_Twenty-four_
Ben's fight with young Fetters became a matter of public comment thenext day after the ball. His conduct was cited as sad proof of thedegeneracy of a once fine old family. He had been considered shiftlessand not well educated, but no one had suspected that he was a drunkardand a rowdy. Other young men in the town, high-spirited young fellowswith plenty of money, sometimes drank a little too much, andoccasionally, for a point of honour, gentlemen were obliged to attackor defend themselves, but when they did, they used pistols, agentleman's weapon. Here, however, was an unprovoked and brutal attackwith fists, upon two gentlemen in evening dress and without weapons todefend themselves, "one of them," said the _Anglo-Saxon_, "the son ofour distinguished fellow citizen and colleague in the legislature, theHonourable William Fetters."
When Colonel French called to see Miss Laura, the afternoon of nextday after the ball, the ladies were much concerned about the affair.
"Oh, Henry," exclaimed Miss Laura, "what is this dreadful story aboutBen Dudley? They say he was drinking at the hotel, and becameintoxicated, and that when Barclay Fetters and Tom McRae went into thehotel, he said something insulting about Graciella, and when theyrebuked him for his freedom he attacked them violently, and that whenfinally subdued he was put to bed unconscious and disgracefullyintoxicated. Graciella is very angry, and we all feel ashamed enoughto sink into the ground. What can be the matter with Ben? He hasn'tbeen around lately, and he has quarrelled with Graciella. I neverwould have expected anything like this from Ben."
"It came from his great-uncle Ralph," said Mrs. Treadwell. "Ralph wasvery wild when he was young, but settled down into a very polishedgentleman. I danced with him once when he was drunk, and I never knewit--it was my first ball, and I was intoxicated myself, withexcitement. Mother was scandalised, but father laughed and said boyswould be boys. But poor Ben hasn't had his uncle's chances, and whilehe has always behaved well here, he could hardly be expected to carryhis liquor like a gentleman of the old school."
"My dear ladies," said the colonel, "we have heard only one side ofthe story. I guess there's no doubt Ben was intoxicated, but we knowhe isn't a drinking man, and one drink--or even one drunk--doesn'tmake a drunkard, nor one fight a rowdy. Barclay Fetters and Tom McRaeare not immaculate, and perhaps Ben can exonerate himself."
"I certainly hope so," said Miss Laura earnestly. "I am sorry for Ben,but I could not permit a drunken rowdy to come to the house, or let myniece be seen upon the street with him."
"It would only be fair," said the colonel, "to give him a chance toexplain, when he comes in again. I rather like Ben. He has some finemechanical ideas, and the making of a man in him, unless I ammistaken. I have been hoping to find a place for him in the new cottonmill, when it is ready to run."
They were still speaking of Ben, when there was an irresolute knock atthe rear door of the parlour, in which they were seated.
"Miss Laura, O Miss Laura," came a muffled voice. "Kin I speak to youa minute. It's mighty pertickler, Miss Laura, fo' God it is!"
"Laura," said the colonel, "bring Catharine in. I saw that you weretroubled once before when you were compelled to refuse her something.Henceforth your burdens shall be mine. Come in, Catharine," he called,"and tell us what's the matter. What's your trouble? What's it allabout?"
The woman, red-eyed from weeping, came in, wringing her apron.
"Miss Laura," she sobbed, "an' Colonel French, my husban' Bud is donegone and got inter mo' trouble. He's run away f'm Mistah Fettuhs, w'athe wuz sol' back to in de spring, an' he's done be'n fine' fiftydollahs mo', an' he's gwine ter be sol' back ter Mistah Fettuhs in demawnin', fer ter finish out de ole fine and wo'k out de new one. I'sbe'n ter see 'im in de gyard house, an' he say Mistah Haines, w'atuse' ter be de constable and is a gyard fer Mistah Fettuhs now, beatan' 'bused him so he couldn' stan' it; an' 'ceptin' I could pay alldem fines, he'll be tuck back dere; an'he say ef dey evah beats himag'in, dey'll eithuh haf ter kill him, er he'll kill some er dem. An'Bud is a rash man, Miss Laura, an' I'm feared dat he'll do w'at hesay, an' ef dey kills him er he kills any er dem, it'll be all de sameter me--I'll never see 'm no mo' in dis worl'. Ef I could borry demoney, Miss Laura--Mars' Colonel--I'd wuk my fingers ter de bone 'telI paid back de las' cent. Er ef you'd buy Bud, suh, lack you did Unc'Peter, he would n' mind wukkin' fer you, suh, fer Bud is a good wukkerwe'n folks treats him right; an' he had n' never had no trouble nowharbefo' he come hyuh, suh."
"How did he come to be arrested the first time?" asked the colonel.
"He didn't live hyuh, suh; I used ter live hyuh, an' I ma'ied himdown ter Madison, where I wuz wukkin'. We fell out one day, an' I gotmad and lef' 'im--it wuz all my fault an' I be'n payin' fer it evuhsince--an' I come back home an' went ter wuk hyuh, an' he come aftuhme, an de fus' day he come, befo' I knowed he wuz hyuh, dis yer MistahHaines tuck 'im up, an' lock 'im up in de gyard house, like a hog inde poun', an' he didn' know nobody, an' dey didn' give 'im no chanstter see nobody, an' dey tuck 'im roun' ter Squi' Reddick nex' mawnin',an' fined 'im an' sol' 'im ter dis yer Mistuh Fettuhs fer ter wo'k outde fine; an' I be'n wantin' all dis time ter hyuh fum 'im, an' I'ddone be'n an' gone back ter Madison to look fer 'im, an' foun' he wuzgone. An' God knows I didn' know what had become er 'im, 'tel he runaway de yuther time an' dey tuck 'im an' sent 'im back again. An' hehadn' done nothin' de fus' time, suh, but de Lawd know w'at he won' doef dey sen's 'im back any mo'."
