The Sins of the Father: A Romance of the South

by Thomas Dixon

  CHAPTER XIX

  "FIGHT IT OUT!"

  Cleo had heard the shouts in the square with increasing dread. The hour wasrapidly approaching when she must face Norton.

  She had deeply regretted the last scene with him when she had completelylost her head. For the first time in her life she had dared to say thingsthat could not be forgiven. They had lived an armed truce for twenty years.She had endured it in the hope of a change in his attitude, but she haddriven him to uncontrollable fury now by her angry outburst and spokenwords that could not be unsaid.

  She realized when too late that he would never forgive these insults. Andshe began to wonder nervously what form his revenge would take. That he hadmatured a definite plan of hostile action which he would put into force onhis arrival, she did not doubt.

  Why had she been so foolish? She asked herself the question a hundredtimes. And yet the clash was inevitable. She could not see Helen packed offto Europe and her hopes destroyed at a blow. She might have stopped himwith something milder than a threat of exposure in his rival's paper. Thatwas the mad thing she had done.

  What effect this threat had produced on his mind she could only guess. Butshe constantly came back to it with increasing fear. If he should accepther challenge, dare her to speak, and, weary of the constant strain of herpresence in his house, put her out, it meant the end of the world. She hadlived so long in dependence on his will, the thought of beginning lifeagain under new conditions of humiliating service was unthinkable.

  She could only wait now until the blow fell, and adjust herself to thesituation as best she could. That she had the power to lay his life inruins and break Tom's heart she had never doubted. Yet this was the onething she did not wish to do. It meant too much to her.

  She walked on the porch and listened again to the tumult in the Square. Shehad seen Tom enter the house on tip-toe and knew that the lovers weretogether and smiled in grim triumph. That much of her scheme had notfailed! It only remained to be seen whether, with their love anaccomplished fact, she could wring from Norton's lips the confession shehad demanded and save her own skin in the crash.

  Andy had entered the gate and she heard him bustling in the pantry as Tomand Helen strolled on the lawn. The band in the Square was playing theirstar piece of rag-time music, "A Georgia Campmeeting."

  The stirring refrain echoed over the sleepy old town with a weird appealto-night. It had the ring of martial music--of hosts shouting their victoryas they marched. They were playing it with unusual swinging power.

  She turned with a gesture of impatience into the house to find Andy. He wascarrying a tray of mint juleps into the library.

  Cleo looked at him in amazement, suppressed an angry exclamation and asked:

  "What's that band playing for?"

  "White folks celebratin' de victory!" he replied enthusiastically, placingthe tray on the table.

  "It's only seven o'clock. The election returns can't be in yet?"

  "Yassam! Hit's all over but de shoutin'!"

  Cleo moved a step closer:

  "The major has won?"

  "Yassam! Yassam!" Andy answered with loud good humor, as he began to polisha glass with a napkin. "Yassam, I des come frum dar. De news done come in.Dey hain't gwine ter 'low de niggers ter vote no mo', 'ceptin they kin readan' write--an' _den_ dey won't let 'em!"

  He held one of the shining glasses up to the light, examined it withjudicial care and continued in tones of resignation:

  "Don't make no diffrunce ter me, dough!--I hain't nebber got nuttin' fer myvote nohow, 'ceptin' once when er politicioner shoved er box er cigars atme"--he chuckled--"an' den, by golly, I had ter be a gemman, I couldn'tgrab er whole handful--I des tuck four!"

  Cleo moved impatiently and glared at the tray:

  "What on earth did you bring all that stuff for? The whole mob are notcoming here, are they?"

  "Nobum--nobum! Nobody but de major, but I 'low dat he gwine ter consumesome! He's on er high hoss. Dey's 'bout ten thousand folks up dar in deSquare. De boys carry de major on dere back to de flatform an' he make 'ema big speech. Dey sho is er-raisin' er mighty humbug. Dey gwine tercelebrate all night out dar, an' gwine ter serenade everybody in town. Butde major comin' right home. Dey try ter git him ter stay wid 'em, but he'low dat he got some 'portant business here at de house."

  "Important business here?" she asked anxiously.

  "Yassam, I spec him any minute."

  Cleo turned quickly toward the door and Andy called:

  "Miss Cleo!"

  She continued to go without paying any attention and he repeated his call:

  "Miss Cleo!"

  She paused indifferently, while Andy touched his lips smiling:

  "I got my mouf shet!"

  "Does it pain you?"

  "Nobum!" he laughed.

  "Keep it shut!" she replied contemptuously as she again moved toward thedoor.

  "Yassam--yassam--but ain't yer got nuttin' mo' dan dat ter say ter me?"

  He asked this question with a rising inflection that might mean a threat.

  The woman walked back to him:

  "Prove your love by a year's silence----"

  "De Lawd er mussy!" Andy gasped. "A whole year?"

  "Am I not worth waiting for?" she asked with a smile.

  "Yassam--yassam," he replied slowly, "Jacob he wait seben years an' den, bygolly, de ole man cheat him outen his gal! But ef yer say so, I'seer-waitin', honey----"

  Andy placated, her mind returned in a flash to the fear that haunted her:

  "He said important business here at once?"

  The gate closed with a vigorous slam and the echo of Norton's step washeard on the gravel walk.

  "Yassam, dar he is now."

  Cleo trembled and hurried to the opposite door:

  "If the major asks for me, tell him I've gone to the meeting in theSquare."

