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When Wild
Plums Blossoi
5
4"
w.,
By JE ANNETTE H.
WALWORTH.
Copyright, 1909, fcy American Press J
Association. , $
ffl
been performed for tfce benefit of :
Johnsle Balston, he wouW have f
figured in the parish register as
JJohn C. Calhoun Ralston, tout neither
Iparish register nor baptismal font could
have been found withitwenty miles
'of the lonely plantation where he first
saw the light.
Given locality and environment -?and
Ithe corruption of the boy's name was
-the illustrkwzs state's Tighter on his
innl-ir snn titoiff 'Rrnpp TlfilstriTi had nn-
iparently trusted to 'his achieving great
ness from association of Meas evident
ly, for other aids to progress were acon
spicuously absent.
He was the last direct Ralston.
iThere were 'collaterals, nephews :and
cousins, trat no -straightout descendant
-"SSETEE, NEVEE, JOHN BOSTON F
iof cfld Daniel Halston. wiio, having
opened plantation in &e swamp
lands Ktf Louisiana before 1800 had
'been (calendered. Shad ,'fought Indians
and malaria with eyen handed impar
tiality, 'vanquishing the .first amtil van
quished y the last.
In the bitter moods which came to
him later in life stkat is, after a girl
'had slain hope in ;him by a .word of
.negation he was .given to declaring
that he anight have attempted some
thing worth the .ddmg if his whole
family connection had not drilled it
into him that he must follow 4n the
footsteps tQt his fathers. Now, as his
fathers -Jiad never done anything but
"fight .at -the drop of a hat" or "bully
rag" their neighbors into attitudes of
deferential respect, there was some
thing in the more refined fiber of the
last of the Ralstons which made him
shrink from following in their footsteps.
His mother, gentle monitress, im
proved her opportunities while comb
ing the tangles out of" his wiry, curly
hair to pour into his boyish ears sto
ries of his father's splendid dash dur
ing the "Mexican muddle." She could
never insure attention save when she
had her fingers closely intwinsd in his
black locks, and as her reminiscent
ipride waxed warmer she would bring
jher comb charging through the serried
jranks of his tangles in a fashi6n to
anake him wish he had been born with
out a father.
In a burst of chagrin his aunt Mar
itha communicated her disapointment
to his aunt Jane soon after he had
completed his short term of schooling:
"I'm afraid we've got a milksop ha
Jthe Ralston family at last, Jane. Not
that I want the boy to drink or race
xiorses or uo a lot ot tilings the old set
alid, but his father warn't afraid of 1 his
i toddy, and he was a man that was a
Iman when it came to a pinch."
In response his aunt Jane mourn
. fully admitted that she was afraid the
boy had "kinks inLhis brain," which,
being a species of disorder no previous
Ralston had ever been afilicted with,
jcaused Miss Martha to ask tartly :
"What sort of kinks, Jane?"
"Oh, scruples scruples about not
tfe"-"& uuuui Ats uemg more maniy
rto dwell together in amity with every-
nonsense. I'm afraid he is tame, Sis
ter Martha, dreadfully tame, and he.
could whip any man in the parish' with
'onehandtied behind him. He's fiavor-
loei ntforlv." .
'- His J sense of having disappointed lo-
cat . exnectation r, wai8 sharply empha
sized by the cirael directness of a girrs
' ,erwise her. scorn -would t have fallen
Iv Such a ' small' fcreature, a dimpling
aughing xhildjo the- eyer an imperl-
v m
us despot when the, mood was upon
her, a gin witn tne cooing voice 01 a
wood pigeon, and yet under the biow
she dealt' him the great fellow - went
down v as if heaven's ; own bolts had
struck him. -All the -sunshine, "all the
purpose; of his life went out in an hour
nf pvnnteltp nnln. , '
One short hour out of the , long,
sweet May morning he and I she had
consumed searching for the pale wild
violets she loved and she wanted. Thia
soft spring air was perfumed by the
lacelike blossoms of the .wild' pltims. 1
He had, come of age that very week.
