n' he eyes so
tired-lookin', an' he ain' know me no mo' 'n ef he nuver see me, an' I
couldn' stan' it; I jes drap down on de flo' an' bust out cryin'.
Gord! suh, I couldn' help it, 'cause Reveller wuz drownded, an' Marse
George he wuz mos' gone.

"An' he came nigher goin' yit, 'cause he had sich a strain, an' been so
long in de water, he heart done got numbed, an' he got 'lirium, an' all
de time he thought he tryin' to git 'cross de river to see Miss
Charlotte, an' hit so high he kyarn git dyah.

"Hit sutney wuz pitiful to see him layin' dyah tossin' an' pitchin',
not knowin' whar he wuz, tell it teck all Mr. Braxton an' me could do
to keep him in de bed, an' de doctors say he kyarn hol' out much longer.

"An' all dis time Miss Charlotte she wuz gwine 'bout de house wid her
face right white, an' Nancy say she don' do nuttin all day long in her
room but cry an' say her pra'rs, prayin' for Marse George, whar dyin'
upsteairs by 'count' o' not knowin' she love him, an' I tell Nancy how
he honin' all de time to see her, an' how he constant cravin' her name.

"Well, so twuz, tell he mos' done wyah heself out; an' jes lay dyah wid
his face white as de pillow, an' he gret pitiful eyes rollin' 'bout so
restless, like he still lookin' for her whar he all de time callin' her
name, an' kyarn git 'cross dat river to see.

"An' one evenin' 'bout sunset he 'peared to be gwine; he weaker'n he
been at all, he ain' able to scuffle no mo', an' jes layin' dyah so
quiet, an' presney he say, lookin' mighty wistful:

"'Edinburg, I'm goin' to-night; ef I don't git 'cross dis time, I'll
gin't up.'

"Mr. Braxton wuz standin' nigh de head o' de bed, an' he say, 'Well, by
Gord! he shell see her!'--jes so. An' he went out de room, an' to Miss
Charlotte do', an' call her, an' tell her she got to come, ef she
don't, he'll die dat night; an' fust thing I know, Miss Lucy bring Miss
Charlotte in, wid her face right white, but jes as tender as a angel's,
an' she come an' stan' by de side de bed, an' lean down over him, an'
call he name, 'George!'--jes so.

"An' Marse George he ain' answer; he jes look at her study for a
minute, an' den he forehead got smooth, an' he tun he eyes to me, an'
say, 'Edinburg, I'm 'cross.'"

[Illustration: "_An' Marse George he ain' answer._"]

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Unc' Edinburg, by Thomas Nelson Page

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNC' EDINBURG ***

***** This fi