Sally Dows

by Bret Harte

State."

  He started to his elbow, but a soft hand was laid gently yet firmly uponhis shoulder, and with a faint rustle of muslin skirts Miss Sally rosefrom an unseen chair at the head of his bed, and stood beside him.

  "Don't stir, co'nnle, I didn't sit where I could look in yo'r face forfear of waking yo'. But I'll change seats now." She moved to the chairwhich Sophy had vacated, drew it slightly nearer the bed, and sat down.

  "It was very kind of you--to come," said Courtland hesitatingly, as witha strong effort he drew his eyes away from the fascinating vision, andregained a certain cold composure, "but I am afraid my illness has beengreatly magnified. I really am quite well enough to be up and about mybusiness, if the doctor would permit it. But I shall certainly manage toattend to my duty to-morrow, and I hope to be at your service.

  "Meaning that yo' don't care to see me NOW, co'nnle," she said lightly,with a faint twinkle in her wise, sweet eyes. "I thought of that, but asmy business wouldn't wait, I brought it to yo'." She took from the foldsof her gown a letter. To his utter amazement it was the one he had givenhis overseer to post to the commandant that morning. To his greaterindignation the seal was broken.

  "Who has dared?" he demanded, half rising.

  Her little hand was thrust out half deprecatingly. "No one yo' canfight, co'nnle; only ME. I don't generally open other folks' letters,and I wouldn't have done it for MYSELF; I did for yo'."

  "For me?"

  "For yo'. I reckoned what yo' MIGHT do, and I told Sam to bring ME theletters first. I didn't mind what yo' wrote to the company--for they'lltake care of yo', and their own eggs are all in the same basket. Ididn't open THAT one, but I did THIS when I saw the address. It was asI expected, and yo' 'd given yo'self away! For if yo' had those soldiersdown here, yo' 'd have a row, sure! Don't move, co'nnle, YO' may notcare for that, it's in YO'R line. But folks will say that the soldiersweren't sent to prevent RIOTING, but that Co'nnle Courtland was usinghis old comrades to keep order on his property at Gov'ment expense. Hol'on! Hol' on! co'nnle," said the little figure, rising and waving itspretty arms with a mischievous simulation of terrified deprecation."Don't shoot! Of course yo' didn't mean THAT, but that's about the waythat So'th'n men will put it to yo'r Gov'ment. For," she continued, moregently, yet with the shrewdest twinkle in her gray eyes, "if yo' reallythought the niggers might need Federal protection, yo' 'd have let MEwrite to the commandant to send an escort--not to YO, but to CATO--thatHE might be able to come back in safety. Yo' 'd have had yo'r soldiers;I'd have had back my nigger, which"--demurely--"yo' don't seem to worryyo'self much about, co'nnle; and there isn't a So'th'n man would haveobjected. But," still more demurely, and affectedly smoothing out hercrisp skirt with her little hands, "yo' haven't been troubling me muchwith yo'r counsel lately."

  A swift and utterly new comprehension swept over Courtland. For thefirst time in his knowledge of her he suddenly grasped what was,perhaps, the true conception of her character. Looking at her clearlynow, he understood the meaning of those pliant graces, so unaffectedand yet always controlled by the reasoning of an unbiased intellect; herfrank speech and plausible intonations! Before him stood the true-borndaughter of a long race of politicians! All that he had heard of theirdexterity, tact, and expediency rose here incarnate, with the addedgrace of womanhood. A strange sense of relief--perhaps a dawning ofhope--stole over him.

  "But how will this insure Cato's safety hereafter, or give protection tothe others?" he said, fixing his eyes upon her.

  "The future won't concern YO' much, co'nnle, if as yo' say here yo'rresignation is sent in, and yo'r successor appointed," she replied, withmore gravity than she had previously shown.

  "But you do not think I will leave YOU in this uncertainty," he saidpassionately. He stopped suddenly, his brow darkened. "I forgot," headded coldly, "you will be well protected. Your--COUSIN--will give youthe counsel of race--and--closer ties."