The Cross Bayou place was his own
T .
( mlstress and his well beloved
mtle wlfe, Tben aDd there he would
do it. ' . , .
She had bidden him lift her into a
grapevine swing that looped itself
from branch to branch of two wild
plum trees. Tbey were white with, the
fullness of their blossom tide.
She was bui a light armful. He
could easily have put her in the covet
ed seat with one hand, hut he trembled
under the pressure of her sweet young
body, and his great heart thumped vio
lently against Ms ribs, all because he
was such a coward 'Ralston, you seel
The swaying of theswing set the
delicate plum blossoms a-faMng. They
gemmed her brown hair and fell upon
her lap. She filled her little hands '
with them and laughed gay ly:
"Such pretty, gauzy petals!
They ,
look like fairy lace. Titania's wedding ,
veil might well have been woven of
Just such stuff."
He had thrown himself on the ground
at her feet. His great brown eyes were
full of Ifhe dumb adoration of a slave.
"When I get married," he heard her
say, "131 have a wedding bell made
of the. wild plum blossoms so much
daintier than the stiff, conventional
things one always sees:"
He langhed nervously. "I!ll have a
whole -wagon load of them gathered as
soon as you say the."word."
She stared at him Insdlently. 'What
word?'
4Sufh:a little word, Katie-yes."
She still held 'htm mercilessly wlth
the blue eyes that had taken on the
chill of -pdlished steel.
"What :are -you rbalking -about, John
sie RalstonT
He rose from bis ' crouching postaire
to tower-over her ccmmandingly.
"Don'tt ;yoia know .that I Hove you,
Katie ? Tou will ha7e ;to .answer 'lies
to that. Thcre'-s .no other iionest; an
swer." .
She flang 'her answer at ;nlm ' defiant
ly : "Yes. WhatithencT' '
"And dont ."3ou ;know ;that 4 wanttto
marry you? Savenft tqu .known ill
these hallidozen years, KaticE?"
i4Yes. WhatitaienT' -
Then,-!he :hetd out pleading .hands
to her "oh, my little jgirl, wail you
not come to me whilg itiae sweet 'Wild
splums are blossoming for you and for
ane? I will try . Jiard to make you
giad all the days of your.&ife."
From under her rown of wild flow
ers she looked at him with a cruel
smile of negation. She vaulted .lightly
earthward and stood before him" with
her small hands clasped behind her.
Standing thus, ehe dealt him iiis death
blow. "Never, never, never, John Ralstoni
I'll marry no coward, an it please you,
sir. Why didn't you kill Dave Sturms
the other day instead of turning the
other cheek? Ah, you thought I would
never hear of it, but you see I have I
have!" Her pretty face was olark with
passion. "No man shall ever point the
finger of corn at my husband. Wed
ding bell will never hang over you
and me, John. Goodby!" . v
She flung him a mocking farewell
from the tips of her fingers and sped
homeward alone through the leafy
aisles of the forest.
He stood like a man who has re
ceived his deathblow in battle. All
the sweetness , had gone out of . the
air, all the light out of the sunny
day. He flung out his hands with a
gesture of despair. -
She had never loved him' or she could
"not have condemned him lunheard.
. How easy to convict her of error if
it had been worth while!
It was then that he' retired to the
Cross Bayou place and took up the life
of a hermit crab all because he v was
a coward, you see. 1 '
Only one human being accepted him
unquestioningly, believed in hini abso
lutely. That was Black Prince, and
when Johnsle went, into retirement-on
the Cross Bayou place Black Prince
went with him. .' .
Prince was his foster brother and
his chattel. Mammy Ann hadv nursed
them both from heirfull maternal foun
tains There was nothing princely
about the"' chattel save his loyalty and
a chivalric devotion that f ouno all tb
reward it asked in obliterating self for
the object it adored.
