AN OLD COLORED MAN IS IN TROUBLE
A hop was given that Saturday night at the Armory. There was nothing
particularly noteworthy about this hop; it was just like hundreds of its
predecessors. As usual, near graduation time, there were many out of
town visitors, and it is likely that brass buttons proved attractive to
them. Many glad faces were to be seen whirling around, and judging by
the happy laughs that were heard everyone was having a jolly time.
Robert Drake had escorted an old friend that night, Miss Nellie Strong.
He had seen her card filled up, had presented her partners, and had
taken three numbers himself.
"Something is always happening to you, Robert," remarked Nellie as they
walked around the room after the second dance. "Now tell me what
misadventure you have had this year."
"Not one, Nellie; my bad luck is all over; not one single unpleasant
thing has happened to me since I became a first classman."
"What was the occasion of that remarkable disappearance of yours a year
ago? Surely you can tell me now; I've never been so curious over
anything in my life."
"I've never told anybody about that, neither my father nor Stonewell nor
Helen nor anybody else."
"Well, I declare! I don't suppose it amounted to much, anyway. And
perhaps you think you're more interesting if you're mysterious. Now, Mr.
Robert, tell me something else; why wasn't Harry Blunt with us this
afternoon? I asked him and he said you hadn't invited him. Don't you
like him, Robert? I think Harry is a nice boy."
"Don't talk to me about Harry Blunt. Let's talk about his sister. Helen
is a very good friend of mine, and her father is one of the finest----"
"Robert," suddenly interrupted Nellie, "something is going to happen to
you again--that colored man in the doorway motioned to you; just look at
him, he's motioning to you now; he wants to speak to you,--oh, I just
knew something would happen to you."
"Nonsense. That's old Grice. He's a great old chap. He just wants to see
me about something--I'll take you to where Mrs. Blunt is and then go see
what he wants."
"What is it, Grice?" asked Robert to the old man at the door, a moment
later.
"Sompin' powerful bad, Mistah Drake; I'se feared to talk heah. Can yo'
come outside, suh? I'se somef'n mighty bad to tell yo', suh!"
The old darkey shook his head and rolled his eyes, making a grotesque
effort to express the worried feelings evidently in his mind.
"Come outside, but hurry. I'm here with some young ladies, and I haven't
much time to talk with you."
"No, suh, co'se not. And dem young ladies am pow'ful nice, suh."
"Well, Grice, what is it that you want with me?"
"Well, suh, I doan' know how to tell it. Yo' knows I'se messenger for
department of mathmax, doan' yo', Mistah Drake?"
"Of course; what of it?"
"Mistah Drake, suh, will yo' gibe me yor promise as a naval officer an'
gemman that yo' won' tell anybody what I'se gwine to say?"
"No, of course I won't."
"Well, suh, a big crime is goin' to be cormitted. An' a pore ole niggah
man knows about it an' goes to a young gemman frend of hizn and asks fo'
help and can't get none. And the pore ole niggah will be accused an' go
to jail. Won' yo' help me, Mistah Drake? Won' yo' help a pore ole niggah
what's in trouble?"
"Of course I will, Grice, but I'm not going to promise you to keep
secret what you tell me."
"Ef yo' goes roun' talking 'bout what I tells yo' no one will believe
me. I'll be bounced, suh, after thirty years heah, an' ef yo' doan' help
me a crime will be cormitted and folks will say ole Grice done it. Ain't
yo' gwine to help me, Mistah Drake?"
Robert thought for a moment, looking intently at the old negro. The
latter talked with great effort. Beads of perspiration burst out on his
face. It was evident that Grice was in terror of losing his all and knew
not what to do. "Grice, I'll help you if I can," said Robert. "If what
you tell me is important I will talk about it to the commandant and to
no one else. Now what is it? Be quick."
