Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-07-25

vi HotllH. lou better lleVe 1 was
spunky | didn't dream he was lackin'
an a leetle cracked, but | thought he
was jest the stuckuppest Teller | ever
see III all my born days He went out
walkin' before dark, an | run inter Miss
Cross's to see how Malviny was gittin'
along-shes got the yeller janders, We
know-an' when | come back, sure's
you're alive, there was that Chester fell
Ter up on chair, a-lookin' ON my top
pest pantry shelf. He scuttled down, /
tell We, when he see me, an turned as
red as beet, an'mumbled suthin' about
lookin' for Matches Matches, when
there was a hull card on 'em on the
chimbley-piecc in his sleepin'-room.
well, to make long story short, I'll
tell We what I've found out-that man
is a little cracked about uhies He's
alters arter EN-, but never eats much on
EN-. He prizes an spies aroun' the
kitchen an pantry; he sneaks inter my
north cubberd, where keep my jells
an sweetmeats; he squints inter ey'ry
dish he sees aroun. rs he was starvin'
an hankerin arter scrap o suthin to
fill his stummick; but when hand him
a hunk o gingerbread or Il piece o rye
Minimum bread he won't look at it,
Sometimes conceit he's one O them
Libby prism men, who went hungry so
long in war time, an it kinder went to
his head an agin | think mebbe he's
lost money in the eatin'- house bissness;
an then agin I'm all out, an dunno what
to make on him. He's got kinder
leetle spy-glass i'll his pocket, an he outs
with 1t cvrv other minnit to look ut his
sarcer, or his plate, or the bowl o ber-
rles, an see if there's enough left for
him, an if its good An another thing
makes me think he's ben Il pris'ner, he's
got Il tile i'll his pant'loons pockit, an he
hauls it out kinder ste'lthy sometimes,
an goes to film suthin, don't make no
matter what-a plate, or II cup, or the
cream pot, s all the same to him.
| Sometimes he's a-settin' at the table an
| hand him suthin, an he looks at it so
wild an queer like, an he jumps up an
runs up stairs to his room for bout a
minnit, an then he comes back a-mut-
! term to hissclf | mind one time parst
him the cream pot to put some cream
on his strawb'ries, an he took it in his
eyes the fit was a-comin' on, an he out
with his file an he filed, an he out with
his squinter an he squinted, an then he
mumbled an muttered suthin about Il
gal he's alters a-talkin' on. NO Care
line there, says he, sort, sort, says he,
an sech jabber as that. He often 'ludes
to Caroline, an to some other gal named
Toft-her given names Lois. An he's
| profane, too, an makes use o pooty bad
words. Her-cu-Mnym' says he, one
day, so loud an feercc it give me a real
start; an there warnt nary thing to
get mad about, 'cept | showed the big
pitcher o new milk over to him stead
o parsin it perlite. gin him sarccr
o batter puddn' one time, an he look
ed it all over, an then he mumbled
suthin about its bcin nothin' but SORT
paste. Paste, indeed, and made by Miss
Central Phelps's own receipt Las night
fetched in some cherries Jest off the
tree-the Plunkit Reds, ye know-an
they looked real pooty on my best
sprlgged chiny cake dish, an | set 'em
down on the table. Mister Chester he
up an ketchcd 'em up an most split
EN- on the floor, lookin as if he was
achin' for suthin to eat; but he set 'em
right down agin, an, says he, kinder
silly, like an idjut, | thought says he,
they was cauH-ilowers, but they're Jest
that everlastin' Lois Tots. | could "a
slat 'em at his head | was that mad!'
Now had listened to the first part Of
Aunt Charry's story with a little per-
plexity; but, as she proceeded, II light
broke upon my comprehension, and
grew brighter and brighter to the end,
when, at this climax and the old lady'o
insulted Offering Of cherries were reach
ed, | burst into an uncomfortable fit Of
laughter.
"Wcll, It's Gurus said Aunt Charrv.
I'D larf too if | warnt kinder scary
about crazicS lie might set the house
atire, We know, or jab at some un with
his file"
Rugged the dear old woman impul-
sively in the middle of the road, assur-
ed her that | knew no harm would come
to her through her erratic guest, and
then added:
Let me go home with you, aunty,
and see this queer individual But, for
fear of frightening him in my character
of young lady from the city, let me
be village girl come in to help You
shall lend me an apron, my cambria
dress is no better than many waitress
wears, and I'll play neat-handed Phillis'
beautifully, Us you shall see.
claw, now, Miss Janey, what be you
up to? You've got real wicked look
in your ewes, for all the world like old
Major Johnny when he was goin to cut
up some dido. What is it, deary?'
Nothing wicked, Aunt Charry. Just
be good, and follow my lead, and We'll