The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-03
Copyrighted ms. by Publishers

I 1855
Copyrighted 1913. by Publishers
| Ne. Co.
(Continued.)
The old negro g voice broke in sob.
| He covered his dark scanned face with
his hand.
ssSome folks say he kill hissef, but
| know his hawt done bruk. Den come
de hawd times. We got porer an porer.
Miss Elba sell all de julcry an de sill
Der, an ,eber thing whut fetch ur dol
4 lar. De man whut hole de mawgage done
/ sell de place, an we ain t got no home.
Las night Miss Elba called me, an say
! mus 90 ter de city an sell her picter.
She say Monsher Brentanno, whut paint
ed it will buy it. He done offer Marsc
Egbert ur whole lot Nv money ter let
I'm 'zibit it in de ole country, an hang
1 1t on de walls NV some place, but Marse
Epbert amt let i'm do it. Miss Elba
say she hate ter do it but she boun ter
hab some money Sides she say folks
won't hear NV her, an see her lax dcy
4 did when she wuz rich She say fur me
4 ter tell Monster Brentanno she sell de
picter on condition he don Il 'zibit it in
de city, nur in dis county. She say fur
me ter mex i'm glib me writin' ter dat
effec'''
elbow much did your mistress expect
to get for the picture9'
stshe say times ain t LAX dey ulster be.
She say ak i'm mo-, eff he fuzes den az
fifty.
The listener smiled, and the old man
continued
ssNow you knows de histry Nv de
picter, but you can't know how | feel,
bout it bein ruint, less'n you'd saw
Miss Elba wroppin it up, an de tears
drappin on de paper, an hear her say,
II hate ter do it, Unc' Simon, but we
/, can Il stawve. An now ter hab ter 60
back home an tell her it's ruint. Lawd
Lawd, I can't do it. =
A big tear rolled down the shriveled
cheek, and splashed on the canvas
j, with spotless handkerchief, The
young man removed the stain, Was il
T an impertinent ray from the descending
uun playing tricks or did the girl smile
ut him7
/ His heart gave great bound, and tn
feeling in that region was strange an
sweet.
ssFooI.', He turned and walked away
3 shaking himself as though just wakene
from troubled dream.
uSahqv The old darby looked U
!, quickly. He had caught the one worc
and failed to understand its application
uIt,s too bad. 2 Turning again
the negro. ttThc only thing to do ]
b sell It to some dealer in such rubbish
a and then not get enough to compensat
$. for having the young lady's face stare
= ut. and commented on. My advice IS
- take II back to her, and tell her the tru
= rate of affairs, and abide by her dec
=.
= sion in the matter
z Why did the thought OF curiou
strangers staring, and commenting ia
mon him SO unpleasantlys The girl wa
nothing to him. If she wanted to Sc
: her nicture it was none of his business
~ He had neither the right nor the incl
,s nation to object.
{ His right was questionable to be SUI
INF his inclination-well it was a quee
unpleasant feeling, aroused by tn
NJ .bouoht of the innocent girlish face b'
d. mo stared at and commented on. d
al ,as ANNOYED because he could not II
VS. himself of it.
le Irritation crept into tone and name
as ,s he said, fIt IS useless to grieve. TAX
NV advice and carry the picture back
the Young LADY, Giving the lapels
Is ,is coat an impatient jerk, he wake
30 away.
AZ AZ The old darkey dropped his head agai
~ I. lie hands He was alone with b
- grief. D,
4S tsI'd swore ne wuz sorry ~
81 Il . human mater ter git all yo' secrut
- vid ur mex bleve Nv sorry, den Leah yo
"a ter shift fur 70 'sef. But he's or ra
10 renel man. De secruts is safe wild i'm.
ne Leaning on the deck rail, the youn
d man tried to send unpleasant though
,way in clouds Of cigar smoke.
!. Like Banquo's ghost they would NJ
=. "a lown, they haunted him he could s.
: Two great dark eyes, half sad, half sane
60 looking at him from behind long golas
d ,ashes. Unconsciously he began to WIN
20 lie .eThose dark eyes. They haunt n
s5 ,tin.n He glanced quickly around
SO zee if any one had noticed his weakness
IS
II Alone In SawmiI at Midnight