Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-04-28
CHAPTER XXI.
The Evening of an Old Score

The Evening of an Old Score.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!- Major Bristow's
ivory-headed camphor-wood stick
thumped on the great door of Damory
| court. The sound had tang of impa-
! thence, for he had used the knocker
more than once without result Now
he strobe to the end of the porch
and raised his voice in a stentorian
below that brought Uncle Jefferson
shutting around the path from the
kitchens with all the whites Of his
eyes showing.
you dog-gone lazy rascal!" thun-
| dered the major. what do you mean
sab. by keeping a gentleman cooling
his heels on the doorstep like a tax
| collector? Where's your master?"
/ 70 de Lawd, Major, All aim seen
Mars John sence dis mawnin'. Staht
out aftah breakfas' en- he nevah
showed up ergin ct all. Yo' reck'n
whut de mattah, subj" he added anx-
iously. "'Peahs lax sumpin' preyin'
on he mind. DON seem er bit hese'f
lately"
"H-m-m!" The major looked thought
full. isn't he well?"
mo, sub. Ain ct no morn er hum
min-buhd desc las few days. Jes'
hangs eroun' lonesome lax. Dom
laugh no mo-, don sing no mo-. Ain
play de pianny sence de day aftah de
ball. Me en- Daph moght1y pestered
| bout him..
"Pshaw!" said the major. "Touch
of spring fever, l rackon. Aunt Daph
! feeds him too we'll Give him less
fried chicken and more ash-cake and
buttermilk. Make him some juleps."
The old negro shook his head.
''Moghty neah use up all dat mint
bald All foun'." he said, "but ain do
no good. Majah, Abs sho' feahed
sumpi1' gwineter happen"
'Nonsense!" the major shifted.
what fool IDEAS got under your wool
now? Been seeing Mad Anthony
again, I'll bet dollar"
Uncle Jefferson swallowed once or
twice with seeming difficulty and
turned the gravel with his toe. Oats
So" he said gloomily. "Ah done see
de old man de yuddah day bout ct.
Ant'y, he know! He see trouble err
comm en- trouble er-gwine. Dat same
night de hoss-shoe drop often de
stable do, Ell dis ve'y mawnin' err
buhd done fly inter de house. Das'
er mighty bad hoodoo, er mighty bad
hoodoo!"
"Shucks!" said the major. you're
as loony as old Anthony, with your
Internal signs. If your Mars Johns
been out all day l reckon he'll turn
up before long. I'll wait for him a
while" He started in, but paused on
the threshold. Did you say-ah-
that mint was all gone, Unc' Jeffer-
SOM"
Uncle Jefferson's lips relaxed in
wide grin. "Ah reck'n dah's er few
stray sprigs lef', sub. Step in en- mex
yo'sef ct home. Eff Mars John see
yo', he be mought'ly hoped up. All
gwineter mix yo' dat julep in two
shakes!"
He disappeared around the corner
of the porch and the major strobe into
the hall, threw his gray SLOUGH hat
on the table, and sat down.
1t was quiet and peaceful, that an
cient hall. He fell to thinking of the
many times, of old, when he had sat
there. The house was the same again.
now. 1t had walked from a thirty
years slumber to a renewed prime.
Only he had lived On meanwhile and
now was old. He sighed.
| How gay the place had been the
night of the ball, with the lights and
roses and music! He remembered
what the doctor had said about Val
liant and Shirley-it had lain ever
since in his mind, painful specula-
| ton. The recollection reused another
| thought from which he shrank. He
stirred uneasily. What on earth kept
that old darky SO long over that julep?
A slight noise made him turn his
head. But nothing moved Only a
creak OF the woodwork, he thought,
and settled back again in his chair.
1t was, in fact. steaIthy football
he had heard. It. came from the
library, where a. shabby figure
crouched, listening. in the corner be-
hind the tapestried serena man
! evilly clad, with a SCARED cheek.
CTO BE CONTINUED