defiant, and looked ner. yously, from time to time, at the DOT trait.
 Clinker walked about the room, think ing; he dsliked intc ely the part he Wal playing; he seemed to himself to be sp.., and only to release an innocent man would he So play upon inc feelings and ssa55erstitious terrors | an old negro.
 "Next time I'll ta one of my oNn size; but it is the onl .hance for soule." He went to the wi4 tow and drummed on the glass Ae&ia the white radiance came through window, and the face of Richards mo. ~ .,Pt1ared, not over, but beside the 2yJge this time.
 Miss Eleanor, does you tell me to hurt our dear darlin' Marse Richard, dat you die fo' any timeY
 The picture vanished. Delilah cow cred in her chair and shook in nervous terror. All at once she fell back uneor' scious, Clinker hastened to revive her.
 t.I hope this isn't going to be fatal, ;t would be a serious business for us, II it should"
 He piled her with restoratives, and ai' +er a few minutes, she revived and lookei about.