Middletown transcript., 1916-04-01
CHAPTER x-contlnued.

She pointed to the house and then to
herself and smiled. He understood
the pantOmlme and nodded. Wher
they reached the house withered
and Wr1nkIed little WOT11Un c5tfiff ati1
to the arched veranda to meet them
She looked Gerry over shrewlly and
then held out her hand. He shook
it Iistlcssly They walked through a
long dividing hall On each side were
lRrge rooms. empty. save one where
q big bed. a wash-stand. and an old
bureau with midewed glass. were
grouped like an oasis in desert. They
reached the kitchen. 1t was evidently
the living room of the house. a haIh-
mock cut off one corner. Chairs were
drawn up to rough. uncovered table
A stove was built into the masonry
and cavernOuS oven gaped from the
massive wall.
At the stove was nm old nPgreSS.
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 rPcOl,pctiOnS of some by
gone white master brought a gleam
into his bIeary eyes. He raised his
hand I'm the national gesture OF child
to parent. slave to master. blessing.
master. blessing" Gerry had learned
the meaning Of the quaint custom.
God bless thee" he answered In
badly jumbled Portuguese. The girl
and the wrinklpd woman looked at
him, surprised. and then smiled at
each other as women smile at the tirSt
steps of child.
They made him sit down at the
table and placed before him crisp
TIsks Of maniOc -four and stcamlng
coffee whose splendid aroma tri
umphPd over the SOrtlidneSS Of the
scene and through the noStrils reached
the palate with anticipatOry touch
AZ wac HhNNACllVu Will uul Ia UuliStllN
sirup and was served black in a capa
ciouS bowl. as though one could not
drink too deeply Of the elixir or life.
Gerry ate ravPnOuSly and slipped the
coffee. at first sparingIy. then greedily.
The old negreSs futtered nervOusly
about the stove. nursing it's inadequate
Ore 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
white women stood and watched Ger
ry. The more he ate the more they
urged
Gerry set down the empty howl with
a 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 a cigarette in hit
Of corn husk. Scraped thin as paper
Now she slipped 1t into his fingers
The old negress picked up live coal
and. passing 1t from shaky hand to
shAky hand. deposited it on his plate
Gerry lit the cigarette With the first
long FOntented whiff he smiled. The
smile brought stinging recollection
With frOwn he threw away the Ciga-
rettP and rose from the trble. THE
brute IL fed and laughs" he said aloud
and strobe from the ROOM The cir:
and the little wrinkled woman looked
at each other in diSmay They seemed
to sense the uninteIligibIp words. The
old darky crawled across the floor aud
possessed himself OF the cigarette.
Gerry went to seat himself on the
steps Of the veranda. Before tim
stretched the fallow valley. beyond 1t
CLEAN the black line of the rushing
river. To The right were the ruins of II
sugar mill and stables. To the left
the debris that once had been slaves
quarters. The fields still bore the hum
mOcks. in rough alignment. that told
the story Of past years fruitful in
cane. All was waste. all was ruin
The girl slipped to a seat beside him.
She rolled fresh cigarette and then
shyly laid a small brown hand on his
arm. Gerry looked at her. Her big
brown eyes were sOrrOwfuI and plend.
ing. She held out the cigarette with a
little shrug TINT deprecated the small.
ness of the offering.
Gerry felt twinge of remorse. He
patted the hand that lay Oh his arm,
smiled. and took the cigarette The
girls face lit up She called and again
the nPgress brought fire This. time
Gerry smoked gravely. The glrl sat
on beside him Her hant lay in hiS
So they sat until the sun PASSED the
zenith and. slipping over the caves.
fell like fire nn 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 of from the
town by HI impaSSable tributary to
the great rivPr-that he would have
to make a long dPtOur inland Thph
she swept her hand FROM the Sun to
the horizon TO show him that the day
vas too far gone for the Journey.
lie was not much cOmcprued. Al
apathy seized him at the thought OF
going hark lie felt as though Shdrud
lad left some visible scar on his COCn-
.enanre that men must see and read
As he stoOd. thOughtful aud detached.