Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-13

con quarrsled 10 continuously that
Asally. snd before he was twenty, the
latter ran away. asd has never been
heard Of since-simply disappeared.
dnd no oae knows TO this day whether
he Is alive or dead. At least II Judge
IsAancsire ever received any word
from him he novcr confessed as much
70 Haines. However, the boy left be-
hiad tangible evidence Of his exist
ence"
You mean"
Tin tho form OF a child, born to
qundroon girl named Della. The
mother, II seems. was able In some
way to convince the judge of the
child's parentage. All this happened
shortly before Benucnlre's second mar
rinee, and previous to the time when
Haines came TO the Landing, Exactly
what occurred II not clear. or what eS-
PLANTATION was made to the bride. The
affair must have cut Beaucnires pride
deeply, but no had to face the condi-
tons. II ended In his making the girl
Della hts housekeeper. while her child
the offspring Of Adelbert Reau-
cairc--was brought M AZ a daughter.
A year or so later the second wife
gave birth to U female child. and those
two girls have grown up together ex-
actly as though they were sisters.
Haines insists TINT neither Of them
knows to this day otherwise"
"But that would he simply lmpos.
sible." I insisted. THE mother would
never permit"
1.-THE motherl Which mother? Tho
slave mother could gain nothing by
confession, and the judges wife died
when her baby was less than two
years old. Della practically mothered
the both Of them. and Is still In CON-
plete charge Of the house"
"You met herr"
'-She was pointed ont to me-a gray
haired. dignified woman. so nearly
white as scarcely to be suspected Of
negro blood"
"Yet still SLAYER
II cannot answer that. Halnes him
self did not know. II manumission
papers had ever been executed II was
done early, before he took charge Of
Beaucaire's legal affairs. The matter
never came to his attention"
"But. captain" exclaimed. do you
realize what this might mean? II
Judge Beaucaire has not issued papers
Of freedom this woman Della is still
q slave"
Certainly"
.And under the law her child was
born into slavery"
mo doubt OF that"
"But the unspeakable horror Of it
this young woman brought up as free,
educated and refined. suddenly to dis
cover herself to be a negro under the
law, and q slave. Why, suppose Beau
caire should die. or lose his property
suddenly; she could be sold to the
cotton fields. into bondage to anyone
who would pay the price for her."
''There IL nothing on record. Halnes
I assured himself as to that some years
ago."
"What are the Two girls namedT
"Rene and Eloise."
(which one Is the daughter7"
Really, lieutenant, do not know.
You see I was never introduced. but
merely gained q glimpse Of them In
the garden. doubt II would recos-
| nixe the one from tho other now. You
see all this story was told me later"
sat there = long while, after he
had gone below, the taciturn mate at
the wheel. Totally unknown to me rs
these two mysterious girls were. their
strange story fascinated my magma
ton. What possible tragedy lay be-
fore them in the years? What horrible
| revelation to wrench them asunder-
to change In single instant the quiet
current OF their lives7 In spite Of
every effort. every lurking hope, some
way I could not rid myself Of the
thought that Beaucaire - either
through sheer neglect. or some instinct
Of bitter hatred-had failed to meet
the requirements Of his duty. Even
as sat there. struggling vainly against
this suspicion, the judge himself came