Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-23
>oTTUMWA COURIER, TUESDAY, JULY q, 1912.


beside me giggled nervously.
mo, I'm not a lunatic." said. Go
back and go to sleep"
The negro rolled his eyes over me
with growing suspicion and menace.
Listen" he said; "who dat? Who
dat yellin' and yappin and a pro-
claimin? Sound to Abraham like ole
Mis- Olsen. What you-all want in
Abraham's kitchen? Guess ali better
60 see what's the mattah.'
"No, you hadn't" I answered.
''Who-all's goin' to stop me" he
rumbled, scowling at me with a wrink-
led frown, where savage menace and
sort of minstrel impudence shared
alike. "Who-all's goin' to stop Abra-
ham? That's what All want to know"
took a step toward him, doubling
my fists as came.
Get back In that bed!" said.
To my surprise he gave q howl OF
terror that was half a shrek, and flop
ped down on his knees, fairly grovel-
ing before me.
"Oh, Lawd Gawd." he cried: "oh,
Lawd Gawd! Save pore ole Abraham"
Then rolling his eyes up to me again.
please go wuffum yere, Mr.. Devil.
Don't put yo' red-hot hands on Abra-
ham,"
glanced at my doubled fist Some
where in the last few minutes, prob
ably when had dragged the cot away
from the door upstairs, my torn, split
glove had been pulled away from my
hand, leaving 1t the bare thing which
even I did not like to see.
Instinctively slipped my hand into
the side pocket OF my coat "Come,"
said to the girl, somewhat gruffly,
you're to show me where the dark
room is"
She smiled back at me- EYES," she
said, II know I am"
Evidently what she had seen had
not frightened her. and liked her for
1t.
'How about him?'' she asked, point,
ing to the still groveling negro. Then
standing on tiptoe and pulling me
down until she could whisper close In
my ear, 'Do you dare to leave him
here? Wont he undo the shutters?"
I stirred the red nightgown with my
foot
Get up" said, "and walk ahead Of
me-"
At the touch, he sprang to his feet
and stood trembling.
"Where's >you-all gofn', Mistah
Devil" he gasped; mot to that hot
place, Is yo'? S'cuse me, but an yo'
suah yo' aim made no mistake? One
ole niggah ain nothin' to 20, an deed
it's mighty seeyus fob me-"
Sweat was streaming down his face,
which had turned slate-color.
'I'll think about it" said; "get a
lamp and come on, or perhaps can
die would do just as well" For his
fright was so great did not dare to-
trust him with lamp
So we went out to the hall again in
single file, the girl walking first and
looking back at US every few steps
over her shoulder. The cook followed
with his waving candle and l walked
behind. We walked hue way along
the hall, turned into dark archway,
and went down a steep and narrow
flight of stairs.
The basement was as intricate as the
house above 1t. The dust OF years lay
there thick on the concrete floor and
piles Of miscellaneous lumber. Our
path turned from right to left, from
left to right again, winding through
lanes of barrels and boxes. past lat
tieed storerooms and boarded bins,
circled an antiquated furnace, and
came at last to great square OF
masonwork, beneath what I Judged
was the very center of the house. The
stone walls ran up solidly to the raft
cred ceiling, and must have enclosed
a place about eighteen feet square, d.
vided in the middle, as soon found
out, by another partition Of stone, each
division having heavy door of stud
ded iron plates Both doors were
locked and made fast by large, old
fashioned padlocks. and / judged that
these dark cells had been originally
the wine cellars of that bygone builder
Of the unlovely castle. To my relief
found a key hanging between the
doors.
With hand which shook little in
spite of me, undid both locks and
dropped them to the floor, swinging the
heavy doors wide open.
Nancy" I whispered; then louder,
Nancy
But with only the hollow echo Of my
own voice to answer me, my heart
SGcUlCO w oLOp UCuIAA6, AOA ehSo6ae
that surely Nancy must have tainted
In that horrible darkness. / toik the
candle from the trembling hand OF the
negro and entered the cell on my left
hand An old mattress lay in the
corner with a moldering half-loaf Of
bread beside 1t. The place was as
empty and desolate as tomb. In the
doorway doomed the cook, following me
with rolling eyes which glimmered
white in the candle-light. had to
push him aside to pass him as went
out. The other cell was absolutely
empty. There was not even a mat
tress there. I held the candle high
over my head to peer into its darkest
corner
Look out" the girl called. in a
queer, half-muffled little voice.
And turned about to find her strug-
Cling valiantly with the big black in
the very doorway. one crushing arm
about her neck and her face almost
buried in the folds of the voluminous
nightgown. His other hand dragged
the door toward them. reached
them with bound and tore the negro's