Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-07-14

This negro stood by carriage 30 old
that Ham himself might have started
q hack line with It after he left the ark
with the two animals hitched to It.
As I approached he threw open the
door, drew out q feather duster. waved
II without using 1t and said In deep.
rumbling tones:
"Step right in. sub; amt speck OF
dust in titus got back from fu-
neral, suh."
T want to 90 to S61 Jessamine
street." I said and was about to step
into the hack. But for an instant the
thick, long. gorilla-like arm Of the old
negro barred me. On his massive and
saturnine face a look Of sudden sus-
picion and enmity flashed for mo-
ment. Then, with quickly returning
conviction, he asked blandishlngly.
"What are you gwine there for. bossT
"What is that to your" asked. Ut
tie sharply.
"Nothin', sub. JUS nOthin'. Only it's
a lonesome kind Of part Of town. and
few folks ever has business out there
Step right in. The sents Is clean-jes
got back from u funeral. suh."
A mile and a half 1t must have been
to our journeys end. ! could hear
nothing but the fearful rattle OF the
ancient hack over the uneven brick
paving; I could smell nothing but the
drizzle, now further favored with coal
smoke and something like mixture
of tar and oleander blossoms. All
could see through the streaming win
dows were two rows Of dim houses.
The city has an area Of ten square
miles, 1M miles of streets. Of which l31
miles are paved; q system Of waterworks
that cost $2,000.0o0. with seventy-seven
miles Of mains.
Eight-sixty- -one Jessamine street was
a decayed mansion. Thirty yards back
from the street it stood, Outmerged IN
q splendid grove Of trees and untrim-
med shrubbery. A row Of box bushes
overfowed and almost hid the paling
fence from sight; the gate was kept
closed by q rope moose that encircled
the gate post and the first paling OF
the gate. But when you got inside you
saw that S61 was shell. II shadow.
ghost Of former grandeur and excel
lence. But in the story have not yet
got inside.
When the hack had ceased from rat
Ting and the weary Quadrupeds came
to a rest | handed my jehu his 80 cents
with an additional quarter. feeling
glow of conscious generosity as l did
30. He refused It,
"It's So, suh," he said.
"How's that?" | asked. 81 plainly
heard you call out at the hotel. Fifty
cents to any part Of the town.
"It's So. suh." he repeated obstinate
". "Its q long ways from the hotel
ut is within the city limits Hid well
within them" argued. Don't think
that you have picked up greenhorn
Yankee. Do you see those hills ovel
there?" went on. pointing toward the
east q could not see them myself fol
the drizzle,. "well. was born and
raised on their other side You old fooI
niger, can't you tell people from other
people when you see en-
The grim face Of King Ceteway"
softened. "Is you from the south. sub {:
I reckon II was them shoes Of yourn
fooled me. They Is somethin' sharp IN
the toes for a southern genrman t"
wear"
''Then the charge Is so cents. sup
poser said lnexorably.
"Boss." he said. "50 cents IS right
but / needs 81, sub. I'm obleeged to
have 50. | amt demandin' II now.
sub, after knows whar you's from
I'm JUS sayin' that has to have 81
tonight, and business Ii mighty po.
Peace and confidence settled upon his
heavy features. He had been luckieI
than he had hoped. Instead Of having
picked up a greenhorn. ignorant o.
rates. he had come upon IN Inheritance.
"You COMPOUNDED old rascal" said.
reaching down into my pocket. You
ought to be turned over to the police.
For the first time l saw him smile
He knew. he knep. HE KNEW.
gave him two onedollar bills. As
I handed them over noticed that one
of them had seen parlOus times. Its
upper right hand corner was missing
and It had been torn through In the
middle, but Joined again. A strip OF
blue tissue paper pasted over the split
preserved its negotiability.
The house. as said. was a shell. A
paint brush had not touched It In
twenty years. could not see why a
strong wind should not have bowled 1t
| over like house Of cards until l look
| ed again ut the trees that hugged II
| close-the trees TINT saw the battle OF
| Nashville and still drew their protect
Ing branches around 1t against storm
and enemy and cold.