Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-10-10
amt no BLACK AboIItionlsts round
we're, reckon"


Carver is SOM sorter partner with
Kirby-a capper, reckon. 'Tain't the
niggers thet are maxim the trouble
leastways not the black 'uns. No
body's likely ter row over them. 1t
seems that Beaucaire kept quadroon
housekeeper, slave, o. course, an a
while back she Civ birth ter child,
the father o. the infant bein' Judge
Beaucaire's son. Then the son skipped
out, an amt never bin heard frum
since-dead most likely, fer all this
wus twenty years ago. Course the
child, which wus girl, Is as white as,
/ am-maybe more so. amt never
set eyes on her, but Carver ne says
she's good 'lookin'. Enyhow,. the
jedge he brought her up like his own
daughter, sent her ter school in Saint
Louee, an nobody round yere even
suspected she wus niger. l reckon
she didn't know it herself"
eyer mean the girls a slaves"
eyer betl That's the law, amt it|
"And Kirby knew about this?"
'I reckon he did. I sorter judge,
Tim, frum whut Carver sed, that he
wus more anxious fer ter git thet, girl
than all the rest O. the stuff; an It's
her he wants ter git away frum yere
on the dead quiet, afore Hqines er
any O. them others down at the Landin'
kin catch on"
|
"They couldn't do nuthin'; If thar
amt no, papers, then she's his, ac-
cordin' ter law. I've seen that tried
afore now"
"Of course; but what's the use q
runnir' eny risk? A smart lawyer
like Haines could make a devil ova lot
O. trouble just the same, If he took G
notion. ! That's Kirby's idee-ter cum
up yere in boat, unbeknownst to eny-
body, tie up down thar at Saunders
an run the whole bunch o. niggers of
| In the night. Then it's done an over
| with afore the Landin' even wakes up
| I reckon the jedge told him that wus
the best way"
There was a moment of silence, the
first man evidently turning the situa-
ton over in his mind. The sheriff bent
across the rail, and spat into the dark
ness below.
"The joke of ii all is," he continued
with short laugh, as he straightenec
up, "this didn't exactly work oue
'cordin' ter schedule. When W,
dropped in yere we rounded up TIL
niggers all right, an we got the gil
whar there's no chance fer her ter 81
away"
'Is that the one back in the house?'
81 reckon so; leastways she to
Kirky her name was Rene Beaucaire
an that's how 1t reads in the papers
But thar amt no trace ov her mother
ner ov the jedge's daughterA They
amt in the house, ner the niggeI
cabins. Leaves. me in a deuce oy s,
fix, fer can't serve no papers less W.
find the daughter. Her names Eloise
she's the heir ct law, an / amt got D.
legal right fer ter take them niger
away till I do. Looks ter me lik
they'd skipped out. Thar's Kirby an
Carver, a comm now, an theyr'
alone; amt got no trace ov the girl O
her mother, reckon"
Where 1 crouched in the shadows
could gain no glimpse of the approach
ing figures, but I heard the crunch O.
their boots on the gravel Of the drive
way, and moment later the sound o.
their feet as they mounted the wooder
steps. Kirby must have perceived Tho
forms of the other men as soon as. he
attained the porch level, and his nat
uraily disagreeable voice had a snarly
ring.
"Tha: you, Donaldson? Have either
of those women come back?"
"No," and I thought the sheriGf's
answer was barely cordial. "We amt
seen nobody. What did you learn
down at the Landin'?"
Nothing" savagely. "Hayen't founo
d. trace except that Haines
hasn't been home since before dark;
some nlSSer came lor HlHu tneu. ID
that girl safe inside?"
"Sure; just as you left her, but she
won't talk. Tim tried her again, but
it's no use; she wudn't even answer
him."
"Weli, by Heaven! I'll find way to
make rer open her mouth. She knows
where those two are hiding. They
haven't had no time to get far away,
and I'll bring her to her senses before
| am through. Come on, Carver; I'll
show tie wench who's master here, If
have to lick her like a common mig
ger"
The front door opened, and closed,
leaving the two without standing in
silence, the stiffness between them
iipally broken by muttered curse.
drew back hastily, but in silence,
eager TO get away before the sheriff
anG his deputy should return to their
seats by tine porch rail. lily original
plan of warning the women Of the
house Of their peril was blocked, COM
pletely overturned by the presence of
these men. Beyond all question those
I had hoped to serve were already
aware Of their positlon-someone had