"Me and Marse Johnsle" comprised,
the universe for Black, Prince.-, ;. W
; From, Black Prince's point of; view
life as it was lived at Cross Bayou by
;'me and'. Marse Johnsie" swas simply
perfect A- Utile labpr and ia great deal
,of' restrngf-what morej-could heaxt of
man ask? ' "i - - '.-'V.-- 4
s If thej white man hadm periods of
self disgust and -bitter vretrospecrion,
the black one as never I the 'wiser for
it' C If there I came to - the "master ? mo
ments- of passionate , longing, whena I
shadowy inri race Joofcea ar mm irom
out the memory land .with;, a cruel .
smile " of - negation - on f her sweet: face,
the chattel was never jhe sadder for
It If Prince was conscious 6t any:de-'
fined longings, it. was to' have things
go on just as they were-forever and
.forever unless, indeed it might be .for
the glorious annual excitementof u
barbecue. ; " .
There4 was an unwritten law ' which
impelled the people about1 Cross Bayou
to rally once a year and "ketch up
with local affairs." . '
No man assuming to be considered a
ood citizen dared absent himself from
the general rally. . Even-Johnsie felt
the obligation laid , upon him; The
gloom lifted : : temporarily from his
handsome face as he took the reins
from his hostler and gave rein to 'his
spirited bays and to his fancy.;
'Of course Katie Vernon would be
there. He had stayed away from two
annual barbecues now for that very
reason. But he believed he had found
the words Id which he could make her
repent of her cruel charge without
having to blacken another man's char
acter. Perhaps she had already repented.
Aunt Martha haJ given him afriendly
message from her the last time he had
Been her. Two years now since Katie
had dealt him that blow under the
wild plum trees. The plum trees were
in blossom asrain. He could catch the
perfume of them as he spun rapidly
toward the barbecue grounds. The
- Scent of them had always haunted him
since that day.
Perhaps he could persuade her to
drive home with him behind his hand
some bays. She dearly ) loved . a fine
horse.. He had started, late in order
to make a more imposing arrival. He
wanted Katie to see him. 7 His first
.glance was cast toward the fringe of
woods where the carriages already
stood In serried ranks. Yes, the old
Vernon coach was there, but empty.
The girls would be gathering wild
.flowers until called to taktheir places
at the long improvised tables.
a soon, as ne couia nna irrmce, wno
LhaH nnna ohaa1 Trrl-V Vi i m r ara Via
I w(raid over nls team and go in
search of Katie. But the boy was
eingularly hard to find. . In and out
of ithe laughing, dancing, rollicking
crowd he wound his way in increasing
irritation.
On the outskirts of the grounds .he
Xdtcbed his horses and pursued his
sear&i on foot At last, curled up on
theiTots of a, willow tree which over
hung the water's edge, he found "his
foster; brother. He sat with his wool
ly 'head burled in his clasped hands.
VPtinoe! Drunk?" N
A wet but 1 sober face was lifted In
response to the sharp demand.
"Ts'been hit, Marse Johnsle. Me yo
Tey own nigger. Marse Dave Sturms
done it It were this way: Miss Katie
Vernon , an' a passel er young ladles
went by this a-way with their hand J
full -er wiT flowers, and when they
been . gone a little ways I seen some
thing ' bine laying on the ground. I
pick It up an' see it was a little blue
silk handkerchief Miss Katie, had wore
tied about her neck. I pick it up an'
were f oldin' it up, meanin' uv cose
for to follow Miss Katie up with It
when Marse Dave Sturms he step out
of fie bushes an' ask me if I see any
thing uv a lady's silk handkerchief.
I say yes an" how I meant to farry it
to Miss Katie.
