New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-09

s q gp:es s. 81 ss1 ez!s 6
fq f eGs! i q * II g.
am not muck q I. IL driiksr. i like ,
cub after dinneI once in AWAY, but tes upoI
adempty stomS6h mSans 10 tke S6&efiAg and
pan. Upon the tray Eere s.plate containing
half dozen ehAyiuge OF bread 1nd Dutter, Z
di3h upon WHICH s01ae STICKS Of e6lefy wort
teseentatio1ely atsHtsyed, sid eaal glae,,
sApcer holding nbout o pen1y worth Of
| ehfimps. ! took the place to which Mrs.
johnson silently pointed. and awaited th!
rebuilt with outward calmness. What would
| | not have given for . good sound earth
quake, or even . fevoluti0nlh . raIAs q
JeheRy, PASS the bread and butter ia
Mt. Cheltman. Shrinps or celery" ~
The legerdemain-hke manner in which
my bread and butter disappeared certainly
surprised. and probably annoyed. my fail
entertainer. The plate being left Gloss be.
side ma made no seruple to help myself
and in ehort time it was empty. Turning
suddenly, she said:
"You ought to have some toast. Cook"
The aged woman having been repeatedly
summoned by this evidently new and start.
ling title, resppeared, apparently fresh
from the coal hole, for her hands were O.
grimy - it was possible for hands to be.
She would have been invaluable to any
scientific observer anxious to discover how
mich dirt can be carried upon the skin
without any dropping off. Contact, though,
reduced the amount at once, as l soon dis
covered. f-' ""
"Cut some bread, and make toast for that
gentleman" And Mrs. johnson looked 40
though she thought me q monster.
Famishing as was, the old woman
proved much too much, and I protested
against fresh trouble being taken on my ac-
oOunt. But the fiat had gone forth; ''cock"
had cut . piece Of bread, and was now
squatted ON the hearth rug, vainly endeav-
oring to toast it at the burlesque fire; and
when she had succeeded in covering that
portion not already grimed by her hands
with black and SCOT from the bars, she
dropped it on my plate and departed. no
man knew whittier. II feel quite sure
pluto" didn't know.
What was to dol The sirens gaze was
upon me, and significantly che handed ma
the butter. "Ch0ose ye the poison or the
dagger" she seemed to say. a. she placed
the knife before me. A CLEAN of demonia-
cal pleasure lighted mp her face. as she
watched my 6rst plunge at the nauseout
morsel, and the Borgia herself never mixed
poison 90 willingly - did Mrs. johnson Pre-
pare the fatal cup which was to wash down.
head; and though twas but for an instant,
that instant was enough, and, with .
'promptitude and presence bf mind of which
had never before deemed myself possessed;
slipped the slice into myhandkerchief. i
knew she suspected me, bat I didn't care for
that. I felt, in fact, almost proud Of the
aehievement, and looked round to johnson.
a slight smile played upon his lips; but
cAtching her eye, he remembered himself
- Avn L.
spoken to hum once or twice, but his An.
swers were vague and YnOnosyllabic, 30 I
thought it best not to try any further. Hs
cheered up q bit after the tray had bsen re-
moved, and proposed game Of cards and
some whisky and water, both of which We
had. These I shall never forget. How
Mrs. johnson abused me when was her
partner against her husband and his dunn.
myS how che chested me when we after. 1
wards played st "erib" for six penny
points, and how wofully weak che made the
Whisky. and how strong tho wster, are re-
membranceo saver TO- -, e&aced.f Neither
can dismiss thu recollection of how krt-
fully she manipulated Tommy's money box
and recounted the sums which had been
put in it for Tommys use and benefit.
am glad to say that l was too artful Q fish
to be landed at that game, and, hav-
ing discovered thus much, to her dissatis-
faction, Mrs. johnson gave me the glorious
intimation that carly hours were customary
with them-a hint upon which 1 acted with
and long before midnight had
cleared out.
Uhdeterred by the knowledge that in nv
mothers kitchen the beetles held re7el
after the household had retired, made my
way into the subterfauean regions irnne-
diately on my arrival home, and, though 1
cold provisions are not MY choice, havoc |
hardly expresses the performance enacted
by the "deputy sub" Of the Brudowl upon
that memorable occasion. Satiated 1t last,
nv spirits rose, and a happiness and tran
utility stole over me which could not at |
6rst comprehend. Why should feel 60
happy, thought I, after spending the most |
six hours of my life-slx hours in |
which are compressed the horrors of more
than some peoples whole livess The last |
two words explained the whole mystery.
Poor Pluto" exclaimed l, a. tnmbled |
into bed, |'how grateful am that it 10 not |
ny lot to be Mrs. Johnsen's husband
Since that time have travelled much and
had many adventures. The name of Chelt. |
man il not unknown to fame ON pampas or
prairiee: while Atlantic steamers and Ameri- |
ian river boats have seen me both we'll I
filed and hungry. But all the mHltifarious |
and wild pursuits of my later |
ife-the camp, tho bivOuac, tho commercial |
;ravel and the descriptive report-have |
lever succeeded in effscing from my inmost |
|Oul the recollection of Bedford Row and |
Johnson's invitation.