San Andreas independent., 1856-11-22
s sWinnin ng a Widow with a
Spring, Hat.,,

Natchez packet sometimes arrived about
ten o'clock at night, and as [ was bound
up the Mississippi, and did not want to
miss her, determined to wait at the wharf
office. Shortened the time by paying a
few visits to coffee-house and billiard
room in the town. During one of these,
noticed the arrival of a party of French
creoles, who talked and swore over dozen
"mallard ducks" loud enough to have
made you believe they'd been on the war
trail after Camanches, and brought in as
many scalps. At last walked over to the
wharf-office, settled down and found COM
fort in a cigar, and as much of a newspa-
per as the rather misty lighto bull-eyed
lantern would give me. The fire in the
stove roared bravely and sent out plenty of
warmth. [ had dropped the paper and
only held on to the cigar, when | suddenly
woke up on hearing the door open, and
couple of men enter. They found chairs,
and drawing up to the stove continued a
conversation, evidently just commenced as
they entered; 80,
"And SO Buffer is going to be married?"
oval he is! and good match he's
made of it. | tell you what she's rearer.
If he don't have to put kicking breech
on her afore he's married a week, you may
call me fool She's got eyes like pan
ther; an if he only lets her get the bit
atween her teeth-just for once-she'll
carry him further nor he wants to go!
What makes him want to marry her
then?"
"Niggers, mules, and as neat planta-
ton as thar is on the Bayou. Two humid
red and fifty hogsheads clean sugar last
crop, an if they d only cut the cane air.
lier, fifty more atop Of it. She had new
steam ingine put up last season, and tho that
cussed bagasse burner sa rousing humbug,
yet / reckon it's all paid for; an all Buff
fer's got to do, is step in, hang up his hat,
an sot right down to live like fighting
cock.
"Why didn't you go In there? The
last time I came down the river I heard
you were bucking up to the widow?"
, "Wal now, Jim, to be honest, | did
think afore that Buffer stepped in, that |
just had it all my own way, and that |
was goin' to get her-sure AS these
French say, 4 made eyes at her, say
age! But, somehow or mother, she al
ways went dead agin old Massissip. A
man from our State had no kind of show,
and though | put the tentions to her like
an uncle, it didn'tsee to be no use tryin'
Bout one time she did kind O leanmy way.
You see mare bout the end of grinding sea-
; son old Farabole Civ dance down in his
| sugar house, and 'vited me and the wild
der, and raft more an down we went,
and the widder kind felt her oats and
we reeled it off in the airly part of the
evening fit to kill; but by'm by that Buffer
he came on an just knocked me cold !
"Ye see he'd been down to the city
New Orleans, and only rived on the
Bayou that night, an hearin' thar was
COINS on down to old Farabole's sugar
house, down he cum. Wal, sir, he was
Dire to death in the handsumest kind Of
store-cloths, an the women war right uI
on an end soon as he cum in.
a see the widder fxin' her panther
eyes on him, and | jest said to myself
Dick Tareout, you mout as well clear
that ere Buffers too much for you In the
close line! | felt it at oncet. Wal, sir
in about minnit up comes Buffer, smile:
. at the widder in fascinatin' manner, an
ensists on dancin with her. Sez she
Yes Mister Buffer, it will ford me th'
gratest pleshure9 Gratestpleshure. wal
the way he squeezed her, when the,
danced, | rather think it did. | kept al
eye on Buffer. Now, you see, he'd beer
stayin' at the SAINT Charleses, an putin
3 it through like forty, an he'd larnt all th
l last agonies in the way of bowin' and scra
pin an sayin' leetle nothin's; and, sir
he carried has hat round IN has hand al
over the sugar-house, down among th
t bilers, and up round back of the ingine-
whar the Ticker was-every whar he tote'
that ar hat.
"Now the widder didn't jist ezactl
know what to make of it-coz it was a ney
). Wrinkles twicet she said to him he,
better let Big Jake, one of the house mig
gers, hold it for him; but 'twant no use
. he held on tot tight as wrench; at last
Jest as they were in the middle of dance
! sez Buffer, with sech a smile, sez he
E { Mrs. Noiryeux, for yure sake I'll do mos
ennythingv An he actilly held that al
9 hat in one hand, an hit it a lick wit
t'other, and fetched top and rim right int
pancake; knocked it right down fiat.
!" l tell you wot, when the widder Sc
him do that, she was jest ready to drap-
she was so come over with his intentions
Sacryfzing bran new hat, and all t
Z CRAFTY her little whim [ see at once
how he was goin' it, an [ determined, sir
to head him off. So | stepped up roun'
back of the ingine-whar the Ticker wa
, an took most a rousin' big horn Q
old Faraboles rum, and huntin' roun
found my hat. 1t was right new one
none Of your Kosshoot or wool hats, but
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