Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-13

Sa ton bluntly. HAD you seen ~"
mory Court before?'
mo. never
DO you like the general plan OF
the placer"
DO like it?" cried John Valiant.
DO | like it!''
A quick pleasure crossed her face.
Its nice of you to say it that WesS.
We ask that question SO often It's
become mechanical. You see, it's our
great show-place. We exhibit It to
strangers as we show them the Ma
tural Bridge and Monticello, and ex-
pect them to rhapsodiZe. Years ago
the negroes would never set foot here.
The house was supposed to be
haunted"
Pm not afraid" he laughed. II
wouldn't blame any ghost for hang
Ing around. I'm thinking of haunt
ing it myself in a hundred years or
So"
"oh, the specters are all laid long
ago. If there ever were any,"
AT that moment a patter of foot
steps and shrill shrieks came flying
over the last years leaves beyond
the lilac bushes. It's Hickey Sny-
der" she said, peering out smilingly
as two children, pursued and pursuer,
burst into view. "Hushl" she whis-
pered; 81 wonder what they are up
to-"
The pair came in a whirl through
the bushes. The foremost was a L
year-old negro girl, in a single short
cottonade garment, wizened, bare
legged and bareheaded, her black wool
parted in little angular patches and
tightly wrapped with bits of cord.
The other was white and as freckled
as turkeys egg, with hair cropped
like boys. She held a carving-knife
cut from a shingle. whose edge had
been deeply ensanguined by poke
berry juice. The pursued one
stumbled over a root and came to
earth in heap. while the other
bounced upon her like wildcat.
Hold still, you limb of SATIN" she
scolded. How can l do it when you
won't stay still?"
"Oh, Lawd,' moaned the PROSTATE
one, in simulated terror; "oh, doctah,
good doctah Snydah, has All gotter
hab dat operation? Is yo' sho' gwine-
ter twitter eroun' nah insides wild
dem knives en- saws en- things?'
ut won't hurt" treasured the
would-be operators mo more than
it did Mis- Poly Clifford. And I'll put
your liver right back again.
bahs All fo'got ter make NAH will.
All leabs-'
NONSENSE" objected the other ire
ritably. you made it yesterday.
They always do it beforehand
mo, sub; All done clean forgot ct.
All leabs nah th.mble ter de Mefodls'
church, en- nah black en- wife kitten
ter Hickey Snydah, en-"
II don't want your old tabby"
said the beneficiary unfeelingly.
Now f1atten out, while l give you
the chloroform.
"All right, doctah. Abs in de free
ward en- faint costin' me er cent!
But Abs mighty skeered All gwine-
ter wake up daid! Cord Almighty, eft
All dies, save nah sinful soul! on,
Mars Judge Jesus. swing dat cha 'yut
down en- kyah me up ter hebben!
Hickey, yo' reckon, after all, Abs
gwineter be er black angel? Hesh-sh!
Abs driftin' away, doctah, Ans
driftin' away on de big wide ribber."
"Now you're asleep declared the
surgeon, and fell to with flourish
of the CORY blade.
The other reared herself. Huh!
How yo' reck'n Abs gwineter he
ersleep wild you chunkin me in de
shoht ribs wild dat ar stick? Ain yo'
done cyarvin' me up YETI"
ooh, nurse" walled Hickey, turn
ing the drama into a new channel,
81 can't wake GREENE up! She won't
come out of the chloroform! she
dying. Let's all sing and maybe it'll
make it easier:
"1 went down to Jordan and what
did / see,
Coming for to carry me home?
A band of angels waiting for me,
Coming for to carry me home!"
The melody, however, was too much
for the prospective corpse. She sat
up, shook the dead leaves from her
hair and joined in, swaying her lean
body to and fro and clapping her
yellow-lined hands together in an
ecstacy:
A." 'Sweeng low! Sweet Char ee-yuti
Comm fo' t'kyah me ho-o-o-ome.
Swee-eng low, swee-et Char ee-yut!
Comm fo' tkyah me home!'"
The two were a strange contrast as
they sang, the negro child swaying
with the emotionalism of her race and
her voice dropping instinctively to a
soft alto accompaniment to the 9TH
er's rigid soprano. and lending itself
to subtle half-tones and minor ca
dences.
A twig snapped under Valiant's
foot The singers faced about and
saw him. Both scrambled to their
feet, the black girl to look at them
with a wide self-conscious grin.
Hickey, tossing her short hair back
from her freckled face. came toward
them.
MY goodness, Miss Shirley" she
said. 1--WE didn't see you at all" She
looked at Valiant. Are you the man
that's going to fix up Damory Court?"
she inquired, without any tedious for
malities
Yes" said aVliant.
We'll" she said, critically, you've
got your job cut out for you. But
should say you're the kind to do it
"Rickeyi" Shirley's voice tried to
be stern, but there was a hint of
laughter in it.
What did / say now?" inquired
Hickey. I'm sure L meant it to be
complimentary"
ut was" said Valiant. 81 shall try
to deserve your good opinion"
Ito BE Continued Tomorrow.)