The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-05-18

up an avenue under merry canopy or
acacia fiamboyante.
AS they progressed, thick, twining
grOwths, spangled with brilliant
blooms, walled in the avenue. The air
grew cool but heavy with scents and
the full-favored spice of tropical gar
den under a blazing sun.
The air made Gerry dreamy. He
woke with a start when the Barbadian
said to the cabman, "This will do.
You needn't drive In. Wait here"
The cab stopped. Just ahead was
the ruin Of great gate. The two pill
lars still stood, but they were almost
entirely hidden by vines. To one Of
them clung the rusted vestlge of a
gate. Beyond the pillars there was a
winding way. Once 1t had been a
road continuation of the avenue, now
it was but a tunnel through the dense
ly crowded foliage. Along the center
Of the tunnel was narrow path.
Even it was overgrown. The Barba-
dian led Gerry down the path.
They came out under a grove Of
mighty trees whose dense shade had
kept down the underground, and be-
yond the trees Gerry saw vast, ir-
regular mound of vines, with which
mingled giant geraniums, climbing
fuchsias, honeysuckle and rose. Then
he spied a broad flight of marble steps;
at one end Of them an old moss-grown
urn, at the other, its fallen, broken
counterpart. Above the mound rose
the roof Of a house; through the vines,
as the two drew nearer, appeared shut
tered windows and a door, yelled with
creepers.
The Barbadian went up the steps
and tore the creepers away from the
door. Then he drew from his pocket
an enormous key. With a rasp. the
lock turned and the door opened, let
ting bar Of light into a wide, cool
hall.
Gerry followed the Barbadian
through the hall to a broad veranda at
the back of the house. A large living
room faced on to the veranda. The
Barbadian entered it, opened the
French door-windows and, busting off
two lounge chairs, invited Gerry to sit
down.
Gerry looked around curiously. The
living room was comfortably fur
nished. There were one or two excel
lent rugs on the waxed floor; a great
couch, set into a bow-window; lace
curtains, creamy with age; wonder
fully carved escritoire in rosewood; a
sideboard, round table and chairs of
mahogany that was almost as dull
and black as ebony. Over all lay a
coat of dust
The Barbadian walked to the round
table and with his finger wrote in the
dust, then he sat down in a worn and
comfortable chair, companion tn
Gerry's. He fell into so deep a reverie
that Gerry thought he was asleep.
Gerry got up and walked around the
room. His eye fell on the table. He
saw what the Barbadian had written
simply the date of the day. But above
the freshly written date showed an
other, filmed over with dust, and above
that another almost obliterated. Gerry
leaned over the table. He could SCI
that long succession of dates haC
been written into the thick-laid dust
Beginning with the fresh numerals
staring up at him they reached bacl
and back through the years till the!
faded away into dim past.
Gerry tiptoed out on to the veranda
Before him was ruined lawn; in it
! center cracked, dry, marble fountain
OFF to one side was a giant plane tree
From one of it's limbs hung two frayet
ropes. Against its trunk leaned {
. weather-beaten sWing-board. Unde
the ropes, wisp of path still showed
beaten hard in bygone day by tn
feet of children. Beyond the lawI
stretched wide hummocky cane fields
They were abandoned save for littl
, patches of cane here and there
, punched up against little hen-cool
houses
"GOt home, boy?"
Gerry turned and found the Barba
[ dian standing beside him. "a home!
: he answered, his thoughts flying t
Red Hill, II should think 1 have an
it's a Ii" Gerry caught himself bu
not in time
The Barbadian nodded slowly. 90
know" he said, you were going to sa
, it's live one. Well, as to that, don
: you make a mistake. This home
! alive too-just exactly as alive as
am, for I'm the last Of the Barbado
= MalcOlms.
Home" he went on, isn't alto
gether a matter of cash, comfort an
\ cool drinks. Sometimes. it's just
I gathering place for memories.
"There was a time when we white
; stood fifteen to one over the blacks o
this island. Now the tables are turned
: A chap that only takes drink ever
, time he sees a white man would hav
3 to go to mass meeting to get drunk.
Lately they've been sending OF
, scientific commissions from Englan
. to sit like corOners on this mound 1
the sea. They say they're going t
bring the corpse back to life. I've bee
offered big price for this old plac
but I'm not selling"
Gerry looked at the Barbadian'
rather shabby clothes. "Why don
, you sell If you don't want to work th
place? It's worth money. kno'
! enough to tell you that"
The Barbadian rested one hand hig
a on the thick trunk of q wistarla.