Catharine had put her apron to her eyes and was sobbing bitterly. Thestory was probably true. The colonel had heard underground rumoursabout the Fetters plantation and the manner in which it was suppliedwith labourers, and his own experience in old Peter's case had madethem seem not unlikely. He had seen Catharine's husband, in thejustice's court, and the next day, in the convict gang behind Turner'sbuggy. The man had not looked like a criminal; that he was surly anddesperate may as well have been due to a sense of rank injustice as toan evil nature. That a wrong had been done, under cover of law, was atleast more than likely; but a deed of mercy could be made to right it.The love of money might be the root of all evil, but its control wascertainly a means of great good. The colonel glowed with theconsciousness of this beneficent power to scatter happiness.
"Laura," he said, "I will attend to this; it is a matter about whichyou should not be troubled. Don't be alarmed, Catharine. Just be agood girl and help Miss Laura all you can, and I'll look after yourhusband, and pay his fine and let him work it out as a free man."
"Thank'y, suh, thank'y, Mars' Colonel, an' Miss Laura! An' de Lawd isgwine bless you, suh, you an' my sweet young lady, fuh bein' good topo' folks w'at can't do nuthin' to he'p deyse'ves out er trouble,"said Catharine backing out with her apron to her eyes.
* * * * *
On leaving Miss Laura, the colonel went round to the office of SquireReddick, the justice of the peace, to inquire into the matter of BudJohnson. The justice was out of town, his clerk said, but would be inhis office at nine in the morning, at which time the colonel couldspeak to him about Johnson's fine.
The next morning was bright and clear, and cool enough to be bracing.The colonel, alive with pleasant thoughts, rose early and after a coldbath, and a leisurely breakfast, walked over to the mill site, wherethe men were already at work. Having looked the work over and givencertain directions, he glanced at his watch, and finding it near nine,set out for the justice's office in time to reach it by the appointedhour. Squire Reddick was at his desk, upon which his feet rested,while he read a newspaper. He looked up with an air of surprise as thecolonel entered.
"Why, good mornin', Colonel French," he said genially. "I kind ofexpected you a while ago; the clerk said you might be around. But youdidn' come, so I supposed you'd changed yo' mind."
"The clerk said that you would be here at nine," replied the colonel;"it is only just nine."
"Did he? Well, now, that's too bad! I do generally git around aboutnine, but I was earlier this mornin' and as everybody was here, westarted in a little
sooner than usual. You wanted to see me about BudJohnson?"
"Yes, I wish to pay his fine and give him work."
"Well, that's too bad; but you weren't here, and Mr. Turner was, andhe bought his time again for Mr. Fetters. I'm sorry, you know, butfirst come, first served."
The colonel was seriously annoyed. He did not like to believe therewas a conspiracy to frustrate his good intention; but that result hadbeen accomplished, whether by accident or design. He had failed in thefirst thing he had undertaken for the woman he loved and was to marry.He would see Fetters's man, however, and come to some arrangement withhim. With Fetters the hiring of the Negro was purely a commercialtransaction, conditioned upon a probable profit, for the immediatepayment of which, and a liberal bonus, he would doubtless relinquishhis claim upon Johnson's services.
Learning that Turner, who had acted as Fetters's agent in the matter,had gone over to Clay Johnson's saloon, he went to seek him there. Hefound him, and asked for a proposition. Turner heard him out.
"Well, Colonel French," he replied with slightly veiled insolence, "Ibought this nigger's time for Mr. Fetters, an' unless I'm might'lymistaken in Mr. Fetters, no amount of money can get the nigger untilhe's served his time out. He's defied our rules and defied the law,and defied me, and assaulted one of the guards; and he ought to bemade an example of. We want to keep 'im; he's a bad nigger, an' we'vegot to handle a lot of 'em, an' we need 'im for an example--he keepsus in trainin'."
"Have you any power in the matter?" demanded the colonel, restraininghis contempt.
"Me? No, not _me_! I couldn't let the nigger go for his weight ingol'--an' wouldn' if I could. I bought 'im in for Mr. Fetters, an'he's the only man that's got any say about 'im."
"Very well," said the colonel as he turned away, "I'll see Fetters."
"I don't know whether you will or not," said Turner to himself, as heshot a vindictive glance at the colonel's retreating figure. "Fettershas got this county where he wants it, an' I'll bet dollars to birdshot he ain't goin' to let no coon-flavoured No'the'n interloper comedown here an' mix up with his arrangements, even if he did hail fromthis town way back yonder. This here nigger problem is a South'enproblem, and outsiders might's well keep their han's off. Me andHaines an' Fetters is the kind o' men to settle it."
The colonel was obliged to confess to Miss Laura his temporarysetback, which he went around to the house and did immediately.
"It's the first thing I've undertaken yet for your sake, Laura, andI've got to report failure, so far."
"It's only the first step," she said, consolingly.
"That's all. I'll drive out to Fetters's place to-morrow, and arrangethe matter. By starting before day, I can make it and transact mybusiness, and get back by night, without hurting the horses."
Catharine was called in and the situation explained to her. Thoughclearly disappointed at the delay, and not yet free of apprehensionthat Bud might do something rash, she seemed serenely confident of thecolonel's ultimate success. In her simple creed, God might sometimesseem to neglect his black children, but no harm could come to a Negrowho had a rich white gentleman for friend and protector.
The Colonel's Dream Page 24
