Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-08-24

Julius, 70 my sake An | say: 'Neb-
Der fear 70 dat. Missy Della. Reckon
know what I'm about. Den Mars
Harry an | go back to camp.
"One time when Gineral Wheeler
war leadin his men back III de r'ar oh
de Yankees, brakin' up de railroads
an burnin' de wagon trains. he stop
one day to rest In a wood an stayed
dar a whole day. Mars Harry he neb-
Der lax to rest. When de udder men
war restin he war always ryin' to
Kit some message 10 his ladylub. He
would go TO a house an write a long
letter 10 her full oh Tub talk an pay
some niger to tax il to her.
well, when Everybody was restin
Mars Harry he tax me with him to Il
house about mile away an sot down
in de libin' room befo' q table, an he
wrote an wrote all de mawnin. But
befo' he sot down 10 write he toe me
to go down on de Nashville pike. about
q mile from whar he war writin', an
could see down de road. an If | see
any bluejackets comm wor to ride
back an warn him.
II rode down to whar I could see
two or three miles an sot on my
hose. lookin' down de road. Fust
thing knew | sor a niger gal lookin
frou de rails OBJ de fence. She war
smilin' at me. shown her teeth lax an
alligator's jaw. An she says, VIVA
yo' dom darT An | says, 'Watchin
70 de Yanks.' An she says, 'Wha' yo'
watchin 70 de Yanks fo'p An
says, To wan ma mars if dey come.
she talks TO me awhile. an bimeby
she says, Come down dar an glib
yo' some applejack. war all tired
out ridin' 80 had an powerful thirsty
but | say, i don't want no applejack.
Yes. 20 do she says. 1 kin see 70
mouf waterin' TO it Go way an
let me alone. says.
DO yo' know wha' dat gal did
she p'inted 10 de house whar de apple
jack war. an she says, i keep watch
TO 80 while 70 go down an get
drink | fell under de temptation an
lax fool left dat gal to watch an
went down 10 de house an flied ma
canteen with dc uppIejack Same time
tux Il long drink | war gittin' ready
to 90 back when ! hearn a cIatter oh
critters hoofs on de road above an
saw lot ob bluecoats gallopin past
toward de house whar Mars Harry war
writin the Tub letter to Missy Della.
Il want to Kill somebody sartin. /
got on ma hose an. ridin back TO de
road, saw de gal dot brought de trouble
on me skulkin' away. | tired ma re-
vo.ver at her. Den | rode on. follerin
de lanks. | hearn shootin' ahead, but
when got to de house whar Mars
Harry was wrtin' he Tub letter de
sojers war all gone But dar beside
de road | saw what hants me eber
since"
He put his hand 10 his eyes as if TO
shut out some painful sight. Presently
ne moaned:
Mars Harry layin' dar SHOT dead
For that few minutes be had been
tempted To relax his watChfulness he
was paying a lifelong penalty Posi-
bly, ne had dwelt upon his fault 50
long that 1t had affected his mind
| wondered at the love this black man
had for one whom he considered 50
far his superior-the daughter of the
man who had owned nim and could
have sold him as Il horse or a dog
Il knelt down beside him" he con
tinued IAN called TO him: Mars Har-
ry. come 10 life ag'in an femme be
daid in yo' place. | CANT live TO face
Missy Della nohow. How ! gwine
to go through life with this curse on
me! Come back. Mars Harry; come
back 70 Missy Della She CANT go
through de worl without yo'.
But he didn't wake up no mo-. an
him TUX him up an carried him into
de house An then got a wagon an
driv him TO de plantation.
He made an effort 10 tell me OF his
reception there. but failed
How did your mistress treat you
after the miSfortuneF | asked.
Misfortune. Dat want no misto
tune; dat war yieldin TO temptation
Is one Oh de goats dat is Token from
de sheep Ef hadn't listened to dat
gal Mars Harry wouldn't "A got kill
ed didn't hab de courage TO go back
TO de plantation 70 n long time; den
sneaked in among de udder niggers an
hid in de ban. Some niger sor me
an tole Missy Della | was come home.
She hearn all about how Mars Harry
got killed. an thar want anything TO
me to 'fess. She sent TO me TO come
up to de house My legs badly car
ried me dar. Missy Della war standin'
by herself in de hall stood at de do.
When she sor me she put up her ham
chekuff to her eyes an held out her
hand TO me She didn't say a wo'd.
but | knowed she fo'gib me-
Dat didn't do me no good" he con
tinued after a pause. "'cause | didn't
fo'gib maself."
4, -.