  To his infinite astonishment, Miss Sally leaned forward in her chairand buried her laughing face in both of her hands. When her dimpleshad become again visible, she said with an effort, "Don't yo' think,co'nnle, that as a peacemaker my cousin was even a bigger failure thanyo'self?"

  "I don't understand," stammered Courtland.

  "Don't yo' think," she continued, wiping her eyes demurely, "that if ayoung woman about my size, who had got perfectly tired and sick ofall this fuss made about yo', because yo' were a No'th'n man, managingniggers--if that young woman wanted to show her people what sort of aradical and abolitionist a SO'TH'N man of their own sort might become,she'd have sent for Jack Dumont as a sample? Eh? Only, I declareto goodness, I never reckoned that he and Higbee would revive thetomfooling of the vendetta, and take to shootin' each other at once."

  "And your sending for your cousin was only a feint to protect me?" saidCourtland faintly.

  "Perhaps he didn't have to be SENT for, co'nnle," she said, with aslight touch of coquetry. "Suppose we say, I LET HIM COME. He'd behanging round, for he has property here, and wanted to get me to take itup with mine in the company. I knew what his new views and ideas were,and I thought I'd better consult Champney--who, being a foreigner, andan older resident than yo', was quite neutral. He didn't happen to tellYO' anything about it--did he, co'nnle?" she added with a grave mouth,but an indescribable twinkle in her eyes.

  Courtland's face darkened. "He did--and he further told me, Miss Dows,that he himself was your suitor, and that you had refused him because ofthe objections of your people."

  She raised her eyes to his swiftly and dropped them.

  "And yo' think I ought to have accepted him?" she said slowly.

  "No! but--you know--you told me"--he began hurriedly. But she hadalready risen, and was shaking out the folds of her dress.

  "We're not talking BUSINESS co'nnle--and business was my only excuse forcoming here, and taking Sophy's place. I'll send her in to yo', now."

  "But, Miss Dows!--Miss Sally!"

  She stopped--hesitated--a singular weakness for so self-contained anature--and then slowly produced from her pocket a second letter--theone that Courtland had directed to the company. "I didn't read THISletter, as I just told yo' co'nnle, for I reckon I know what's in it,but I thought I'd bring it with me too, in case YO' CHANGED YO'R MIND."

  He raised himself on his pillow as she turned quickly away; but in thatsingle vanishing glimpse of her bright face he saw what neither he norany one else had ever seen upon the face of Sally Dows--a burning blush!

  "Miss Sally!" He almost leaped from the bed, but she was gone. There wasanother rustle at the door--the entrance of Sophy.

  "Call her back, Sophy, quick!" he said.

  The negress shook her turbaned head. "Not much, honey! When Miss Sallysay she goes--she done gone, shuah!"

  "But, Sophy!" Perhaps something in the significant face of the girltempted him; perhaps it was only an impulse of his forgotten youth."Sophy!" appealingly--"tell me!--is Miss Sally engaged to her cousin?"

  "Wat dat?" said Sophy in indignant scorn. "Miss Sally engaged to datDumont! What fo'? Yo' 're crazy! No!"

  "Nor Champney? Tell me, Sophy, has she a LOVER?"

  For a moment the whites of Sophy's eyes were uplifted in speechlessscorn. "Yo' ask dat! Yo' lyin' dar wid dat snake-bit arm! Yo' lyin' dar,and Miss Sally--who has only to whistle to call de fust quality in deState raoun her--coming and going here wid you, and trotting on yo'rarrants--and yo' ask dat! Yes! she has a lover, and what's me', sheCAN'T HELP IT; and yo' 're her lover; and what's me', YO' can't help iteither! And yo' can't back out of it now--bo'fe of yo'--nebber! Fo' yo''re hers, and she's yo'rs--fo' ebber. For she sucked yo' blood."

  "What!" gasped Courtland, aghast at what he believed to be the suddeninsanity of the negress.

  "Yes! Whar's yo'r eyes? whar's yo'r years? who's yo' dat yo' didn't seenor heah nuffin? When dey dragged yo' outer de swamp dat night--wid desnake-bite freshen yo'r arm--didn't SHE, dat poh chile!--dat same MissSally--frow herself down on yo', and put dat baby mouf of hers to dewound and su
ck out de