The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-04-12

yard Theodore looked everywhere
but saw nothing. Finally he push
ed aside the branches of a tree
loaded with red fruit, and saw at
the foot of the wall the idiot Kas-
per Moss. He was sitting on the
grass, his legs stretched out, and
his ragged hat between his knees,
full of excellent grapes, which he
had doubtless stolen from some
where in the neighborhood. The
poor fellow seemed as happy as a
brush; his head bent down, his great
cheeks moving as he ate, and his
iiiotic face shining with satisfaction.
1t was he who was smacking his
lips. He raise the large punches of
fruit and held them oYec his mouth |
which was stretched wide open.
His fat throat swelled contentedly
cha! ha!' said he, chucking to HIM
self. Tall weeds bent over towards |
him in the shadow of the wall, and !
sundry dry thistles kept watch at
his feet.
''Ah, you rascal" said Theodore |
to him, els this the way you pass
your nights?"
The idiot turned his head care
lessly, partly shutting his eyes with
a mocking air and without taking
his lips from the grapes. "Ah,
said he, cit is you, Theodore? Come
and taste Of my grapes"
"Who gave them TO you?"
Kasper stretched out his hand
and said, "dcwn there. There's
plenty of them there"
"What, there? You have stolen
them then form Reebstock's gar
den?"
eyes, Theodore replied the
other, simply.
"And if I tell of it?"
"You won't do that.
''Why not"
"Yo1 would have to say what
time Of the night it was when you
saw me-"
AS Kasper said this he winked in
an old fashion and laughed as an
artist, hastily recrossing the yard,
murmured eyes yes; the fool is
right
But as he passed Moss seized hold |
of his coat and cried, ''Stop thief, |
stop have caught you, you came
to steal away the heart of Gretchen"
Theodore grew pale.
''Let me CO."
''No; its down"
''Noss, I beg you let me go"
'Eat some of my grapes,
"Listen. I will rouse the house"
"Lend me some tobacco, Theo-
dore, and I will make Gretchen
come out" said Moss in a strange
tone, foil of attention and convic-
tion. She loves you. There" said |
he, raising his finger, 1isten! She
dreams of you in her little chamber
She says, Theodore; my Theodore,
I love thee!'
The idiot loosed his hold on Theo-
dore's coat; bnt he no. longer thought |
of escaping He listened to the
words of Moss with an infinite Joy.
"Oh, my good Kasper, are you
sure of what you ssy"
"And why not?" said Moss. care
you not the handsomest man in the
village, and the best one too? Don't |
you give me all your old pipes and /
tobacco always when I ask for it?
Yes, yes; she dreams of you every |
night. There, sit down, and I will |
make her come out.
Theodore sat down like one faci-
mated, and the fool gave him a clus-
ter OF grapes. "Eat that, said he,
you have given me bread often
enough for me to give you some |
thing now"
Theodore, to please him, took |
grape from the bunch It was de-
icious. They were the real Marko-
bruner.
Moss Laughed. Joining his hands
before his mouth he made sound |
like a waking cry of a quail. It was
so true that ear away IN the fields a |
quail was de ceived, and thinking in |
the middle of the night that it was
morning, called three times.
"What are you doing?" said the
young man.
'I am hurrying the hours" re-
piled Moss, joyously. 'It is 4 O'Clock |
outside of the brewery"
He repeated the same cry at long
intervals and from the fields aronnd |
there came a thousands confused |
murmurs.
'Let me do it, said he to Theo-
doTe, .'let me do it, Gretchen will /
come cut, and old Reebstoek sleeps
SO soundly he'll not wake up
Then leaning over the fence he
initiated the first crow, slow and /
grave, hoarse In the morning fog. |
You could almost see the cock shake |
his feathers and balance himself on |
the railing. Five or six hens came
down the steps of the hen house, |
looking at the moon above roof.
"You rogue" said Theodore,
"who taught you these things p
But Kaspar Moss laughed gently |
and whispered, Don't ask me; 1
am a fool"
The hens, surprised at their error
started up the steps again; bat the
idiot full of mischief, chased them
and made them fiutter and cackle.
Then, turning suddenly he imita
ted the song of the lark saluting thei
morning. He put In it so much of
tenderness that Theodore, with tears
in his eyes, stretched out his arms
and murmured, 80 Gretchen
Come, come, Gretchen, my love
my Joy my lifel Gretchen, it is
my heart which sings for thee! It
is I who call theeI"
he leaned against the wall, his