Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-09
The Argus Daily Short Story
Mammy's Dreamy Harriet L. Geddes.
Copyrighted, 1910 by Associated Literary Press.

to assign himself in all rides. drives
and other amusements to escort Miss
Archard. Nevertheless he saw that
the moment she was free she and st.
Clair seemed to fall together natural
~. One morning after breakfast st.
Clair returned TO his room for some
article of clothing and was hunting for
IT In the closet when. hearing q step.
he turned and saw lie Moyne come
quickly into the room. pull out a bu-
reau drawer. drop something in it and
retire hastily. as he had come in. st.
Clair. being in the closet. had not been
seen. A moment after his host had
left the room he went TO the bureau
drawer and took out small box con-
tanning several articles of jewelry.
He was filed with establishment
horror and indignation. 1t was evil
dent to him that lie Moyne had placed
the jewels in his dra wer. intending to
accuse him of having stolen them. ST.
Clair CLOSED tie door and spent half
an hour deliberating. AT the end Of
that time he took the jewels to Miss
Archard and told her how he had come
by them. She had experienced enough
of lie MoyneS attentions to her to d.
vine his object Then st. Clair took
the jewels to lie Moyne. whom he
found with several of his guests. and
told him where be had found them.
LIE Moyne colored and stammered that
some of the house servants must have
stolen them and temporarily hidden
them in st. Clair's room.
9 rIp,-
you come to my room and place the
box in my drawer"
lie Moyne raised his cane and struck
his accuser. st. Clair attempted to
strike back. but the others interfered
At that time in the south such an af-
fair must be settled under the code
duello. The accusation against lie
Moyne could only be wiped out in
blood. He knew that it could not be
wiped out at ALL There was not one
of his guests but would believe the
word of ST. Clair in preference to his
own
With the logged spirit that possess
ed him, lie Moyne proposed that they
should settle the affair at once. st.
Clair was agreeable. and. though the
1Nh 4SCo dGIdgs tue N"O
principals were too hot for it. Rapiers
were the weapons most used. and
there was sufficient space in the room
where they were. The adversaries. in
shirt and trousers. faced each other,
swords were handed them, and they
began to fence.
lie Moyne. true to the instincts of
his race. was cool. Not even the truth
of the charge could unnerve him. st.
Clair. on the contrary. was so shocked.
so indignant, at the base attempt to
put a stigma upon him and rob him Of
the girl with whom be had just plight
ed his troth that he fought wild. The
result was that in a-few minutes he
received 4 sword wound in the side
which took him out of the fight.
He was carried to his room and a
surgeon sent for. who pronounced him
in danger of bis life. OF course re-
moval was out Of the question.
The first Miss Archard heard of the
matter was that her lover had been
stabbed by her host and was lying in
his chamber in n critical condition.
She flew upstairs and in another mo-
ment was bending over him.
Why" she moaned. did we come
into this house? 1t is accursed."
At the moment an old negro woman
entered and heard the words
mo. missy" she said. de house amt
cu'sed. Hits de people in IT. Don
worry. honey. / had a dream las
night l dreamed / saw a picession
goin' to a grave takin' a baby coffin.
An / saw 'em buryin' de coffin. Den
when dey all go way l saw de baby |
rise out o. de groun'. an he was grow
ed to be a fine young man. An he
said. Nanny. my dear ole nanny:
He put his arm around my neck an
kissed me. rs come of age today
II know wha' de dream meant Don |
70 worry. honey. Hits all comm out |
right"
The lovers well knew the supersti-{
ton of the coIored race and thought |
nothing of her words. But her pre-
diction that it would all come out |
right proved true. 1t was a month be- /
fore st. Clair could be moved. and |
during this period Miss Archard came |
every day TO nurse him. though never !
once did she deign TO notice lie Mnrne- !