The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-01-01

mOtner7 I'll I'm q SLAYER
you did not really know7 You were
not warned by anyone before their
arrival7" IF
mo, there was no warning. Did
anyone in this neighborhood under
stand?"
"Haines the lawyer did. He fur
nished me with much Of the informa-
ton I possess. But I am the one
puzzled now. If the truth was not
known to any Of you how does it hap
pen the others are gomez"
$50 far as I am aware that is mere
~ an accident. They walked over to
the old Carlton place early this eve
ming; there is sickness in the family,
and they hoped to be Of help. That is
everything I know. They were to re-
turn two hours ago, for I was here all
alone, except for the negroes in their
quarters. I cannot conceive what has
occurred-unless they have learned in
some way of the trouble here"
"That must be the explanation;
they have hidden themselves. And
these men told you why they cameo"
"The only one I saw at first did. He
came in all alone and claimed to be
a deputy sheriff. I was terribly fright
ened at first, and did not at all I'M
%derstand; but I questioned him and
the man liked to talk. So he told me
all he knew. Perhaps I should have
thought he was crazy, only-only some
| things had occurred of late which led
me to half suspect the truth before.
II wouldn't believe it then, but-but
I made him repeat everything he had
heard. Horrible as it was II wanted
! to know ALL"
"And you acknowledged to him that
you were Rene Beaucaire?"
Her dark eyes flashed up into my
face questioningly.
"Why-why, of course. II could
not deny that, could II"
perhaps not; yet if none Of them
knew you, and you had claimed to be
Eloise, they would never have dared
to hold you prisoner"
81 never once thought of that; the
only thing, which occurred to me was
how I could best protect the others.
My plan was to send them warning in
some way. Still now I am very glad
/ said 1 was Rene"
"Glad! Why?"
because it seems it is Eloise they
must first find to serve their papers
on. They dare not take away the
slaves until this is done. As for me,
/ am nOthfng-nothing but a slave my
| self; Is that not true?"
To look into her eyes, her face, and
answer was a hard task, yet one l saw
no way to evade.
Eyes; I am afraid it is true"
"And-and then Della, the house
keeper, is actually my mother?
'That is the story as it reached me-"
She held tightly to the table for
support, all the fresh color deserving
her face, but the lips were firmly set
and her head remained as proudly
poised as ever above the round throat.
Whatever might be the stain Of alien
blood in her veins, she was still a
Beaucaire. Her eyes, filled with pain
as they were, met mine unfinchingly.
"And-and knowing all this, con-
; WINGED of its trpth-that-that 1 am
. colored," she faltered, doubtfully, "you
came here to help me-"
II did; that a make no difference
now"
"No difference! Why do you say
that? Are you from the North, an
abolitionist?"
"No; at least I have never been
called or so thought myself. I
have never believed in slavery, yet I
was born in a southern state In this
Isl I merely look upon you as a
wOman-as n Of my w class. It
it does not seem as though I could
ever consider you in any other way.
You must believe this"
believe it! Why, you and I are
caught in the same net. I am a slave
to be sold to the highest bidder, and
yOu-you have killed a man to save
me. Even if I was willing to remain
and face my fate I could not now, for
that would mean you. must suffer.
And-and you have done this for me-"
My eyes dropped to the upturned
! face of Kirby, on which the rays of
light rested. The flesh was no longer
black and horrid, yet remained CHASTITY
enough to increase my belief that the
man was actually dead-had persisted
under my hand. He was not a pleas
ant sight to contemplate, flung as he
had been in a shapeless heap, and the
sight brought home to me anew the
necessity of escape before those others
of his party could learn what had oc-
Cured.
"From whatever reason the deed
was DONE" I said, steadying my voice,
1--WE must now face the consequences.
AS you say, it is true we both alike
have reason to fear the law if caught.
Flight is our only recourse Will you
60 with me? Will you trust me?"
"Go-go with you? Where?"
"Fjrst across the river into Illinois ;
there is no possible safety here. In a