Thus the jail life of these two friends began; one contented outside the bars, chained by love to him within the cell; the other, seemingly not less contented, behind the grating. Loquacious Cupe and howling ?Dgawge Wash?n?t?n? both grew silent under the conditions of their fate. The negro became sullen and refused to talk concerning his ?case?; and all the spirit seemed to have left the dog, who lived on day after day seemingly without food, but only seemingly, for the hound of Kentucky knows how to prowl at night. An attorney had been provided by the Court to defend Cupe, but the old darkey declined positively, although politely, to answer any question or make any statement beyond the fact that ?es the Co?ht did n?t git no ?vice from him t? begin wid et did n?t need none t? end wid. Ef de Co?ht doan know its own business, et ain?t fo? Cupe t? teach et.?
?But my object is to help you.?
?Then, Mr. Lawyer, jo? may es well spar? yoah breff, fo? Cupe doan need no help. He hain?t done nuffin? t? be ?scused fo?, he hain?t stolen noh hid no money, an? he doan ?tend t? hab no ?scuses made by lawyahs fo? what he hain?t done.?
?But you admit that the money was stolen??
?Yo? am de man what say so?not me. Ef Cupe had said de money wah stolen he would help find de t?ief. But de fac?s am Cupe doan ?tend t? ?fy Prov?dence. De law am mighty, but de spell an? de sign am mightier, an? yo? kin tear dis nigger?s eyes out befo? he will cross de workin? ob de sacred spell. De money am gone, Mr Lawyer, et am not t? be seen, an? et will stay gone until de sign come right fo? et t? come back.?
?If the sign don?t come right before Court opens, you will go to Frankfort Penitentiary, Cupe.?
?Dah am honest men in de penitentiary an? t?ieves loose on de outside, Mr. Lawyer, an? yo? can?t make Cupe try t? sarcumvent de signs by no sech argyment es dat.?
The days passed. A few weeks would bring the convening of the Court. Not one word would Cupe say concerning the problem as to the disappearance of the money, that much-talked-about gold. At last the perplexed lawyer conferred with Judge Elford, of Stringtown, concerning the case, and that personage made a visit to the jail and appealed to the stubborn prisoner. He was ushered into the cell of his humble friend, who appeared to be very much surprised at the honour extended by the unexpected visitor, but quickly recovering his wonted presence of mind, his first act was to apologise for the barrenness of his temporary residence.
?Yo? mus? ?scuse de poverty ob de s?r?ndings, Ma?se Elford, ?case de fittin?s ob de room am fo? pussons what doan keer fo? lux?ries. Ef yo? had ?nounced de fac? dat yo? ?tended t? call, de conveniences would hab been sech es de yocasion demands.?
?Never mind the room, Cupe; I came to talk with you.?
??Deed, Ma?se, yo? ?sprise de ole nigger; take de cheer.?
The judge seated himself in the only chair the cell afforded, and Cupe stood expectant before him.
?Cupe, your attorney informs me that you refused to give him information concerning the lost money. Now you know that I am your friend, and I have come from Stringtown expressly to advise you to tell everything you know about it.?
?Yo? am my fren?, Ma?se Elford, ?deed yo? is, an? Cupe hab known yo? sense yoah muddah held yo? on her knee. When Cupe first saw yo?, yo? wah a baby in de ahm, an? now yoah hair am white.?
?True, Cupid, true.?
?An? no man in all dis county ebah say a word ob wrong ?g?inst yo?, Ma?se Elford. Yo? am a fren? t? Cupe, yo? say, an? Cupe say, no bettah fren? could Cupe hab.?
?Then, Cupe, do as I direct and befriend yourself.?
?An? what do yo? ?vise??
?Tell your attorney all you know concerning this matter. You are in a serious position and in great danger of going to the penitentiary for life.?
?Yo? doan mean it, Ma?se Elford?? Cupe said appealingly.
?Yes, I mean that unless you tell all you know and assist in recovering this money it will be my painful duty to sentence you to the penitentiary.?
?Et ain?t de pen?tensh?ry, Cupe don?t keer fo? de pen?tensh?ry, it am de sah?ful ?vice yo? gib. What hab Cupe done t? yo?, Ma?se, fo? t? make yo? ax him t? steal??
?Cupe!? exclaimed the astonished man, ?I ask you to steal! What do you mean??
?De money am not fo? Cupe, et am not fo? de lawyah, et am fo? de chile. De spell say so, an? whoevah bre?k de workin? ob de spell steal from de poo? chile. Ma?se, yo? memberlec? de day dat Cupe wait on de table when yoah wed?in? wah??
?Yes.?
?An? yo? memberlec? when de missus yo? lub wah buried in de earf, he stan? by grabe wid de strap in his han?. Yo? memberlec? what Cupe say den? Es de pahson read out ob de good book an? close de page an? raise his eyes an? say, ?Earf to earf an? dust to dust,? de shaddah ob a cloud rise sudden like, an? de great drops ob rain spattah obah de coffin lid, an? dey keeps a-fallin? while de shiney coffin case wah bein? sot down into de grabe, an? when Cupe rise up from holdin? de head-strap yo? wah lookin? inte? Cupe?s face. An? den what did Cupe say??
? ?Blessed are the dead the rain falls on,? ? replied the Judge. ?I remember very well how you said that to me then.?
?An? so do Cupe. An? when Cupe comes t? die, Ma?se, he doan wan? no ebil sign t? follow him inte? de tome.?
?Of course not, Cupe.?
?Ma?se, yo? ?spect t? go t? meet de sweet gearl de rain fell on when yo? kneel in de yallah dirt an? bow de head??
