Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-11
it on to yo' old cane fell"


Then the cab went on and soon turned
up an avenue under fiery canopy of
acacia famboyante.
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-iavored spice of a 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 vestige of
gate. Beyond the pillars there was a
winding way. Once it Lad been a
road continuation of the avenue. now
1t was but a tunnel through the dense
ly crowded foliage. Along the center
of the tunnel was a 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 a vast, ir-
regular mound of vines, with which
mingled giant geraniums, climbing
fuchsias, honeysuckle and rose. Then
he spied broad fight 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 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 rasp the
lock turned and the door opened, let
ting a bar of light into a wide, cool
/ hall.
Gerry followed the Barbadian
through the hall to broad veranda at
the back of the house. A large living
room faced on to the yeranda. The
Barbadian entered it, opened the
French door-windows and, dusting off
two lounge chairs. invited Gerry to sit
down.
Gerry looked around curiously. The
living room was comfortably fur
nlshed There were one or two excel
lent rugs on the waxed floor: great
couch, set into a bow-window; lace
curtains, creamy with age; a wonder
fully carved escrtoire in rosewood; g
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 worn and
comfortable chair, a companion tC
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. HI
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 abov,
that another almost obliterated. Gerry
leaned over the table. He could Sc,
that long succession of dates ha(
been written into the thick-la;d 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 a cracked, dry, marble fountain
On to one side was Il giant plane tree
From one of its limbs hung two frayet
ropes. Against its trunk leaned
weather-beaten swing board. Unde
the ropes, a wisp of path still showed
beaten hard in bygone day by tn
feet of children. Beyond the law
stretched wide hummocky cane fields
They were abandoned save for littl
patches of cane here and there
punched up against little hen-coo
houses.
Got home. boy?"
Gerry turned and found the Barbs
dian standing beside him. "a home!
he answered, his thoughts flying t
Red Hill, S'I should think 1 have an
it's n Ii" Gerry caught himself bu
not in time.
The Barbadian nodded slowly.
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 matter of cash, comfort an
cool drinks. Sometimes it's just
gathering place for memories.
There was time when We white
stood fifteen to one over the blacks o
this island. Now the tables are turned
A chap that only takes a drink ever
I time he sees a white man would hav
to go TO a 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"