"I don't quite understand, Jeff; you explain to me," answered Caroline

Darrah in the kind and respectful voice that she always used to these

family servants, which they understood perfectly and in which they took a

huge delight.

"Well, it's jest this way, Miss Ca'line, they is sets in the colored

folks jest like they is in the white folks. We is the _it_ set, me and

Tempie and Eph and all the fust family people. We's got our lawyers and

dentists and a university and a ice-cream parlor with the swellest kinder

soda fount in front. You heard how Mister David got that Country Club

for us, didn't you? Well, he backed the rent notes of the soda fount,

too--and he's jest naterly the fust set candidate fer anything he wants

ter be."

"Isn't he just the kindest best man, Jeff?" asked Caroline Darrah, in her

enthusiasm sacrificing a frosted muffin cake between her clasped hands.

"Yes'm, he am that fer a fact, and they can't no low-down whisky bum beat

him fer jedge, neither--'specially ef they count on using niggers to do

it with. You see the race am so mighty close, that all the booze bosses

is a telling the niggers that they is got the 'ballunce uf power' as they

calls it and it's up ter them ter elect a jedge fer whisky, the friend

'at'll let 'em drink it down. Why, they's got out a bottle of whisky as

has on the label 'Your Colored Friend', and it's put up in clear glass

and at the bottom you can see five new dimes a-shining. A nigger gits the

bottle and the fifty cents ef he votes with them. Old Booze is flinging

money right and left, fer if Mister David gits in he'll shore have ter

git out."

"That is perfectly awful, Jeff!" exclaimed Caroline with horror-stricken

eyes. "The poor people made to sell themselves that way--and the whole

city to lose David, a good judge, because they can't know what they do.

It is horrible and nobody can help it!"

"I ain't so sure about that, Miss Ca'line! Me and Tempie and Doctor Pike

Johnson and the dentist and Bud Simms, the man what runs the Palms, have

thought up a scheme ef we kin work it. You see they ain't a nigger from

Black Bottom to Mount Nebo as wouldn't sell his soul ter git ter the

Country Club and say he's been invited there. Now, we thought as how it

would be a good plan ter give it out that we was going to have er

David Kildare jedge celebration out there and have invertation tickets

printed. Then we could go ter the polls and fight down any dollar bottle

of whisky ever put up with one of them invites--every man ter bring a

lady, and dancing down in a corner of the card. We'd scotch them by

saying no 'lection, no dance, so they'll vote straight. Ain't that the

swell scheme? It'll work if we can make it go."




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