"Thank yo', suh. Two midshipmen is a-gwine to steal the mathmax
zamnation. I wuz sleepin' in the mathmax room last night. My ole woman
an' I done hav' a disregard 'bout religion yesterday; she's Zion Baptis'
an' I'se Asbury Methodis'. We disregarded so hard that I didn't go home
las' night,--co'se 'tain't allowed to sleep in mathmax room, but I done
it las' night; well, suh, Mistah Drake, suh, suah as yo' is bawn, suh,
it woke me up. Two men came in the mathmax room. The doors wuz all
locked; I done that myself; they mus' have had a key made. They come to
the desk were the zamnation questions is kep'. They had a light--turned
it on, and put somfin' in the key bob of the desk, I seen 'em do it,
suh. This morning I fin' wax in keyhole. Zamnations ain't made out yet,
but these gemmen will come back with the keys and steal the
zamnation--den ole Grice will be 'cused and dismissed--zamnations have
been stolen befoah, Mistah Drake, yo' knows it, suh, an' money stolen,
an' gen'ally some pore niggah gets dismissed an' half de time it's some
pore white trash in midshipman close what does it. Yes, suh, an' ----"
"Did you see the faces of these midshipmen, Grice?" interrupted Robert.
"Yes, suh. I done had a good luk at 'em."
"Who were they?"
"Foah de Lawd sake, Mistah Drake, doan' yo' ask me no such
questionings," cried out Grice in affrighted tones.
"Do you know the names of those two midshipmen?"
"Yes, suh, Mistah Drake, suh, but I ain't a-gwine to say who they is; ef
I tole yo' who they is they would tole yo' Grice prevaricated and Grice
would be dismissed. No, suh, I ain't a-gwine to tole yo' who they is,
Mistah Drake, suh; yo' done got to catch 'em, suh."
"Grice, I shall tell the commandant what you have told me and he will
make you tell him who they are."
"I disremember their names, suh," suddenly replied Grice. "I forgets
their names, but I knows 'em; they is midshipmen. Now, Mistah Drake,
suh, they will come back, suah they will, suh, an' yo' an' me will be
in the mathmax room and catch 'em."
"All right, Grice, I'll help you; but I've got to go now. Call on me if
anything new turns up," and Robert returned to the ballroom and soon was
with Helen Blunt.
"Robert," she said after a few minutes, "we're awfully worried about
Harry; he's been dropping in mathematics and is officially warned that
he is in danger of failing at the annual examination. Do you think he
will fail?"
"There's but little danger of that, Helen; don't worry; lots of his
classmates have been warned and your brother is really bright. He would
have high class rank if he studied, and he always does fairly well in
examinations. I saw his name posted at the beginning of this month, but
you needn't worry; he probably has been boning and no doubt will pass."
"Won't you help him, Robert?" asked Helen in wistful tones; "you know
what a terribly sad thing it is to a naval family to have a son fail at
Annapolis."
"Wherever and whenever I can. Just bet on that; but your brother and I
are not friendly and I'm quite sure he would disdain any help from me."
"Oh, Robert, what did that old colored man want?" cried Nellie Strong,
running up.
"Oh," laughed Robert, "he wanted to know who that powerfully pretty girl
was that I was with. He said she was the nicest girl on the floor. And
then he wanted to know who made that crepe de chine gown you are wearing
and----"
"Robert Drake, stop your nonsense, and tell me what that old man
wanted," cried Nellie, consumed with curiosity; "are you in some more
trouble; are you going to disappear again?"
"What is it, Robert; has anything happened?" inquired Helen, much
concerned.
"Nothing much; an old colored man, Grice, who is the sweeper and cleaner
of the mathematical department, is in trouble and wanted my advice and
help. You see his wife is a Zion Baptist and he's an Asbury Methodist,
something like that, and they have 'disregards,' so Grice tells me----"
"Oh, I know old Harriet Grice," interrupted Helen. "She used to cook
for us when father was commandant, and every night when she went home
she carried with her everything left in the pantry and ice-box. Once
when I caught her in the act she said she was taking the stuff to the
Zion Church; that it wasn't stealing because she was giving it to the
Lord. She and old Grice have terrible rows, in spite of their both being
so religious."
Everybody laughed and Nellie Strong was satisfied. Then the music
started. "This is ours, Nellie," remarked Robert, and in a moment the
two were lost in the crowd.
The next morning after chapel service, Robert spent half an hour with
the commandant and related what Grice had told him.
"I'll send for Grice to-morrow," said that officer, "but I doubt if he
will disclose the names of the midshipmen, even if he really does know
them. These darkeys are remarkably stubborn when they once get a notion
in their woolly heads. If Grice is telling a true story we must
certainly catch the offenders in the act." The commandant thought for a
moment and then continued: "I could post some watchmen about the place,
but then the guilty persons might take alarm. If Grice's story is true
there is surely a bad pair of midshipmen here, and we must get them and
dismiss them."