The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-04-14
CHAPTER x-con,Inued.

She pointed to the house and then to
herself and smiled. He understood
the pantomime and nodded When
they reached the house a withered
and wrinkled little woman came out
to the arched yeranda to meet them.
She looked Gerry over shrewdly and
then held out her hand. He shook
IL listlessly. They walked through a
long dividing hail. On each side were
large rooms, empty, save one where
a big bed. wash-stand, and an old
bureau with widowed glass, were
grouped like an oasis In desert. They
reached the kitchen. IL was evidently
the living room OF the house A ham
mock cut OF one corner. Chairs were
drawn UP to rough. uncovered table
A 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 elaboration
ON the floor sat an old darby clad
only from his waist down In such trou-
sers as Gerrye 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 a CLEAN
into his hleary eyes. He raised his
hand in the national gesture OF child
TO parent. slave to master Blessing.
! master, blessing" Gerry had learned
Al mo nj 81 atss. aAnN
''God bless thee" he answered I'm
badly jumbled Portuguese. The girl
and the wrinkled woman looked at
him. surprised. and then smiled ut
each other as women smile at the first
steps OF child.
They made him sit down at the
table aud placed before him crisp
rusks OF manioc four and steamlng
coffee whose splendid aroma trl-
4 umphed over the sordidness OF the
scene and through the nostrils reached
the palate with antlcipatory touch.
III was sweetened with dark, pungent
sirup and was served black I'm capa-
clous bowl. as though one could not
drink too deeply OF the elixir az life
Gerry ate ravenously and slipped the
coffee, al first sparlngly, then greedlly.
The old negress fluttered neryously
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
white women stood and watched Ger
~. The more he ate the more they
urged
Gerry set down the empty bowl with
a sigh. The rusks had been delicious.
Before the coffee the name OF nectar
dwindled 10 lmpotency. Its elixir riot
cd 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 II into his fingers
The old negress picked up live coal
and. passing IL from shaky hand 10
shaky hand. deposited II on his plate.
Gerry ne the cigarette. With the first
long contented whlfr he smiled. The
smile brought stinging recollection.
With frown he threw away the clga-
rette and rose from the table. "rhe
brute Is fed and laughs" he said aloud
and strobe FROM the room. The girl
and the little wrinkled woman looked
mt each other In dismay. They seemed
10 sense the unlntelligible words The
old darky crawled across the fioer and
possessed himself Of the cigarette.
Gerry went 10 seat himself ON the
steps OF the veranda Before him
stretched The faliOw valley. beyond II
CLEANED the black line Of the rushing
river. To the right were the ruins OF a
sugar mill aud 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 % past years fruitful In
cane. al WIS waste. all was ruin.
The girl slipped to a seat beside him.
She rolled fresh cigarette and then
shyly laid o smidi brown hand on his
arm. Gerry looked AZ her Her big
brown eyes were rDrrowful aud plead.
+ ing She heid ont the cigarette with
little slrug that deprecated tile small
ncas ~ lhe pIefInR.
Gerry felt q tHinge of semorse He
patted fhe baud that iay Oh bis arm.
smiled, aud took the cigarette. The
girls face Il ~. She called and again
the negreE brought FIRE. This time
Gerry smoked grnYeiy. The girl sat
on beside him Her hgud lay in his.
10 they sat until lhe sun passed the
zenith and, slipping over the eayes,
Tell like 6rs on their bare feet. Gerry