"Then he feugh an' say he reckon
not much, an then I sass him a little
an' say I warn't nuther a thief nur a
Elar you 'done teach me better man
ners. Then hesay-he teach me better
manners then I ;kin ever learn from a
milksop like John Ralston, an' with
that he haul off an' hit me a lick. It
w&rnJt the lick I aninded, Marse John
sie, but tie did!nft talk respectful of
you'
It is probable this last clause was
lost on Johnsie, He turned away
without a word beyond an order for
Prince to look after -the bays. Sturms
was not hard to find. He was stand
ing beside the Improvised bar drinking
a juiep. Johnsle asked' him for a" pri
vate interview. A two mile tramp car
ried them far enough from thebarbe
cue grounds, forll practical purposes.
There was but -one wayto settle it
- Would Mr. Sturms apologize. for the
blow struck Prince? No? Then '
i . - - .
It was not prasetleable to carry,him
home behind the bays. He twas laid
in a skiff, aid a rWhite sJieet xiid his
H..
.
HIS STRONG BIGHT ABM DEOPPED NEBVE
' IiESS.
pallid face from the glittering stars
that came" into the evening skies-long!
ed by the rhythmic beat of her oars. J
its sneetea dead lay m quiet state.
Perhaps results ; might have been
different if David ; Sturms at the cru
cial moment had 'not insolently taken
a little blue silk handkerchief from his
ide pocket and drawn it with affected
Indifference across his brow before re- j
turning it to the pocket which covered
coward's heart I
A. bit of . the blue and white remained t
1 in view. John Ralston's strong right
arm dropped nerveless. He could not
aim at the kerchief which had lain on
Katie's bosom.
"I warn't worth It," Black Prince
moaned, groveling in abject misery be-:
fore a houseful of stricken women..
It tras Miss ; Martha who : answered .
him with a note of melancholy pride'
in her voice: '
"It was not for you, you foolish boy.
Tf war for hia name's sake. A Ralston
m a i. . -
jp - M m Y V? l-l mm ITT iiv IvOOi
It is Katie Ternon who.spreads the
wtifl ninm Kirmafima nvor ua tmtio
AVOnr .nrin it Kr hH- hA nw
that no wedding beU shall erer swin3
above her head sine he has slain the
one love of her life
Unejtrinv
-Did that lady think she would like
the flat?"-asked the landlord. '
"Yes,", replied his assistant, "but
there's one thing rather strange about
her case."; -"Her
references appear to be all
right What's the matter with her?"
- "She. didn't say anything about the
horrible taste the woman had who
lived there before or hint that the
place would have to be entirely repa
pered and redecorated before she
would take it" Chicago Record-Herald.
' - - ; -
All Cameras Point to Africa.
The lion and the elephant,
The tiger full of wile, .
The zebra and the tall giraffe,
The languid crocodile, '
The sulky hippopotamus, ' -The
leopard and the gnu
The panther and the python snake.
The little jackal, too "
..' - i . ......
Is this a circus catalogue? .
Oh, not by any means!
I'm naming you the pictures
In this month's magazines.
v. Newark Evening'News.
In the African Jungle.
The Monk What's that big lion sit
ting in the front of the booboo tree
for? . w -
The HipporrPoor old chap! -He's been
sitting there for a "week. Don't you
see what he's got hanging,on the tree?
The Monk No. What is Jt?"
The" Hippo It's a' calendar. The old
chap is counting the days.Cleveland
Plin Dealer. l. -. -
Spring Pastinies.-
When I peruse the seedman's book;
That handy guide,
" And at .the tempting pictures iook, '
- Then I decide r r
v .To purchase, hoe and spade and rake
And gleefully a garden make. - .
But when the poultry book I "read:
, ' See Wyandottes - " . ' . "
And Plymouth Rocks , of stately breed
. In handsome lots, . ,
1 feel I. really cannot sleep .