  She passed quickly from the room in a panic of fear. She couldn't meet himin this condition. She must wait a better moment.

  Andy, arranging his tray, began to mix three mint juleps, humming afavorite song:

  "Dis time er-nudder year, Oh, Lawd, how long! In some lonesome graveyard-- Woh, Lawd, how long!"

  Norton paused on the threshold with a smile and listened to the foolishmelody. His whole being was quivering with the power that thrilled from agreat act of will. He had just made a momentous decision. His work in handwas done. He had lived for years in an atmosphere poisoned by a yellowvenomous presence. He had resolved to be free!--no matter what the cost.

  His mind flew to the boy he had grown to love with deeper tenderness thepast weeks. The only thing he really dreaded was his humiliation beforethose blue eyes. But, if the worst came to worst, he must speak. There werethings darker than death--the consciousness to a proud and sensitive manthat he was the slave to an inferior was one of them. He had to befree--free at any cost. The thought was an inspiration.

  With brisk step he entered the library and glanced with surprise at theempty room.

  "Tom not come?" he asked briskly.

  "Nasah, I ain't seed 'im," Andy replied.

  Norton threw his linen coat on a chair, and a dreamy look came into hisdeep-set eyes:

  "Well, Andy, we've made a clean sweep to-day--the old state's white again!"

  The negro, bustling over his tray, replied with unction:

  "Yassah, dat's what I done tole 'em, sah!"

  "All government rests on force, Andy! The ballot is force--physical force.Back of every ballot is a gun----"

  He paused, drew the revolver slowly from his pocket and held it in hishand.

  Andy glanced up from his tray and jumped in alarm:

  "Yassah, dat's so, sah--in dese parts sho, sah!" he ended his speech by agood-natured laugh at the expense of the country that allowed itself to bethus intimidated.

  Norton lifted the gleaming piece of steel and looked at it thoughtfully:

  "Back of every ballot a gun and the red blood of the man who holds it! Nof
reeman ever yet voted away his right to a revolution----"

  "Yassah--dat's what I tells dem niggers--you gwine ter giv 'em er dose erde revolution----"

  "Well, it's done now and I've no more use for this thing--thank God!"

  He crossed to the writing desk, laid the revolver on its top and walked tothe lounge his face set with a look of brooding intensity:

  "Bah! The big battles are all fought inside, Andy! There's where the bravedie and cowards run--inside----"

  "Yassah!--I got de stuff right here fer de _inside_, sah!" he held up thedecanter with a grin.

  "From to-night my work outside is done," Norton went on moodily. "And I'mgoing to be free--free! I'm no longer afraid of one of my servants----"

  He dropped into a seat and closed his fists with a gesture of intenseemotion.

  Andy looked at him in astonishment and asked incredulously:

  "Who de debbil say you'se er scared of any nigger? Show dat man ter me--whosay dat?"

  "I say it!" was the bitter answer. He had been thinking aloud, but now thatthe negro had heard he didn't care. His soul was sick of subterfuge andlies.

  Andy laughed apologetically:

  "Yassah! Cose, sah, ef you say dat hit's so, why I say hit's so--but all desame, 'twixt you an' me, I knows tain't so!"

  "But from to-night!" Norton cried, ignoring Andy as he sprang to his feetand looked sharply about the room:

  "Tell Cleo I wish to see her at once!"

  "She gone out in de Squar ter hear de news, sah."

  "The moment she comes let me know!" he said with sharp emphasis and turnedquickly to the door.

  "Yassah," Andy answered watching him go with amazement. "De Lawdy, major,you ain't gwine off an' leave dese mint juleps lak dat, is ye?"

  Norton retraced a step:

  "Yes, from to-night I'm the master of my house and myself!"

  Andy looked at the tray and then at Norton:

  "Well, sah, yer ain't got no objections to me pizinin' mysef, is ye?"

  The master surveyed the grinning servant, glanced at the tray, smiled andsaid:

  "No--you'll do it anyhow, so go as far as you like!"

  "Yassah!" the negro laughed as Norton turned again. "An' please, sah, won'tyer gimme jes a little advice befo' you go?"

  Norton turned a puzzled face on the grinning black one:

  "Advice?"

  "Yassah. What I wants ter know, major, is dis. Sposen, sah, dat a gemmangot ter take his choice twixt marryin' er lady dat's forcin' herself on'im, er kill hissef?"

  "Kill her!"

  Andy broke into a loud laugh:

  "Yassah! but she's er dangous 'oman, sah! She's a fighter fromFightersville--an' fuddermo', sah, I'se engaged to annudder lady at thesame time--an' I'se in lub wid dat one an' skeered er de fust one."

  "Face it, then. Confess your love and fight it out! Fight it out and letthem fight it out. You like to see a fight, don't you?"

  "Yassah! Oh, yassah," Andy declared bravely. "I likes ter see a fight--Ilikes ter see de fur fly--but I don't care 'bout furnishin' none er defur!"

  Norton had reached the door when he suddenly turned, the momentary humor ofhis play with the negro gone from his sombre face, the tragedy of a lifespeaking in every tone as he slowly said:

  "Fight it out! It's the only thing to do--fight it out!"

  Andy stared at the retreating figure dazed by the violence of passion withwhich his master had answered, wondering vaguely what could be the meaningof the threat behind his last words.