Part 12 (1/2)
”'BOSTWICK UNTHANK, Attorney and Counsellor-at-law, Jonesville, Florida.
”'My dear Miss Merryvale----'”
”How strange it seems,” Miss Patty interpolated, ”to have him address me in that formal way.”
”It's a business letter,” the reader explained.
”I know that,” Miss Patty said tartly, ”otherwise I should not have given it to you to read.”
”'My dear Miss Merryvale,'” Miss Witherspoon began again, ”'I am inclosing a letter to your maid, Hertha Williams, retailing to her an extraordinary piece of news. George Ogilvie, whom you will remember, I am sure, has died and in his will he leaves a small legacy to a granddaughter, Hertha Williams, the illegitimate child of his daughter Lillias who died two days after its birth. The birth was successfully concealed by placing the infant with a colored family. Evidently Ogilvie, at the last, felt unable to keep the secret for he leaves an account of the extraordinary proceeding, recognizes his granddaughter, and asks that she take the family name. It is likely to be a great shock to the young woman and I am inclosing the firm's letter to your care, knowing that you will understand in your great kindness how best to break the news.
”'Believe me, Madam, with esteem,
”'Your obedient servant,
”'BOSTWICK UNTHANK.'”
As Miss Witherspoon put down the letter and looked at her hostess's shaking head she wondered whether the lawyer had made a careful choice in his method of relating the story to Hertha; and she resolved to take a part herself, if advisable, in the breaking of the news. While extraordinary, it was tidings that a colored girl might easily bear. Two legacies, one of money, one of race, were wonderful gifts. ”Where is Hertha?” she asked.
”Ellen stopped in this morning to say that she had been awake with a bad headache and had then overslept. The dear child, she should have all her strength for this news.”
”Did you ever hear of anything like it before?”
”No, no, it is most extraordinary, most extraordinary. I remember George Ogilvie well, a handsome man. His wife was a pretty woman with a small mouth. They said she spent every penny he had. She died two years ago.
You may be sure _she_ would never have allowed the story to be known.”
”Hertha should have known it years ago.”
”No, my dear, no.” Miss Patty sat erect ready to dispute such a suggestion. Her voice quavered and her head had not ceased to shake, but she was alert to defend her conception of what was right and proper.
”She should never have known it. This has put a stain forever upon her mother's name.”
”Her mother is long since dead,” the northern woman answered sharply, ”while the child is living. I can think of nothing more cruel than to save a daughter's honor by giving her infant to be reared by Negroes.
It's frightful.”
”I don't agree with you.” Miss Patty was herself once more. ”The whole thing is very sad and wicked, of course, but life among the Negroes is not frightful, they are the happiest people in the world. One day is just as good as another to them. If the sun doesn't s.h.i.+ne this morning it will the next. Hertha won't know what trouble means until she becomes white.”
”It's too bad, then, that you don't have more white children brought up by blacks,” Miss Witherspoon retorted. ”Why not give the poor unfortunates a fair chance in life?”
Sarcasm was lost upon her companion. ”Grown-ups must take responsibility whether they like it or not,” Miss Patty said sententiously. ”Negroes are a child race and the white race must govern them. Hertha will be a grown person now, one of the ruling cla.s.s, and seeing she's an Ogilvie it's likely she'll take easily to the position.”
”Hertha has always seemed grown-up to me, too serious for her youth. She loves to day dream, but I don't believe she ever dreamed of anything so wonderful as this. What do you suppose she'll do?”
”Marry, of course, as every white girl should. The fact that you and I sent away our beaus makes us all the surer that others shouldn't. Her legacy should be a help in getting her settled.”
”Now I hope she won't get married for some time.”
Miss Patty was indignant. ”And I hope she'll marry at once before she becomes too fond of her liberty. When she was colored it was different.
I always discouraged, as you know, her going with the men of her race.