?God knows I do, Cupe.?
?An? what hab Cupe done dat yo? should ax him t? go t? be debbil?what hab de ole nigger done t? yo?, Ma?se Elford??
?Nothing, Cupid?nothing. I know too well your faithful heart to see you suffer as you surely must unless you assist the law in clearing up this mystery, which I firmly believe you can do.?
?Ma?se Elford, Cupe kin ?scuse yo? de sin yo? ax Cupe t? do ?case yo? doan know what Cupe know an? can?t see de ebil ob yoah words; but, de gol? am fo? de gearl, an? t? dat yinnercent chile it mus? go. De spell am workin? out ?cordin? t? de sign, an? ef de law pull Cupe?s arm an? leg off, ef et buhn de flesh an? scotch de bone ob de ole nigger, no word will he say t? blame yo?. Ef yo? be de jedge t? hab et done, no cry shall come from Cupe. But when yo? ax Cupe t? bre?k de workin? ob de sacred spell yo? raise de debbil t? burn de nigger?s soul. De sweet missus what die wid her han? in Cupe?s han?, in de long day back, an? a troop ob angels, am on de uddah shore, an? when Cupe lay down an? die, an? his sperrit go t? de shinin? lan? he mus? say t? de angel missus, ?Cupe did his duty by de chile yo? left, an? he stan? faithful by de child Susie what come in his place.? Ma?se Elford, yo? am pow?ful welcome in de present ?bidin? place ob Cupe, but ef yo? keer fo? de feelin?s ob de ole brack man, doan ax him t? steal money from de orfun child, doan ax him t? lose de sweet smile ob de deah missus what die in de ole mansion ob de long-ago. De breezes ob summer am pleasant t? a brack skin, de sunshine feel good t? de wrinkled face, but de pen?tenshry am cool, an? de nigger am used t? work, an? ef he die in de prison standin? up fo? de right ob de orfun, he will step out ob de prison shade int? de sunshine ob Heaben.?
The man of law was abashed and silenced by the rebuke of the unlettered negro. He saw that no living man could influence the fanatical slave. Rising, the judge held out his hand.
?T?ank yo?, Ma?se Elford fo lis?nin t? de argyment ob de ole nigger, but et bre?ks his heart t? hab yo? go widout takin? a drink ob milk er a drop ob sump?n?. Howsumbebbah, yo? will ?scuse de barrenness ob de yocasion, ?case Cupe did n?t ?spect sech comp?ny.?
The days passed swiftly. The entire community became deeply interested in the pending trial. The large sum of money that had disappeared from the iron chest in Cupe?s room the night of the hurricane would have been a godsend to the attorneys, and the county as well, could it have been found, for it seemed that the ?Corn Bug? had left no legal heir. So Cupe?s anxious counsel strove to obtain a confession, apparently for the purpose of saving the negro from the penitentiary. ?Ef de gol? am gone, et am gone, an? Prov?dence doan want no nigger t? put in his mouf,? persisted Cupe. The key to the chest had been found on Cupe?s person, indeed he did not deny the fact that the gold had been in his charge to the date of its disappearance, but still he disclaimed secreting the money. At last the conviction became general that, realizing that his master could not live until morning, Cupe had hidden the gold before he had started for the physician on that fearful New Year night.
Immediately after the visit of Judge Elford his home was sought by the lank village clerk, who stood nearly alone in that he believed in Cupe?s innocence, and so expressed himself to the judge. Elford made no declaration concerning his own opinion, but said that his every argument had been used in an endeavour to induce the old negro to disclose the location of the treasure. The judge volunteered the information, however, that Cupe most determinedly resisted every appeal to assist in clearing himself from suspicion of having committed the crime. He shook his head when the clerk asked concerning what might be the result to Cupe in case he remained steadfast.
?The evidence is circumstantial, but sufficient to convict him.?
?And is there no chance?? asked the self-constituted champion.
?None,? the judge replied; ?at least,? he added, ?none that his attorney will think about.?
The clerk looked up inquisitively.
?No,? Elford repeated, ?none that will likely be thought about.? He went to his book-case, took from it a well-worn volume, opened it and laid it on his desk. Then, as if in answer to a voice calling him, put his hand to his ear and listened. ?I shall return in a few moments,? he remarked, and passed from the room.
There was no intimation in the tone of the judge that a connection could be drawn between the legal document he had opened and the case of Cupe. Apparently the book had been taken from the shelf with an object that had no bearing on the presence of the clerk. And yet Mr. Wagner felt that in this book was the clue that Cupe?s attorney would overlook and that the judge could not honourably mention. He moved to the open volume, and glanced at the heading of the page. It was a report of a case in the Barren County Circuit Court, but the heading was sufficient for the sharp-eyes and quick-witted clerk, who needed but one glance, and then, before the judge re-entered, stepped back to his place.
No allusion was made by either man to the open book.
?Should you like to visit Cupe?? said the judge; ?you know him well; perhaps you can draw from him the secret, and serve the commonwealth where others have failed.?
?Yes,? replied the clerk; ?I shall go in the morning.?
Judge Elford sat down at his desk and wrote an order.
?Mr. Joseph Kindum, Keeper of Stringtown County Jail.
?DEAR SIR: You will admit the bearer, Mr. Wagner, to the cell of Cupid Hardman as often as he calls, and permit him to remain with the prisoner each visit as long as he wishes.
(Signed) ?J.B. ELFORD.?
The clerk bowed himself out, the judge closed and replaced the book, and then sat in meditation. ?It is the only chance for misguided old Cupe, who means no harm,? he murmured; ?God forgive me if I have done a wrong.?
