Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-18


Uncle Noah sighed and shook his !
white, woolIy head II dunno. Hessa. !
Somehow I CANT sit de right inspira-
ton to 'proach de Sunuel on dat sub
jec'"
Den I specs Is got to go alone.
De norf is a cor place in winter, I've
been .hearin', an it'll be mighty lone
some for dis niger woman widout her
husband erlong, but mebbe' I'll cotch
de brownkitts er somethin' er ruther
an die! Do yoh reckon dey buries po'
ded Niger folkses up dere. Noah?"
Hessa's voice ended in a plaintive
moan.
Noah shivered. of co'se dey buries
eberybody, old woman. only what's de
use Of goin' If yoh's so suah You'll die?
What's de matter wild Virginny for
awhileT'
The old man almost ducked under the
table at the Aaming wrath in Hessa's
eyes. She pointed a scornful finger at
him.
II knowed i'll knowed it, You'd
ruther stay heah in slavery den TO go
norf an be free an earn sights of
munney an some day be ridin' in yoh
own kerridge. Dey's big wages fob
black folkses up dere, an I'm goin'
alone tomorrer eff yoh's too chicken liv-
cred to come erlong too"'
I'D like to go nightly, Hess. only I
dunno whut de kunnel an ole miss
will do widout u.s." protested Noah
IL l.. l..
arm left
"Shucksv exploded Aunt Hessa i'm
patiently, and forthwith she proceeded
10 convince her wavering husband that,
although they had both been born and
raised on Colonel Partidge's plantation
and had lived happily all through the
years of a kind masters supervision,
now that President Lincoln had pro-
claimed that all slaves should be eman-
cipated on and after the LIST day Of
January, 1868, it was their bounden
duty to take advantage of the liberty
that had come TO them and hasten
northward to the land of plenty OF
money.
All the other slaves on the Partridge
plantation had run away during the
| coloners absence on the battlefield.
and Hessa, the cook, had remained
| faithful. But relatives who were pre-
| pairing to take advantage of their new
| ly acquired freedom were working upon
| Hessa'S feelings.
| Colonel Partridge and his wife sat in
/ the small study adjoining the sitting
/ room. 1t was warmer room and more
| easily heated by the pine logs in the
| wide fireplace. Outside it was crisp
/ and cold, with n light fall of snow on
/ the ground. Within the study it was
| warm and coy and comfortable.
! There was Il crimson glow over the
/ polished mahogany tables and chairs
/ and over the rows of books on the
+ shelves. The heavy damask curtains
and table covers had vanished. They
were serving IS blankets for soldiers in
/ the Confederate army.
What are you thinking about, Rich
/ ard?" asked Mrs. Partridge after awhile
She was knitting wooden socks for the
I soldiers, and her delicate white fingers
worked as willingly as they had ever
done on dainty embroidery. She was
Il woman past middle age. and the
/ strenuous time she was passing
through was leaving its blighting i'm
print upon her. She had sent three
sons to the war and had received them
/ back again-to be buried in the family
/ tomb. Her husband had gone forth
strong and hale and vigorous, and he
had come back minus one arm and
quite broken in health, with old age
pressing heavily upon his grief smitten
heart With the desertion of his slaves
the revenue from his plantation dwia-
/ died to a mere pittance.
If Uncle Noah and his wife had pot
remained faithful it would have gone
Ter had not scorned to become man of
all work about the plaCe. and in addi-
ton TO the little vegetable garden he
maintained there had been one COW
salvaged from the large herd that oncs
grazed on the pastures.
What are you thinking of, dear?s
asked Mrs. Partridge after awhile.
The colonel looked up from his sad
contemplation of the kissing fire.
Il was wondering what we would
/ do If Noah and Hessa should decide to
go away" he answered quietly.
"Oh, Richard. have they spoken to
you? Mrs. Partidge's gray eyes filed
with tears.
He shook his head mo, but Blythe
says that nine of his negroes are going
tomorrow. and one of them told him
that our Hessa and Noah were going
too"
Without a word to us? Richard. l
hardly think they would do it," falter-
ed his wife.
ut is their right. Catherine. Perhaps
they are afraid to speak to me.
wish they would go openly I want
to give them something for a new
start in life They are old. Catherine,
just as we are. but they are as inno-
! cent children in the face of the world
they will meet. But The colonel
bowed his white head and covered hiz
eyes with his hand.