The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-02-25

leaves Pernanbuco and goes TO FlfHnnas.
The judge fails to trace Gerry. A baby
10 born to Alix. The native Eiri takes
Gerry 70 her home.
CHAPTER x-Ccntinued.
She pointed to the house and then to
herself and smiled. He understood
the pantomime and nodded. When
they reached the house withered
and wrinkled little woman came out
to the arched veranda to meet them.
She looked Gerry over shrewdiy and
then held out her hand. He shook
1t Iistlessly. They walked through
long dividing hall On each side were
large rooms, empty, save one where
big bed, wasb-stand, and an old
bureau with mildewed glass, were
grouped like an oasis in desert. They
reached the kitchen. It was evidently
the living room Of the house. A ham
mock cut of one corner Chairs were
drawn up to rough, uncovered table.
!. stove was built into the masonry
and a cavernous oven gaped from the
massive wall.
At the stove was an old negress.
making coffee with shaky deliberation.
On the floor sat an old darky clad
only from his waist down in such trou-
sers as Gerry was wearing, except
that they were soiled and tattered.
He looked up and fastened his eyes
on Gerry and then struggled to his
feet. Dim recollections Of some by
gone white master brought gleam
into his bleary eyes. !. He raised his
haud in the national gesture Of child
to parent. slave to master. Blessing.
master, blessing" Gerry had learned
God bless thee" he answered in
badly jumbied Portuguese. The girl
aud the wrinkied woman looked at
him. surprised. and then smiled ut
each other as women smile at the frst
steps Of child.
They made him sit down at the
table and placed before him crisp
rnsks OF manioc dour and steamiug
coffee whose splendid aroma tri-
umphed over the sordidness of the
scene and through the nostrils reached
the palate with anticipatory touch.
1t was sweetened with dark, pungent
sirup and was served black in a capa-
cious bowl, as though one could not
drink too deeply of the elixir Of life.
Gerry ate ravenously and slipped the
coffee, at first sparingly. then greedily.
The old negress futtered nervously
about the stove, nursing its inadequate
FIRE OF charcoal Her eyes were big
with wonder at the capacity OF the
white MASTER The old negro had sunk
back to his seat on the floor The two
ry. The more he ate the more they
urged.
Gerry set down the empty bowl with
sigh. The rusks had been delicious.
Before the coffee the name OF nectar
dwindled to impotency. Its elixir riot
ed in his veins. At the sigh the girl
had deftly rolled cigarette in a bit
Of corn husk, scraped thin as paper.
Now she slipped 1t into his fingers.
The old negress picked mp live coal
and passing It from shaky hand to
shaky hand. deposited it on his plate.
Gerry lit the cigarette. With the first
long contented whif he smiled. The
smile brought stinging recollection.
With frown he threw away the ciga-
rette and rose from the table. THE
brute Is fed and laughs" he said aloud
aud stTode from the room. The girl
aud the little wrinkled woman looked
at each other in dismay. They seemed
10 sense the uninteIligible words. The
old darky crawled across the floor and
possessed himself Of the cigarette.
Gerry went to seat himself on the
steps OF the verapda- Before him
stretched the fsilow valley. beyond 1t
CLEANED the black line of the rushing
river. To the right were the ruins of a
sugar mill and stables. To the left
the debris that once had been slaves
quarters. The fields still bore the hum
mocks. 10 rough alignment. that told
the story Of past years fruitful in
caue. All was waste. all was ruin.
The girl slipped to a seat beside him.
She rolled fresh cigarette and then
shyiy laid small brown hand on his
arm. Gerry looked at her. Her big
brown eyes were sOrrowful and plead
ing. She held out the cigarette with
little shrug that deprecated the small
ness Of the offering.
C,orpv falt O tyviuue of re,nnrsa He
patted the hand that lay on his arm.
smiled, and took the cigarette The
girls face lit up. She called and again
the uegress brought fire. This time
Gerry smoked gravely. The girl sat
on beside him. Her hand lay in his.
80 they sat until the sun passed the
zenith and slipping over the ca yes.
fell like Are on their bare feet Gerry
stood up. pointed to himself and then
down the river TO the town. The girl
shook her head She made him under
stand that he was cut off from the
town by An impossible tributary to
the great riyer-that he would have
to make long detour inland. Then
she swept her hand from the SUD to
the horizon to show him that the dag
was TOO far gone for the journey.
He was not much concerned. AL
ap;Ithy seized him at the thought Of
going back He felt as though shame
had left some visible scar on his coun-
tnnaure that men must see and read.
A. iir stood. thoughtful and detached,