Till I begin to chickens keep. - 'V
-V v' Louisville Courier-Journal. ,
Shore Lots. "
- Citteman-Oh, .these are the shore
lots . you advertised ? ; . Well, r . there
ooesn't seem to be m,uch;to"them., V
Bobmley Say, you want to come'un
1 anil have-aiook at them ' when the
tifle but! Ne York Lfie. ; ; -
The, Hen's :"Joke.
oaia toe barnyard goose. fMrs:
Hen.
please; tell
Thy. yon' laid an egfgr in the bid '1
Bald: the: wise ol4 hen; "it you really must
I thousrht it time for me to'-riay low. .' '
" - - - ( ; -; Itroit Frea PressJ
NEW SHORT STORi
j Rather Fight Than Feed 'P
i When ;at Raines Mill in i8G2, I
Fifth 'fPTWnfn -
were, all very proud of their acM-T.
ment. . J.. B: Polley was one of twl
, -ciLers to Charn,
Inc ' TSTaIHa" ha . rlcu ... aim
uvov-lluc an amusinp-1
r . mm me surrender
Hucu me iamee omcers surrender
lueii- jsworus, in a Doay to Colon
TTnffm thoiri worn os . .
v-v, vi.v, oV jjiuuipc in thJ
.duty that he was compelled to i0J
down1 the frying pan which he carried
in : plaqe of a t sword and hold the1
weapons presented in his arms.
Just then he noticed a commotion
the far end of the captured regiment
That was near the timber, and a sqnaa
vj. uie prisoners were mating an
spbinginq upon a iiOovtrpTON shouted.
. fort to pass by "Big 2oaoT Ferris of
i - -- --
Company B, w stoodthere unaided,
endeavoring to intercept them.
l Springing up on a log, the armfulofl
Jan bot in ever? direc-
. "outeu:
'You, John Ferris! What are you
trying to do now?"
I . ,4. ui lining tu uwse icnuwo
from -Reaping," returned Big John in
a stentorian voice.
"Let them go, your infernal fool!"
shouted back , Upton. . "We'd a sight
rather fight 'ein than feed 'em!" New
York Sun.
The Lesson.
Prof essor Charles Zueblin of the Uni-
1 versity of . Chicago was discussing at a
dinner the Easter myths and legends
of the world.
"The legends that are beautiful and
immortal,"- he - said, "have in themj
truths Tthat we all, according to our;
kind, take home. This is true like j
wise of immortal, works of art pic- j
tures, 'poems, songs. For different peo
ple the have ,different messages." i
"For instance?'' said a young girl.
' "For instance," smiled Professor;
Zueblinr "in my native Pend.IetPQl
some of the'' mothers'"'" used' to cut the j
children's . hair. Thev did it with
often painful, and the result was never .
elegant. .
, "In Sunday school a Pendleton teach ;
er once told, her pupils the tragic story i;
of ' SamsoV-and . Delilah. Then shef
turned to a little boy.- , !
; " 'What-do you learn, Joe,' she said,!
: from the Samson story Y i
" fit don't never pay,' piped Joe, 'to
have a woman cut a feller's hair.' "-
Cincinnati Enquirer.
'-Lk-
' jT" ' A Victim. r
Horace Bixey, the doyen of Missis-;
sippi pilots, is still at the wheel at;
eighty..two.j T6 him Mark Twain serv
ed, his apprenticeship.;;
A .Vicksburg reporter, asked Mr. Bixj
ey for a recipe for a hale old age. i
. "Temperance, young man," the pilots
replied. "Intemperance is what killsj
us off. Oh,-the victims," he said in hfej?
whimsical way "the - sad victims ot:
intemperance I have seen! .
' "Once I remember; a passenger ofj
y u.a, st ten u v uuaru. W e Deireu
out with a boat hook after he had beeD
soaking oii: the bottom half an hour or
so. ; We laid him limp and sopping on
tne. deck, .and a steward ran for tu
whisky bottle. .,
l "As I priej the man's mouth open to
pour, sme wiiisky down his throat
lips moved.S A kind of murmur can
f t om; theiru I put my ear down closj
to listen,' and r lieard the half drown1
wretch sayf; : -V : . ,
"Holl rri nniiWI tnst to rit S0ID
v .a uuia waier;:guu ?n uy . r
llcker.'!i
4
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