The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-05-14
MRS. KETCHUM's wEATHERCOcK.

bands supper; humble meal OF baked
potatoes, broiled fish and brown bread.
The kitchen where she worked was
humble one, toO--the ceiling smoke
stained, the woodwork dark with age,
and what little furniture it contained
was poor and commonplace to the last
degree.
There is no picturesqueness about
this kind of poverty and no word-paint-
ing of mine can supply any. There
was no picturesqueness about Mrs.
Ketchuni. either. Her age you could
not SO much as guess at Her hair,
which was faded and rusty rather than
gray, was strained back into a pug
about the size of an English walnut,
and her skin, in color, was not unlike the
shell of that same walnut. As she
moved with short, brisk step from
cupboard to stove, she now and then
stopped for a moment and looked out
the window and said, either to herself
or to the fine gray cat on the window
sill: ~
81 wonder what keeps Calvin SO
long,"
.sAh, there he is" she said at length
and enter Calvin--a man rather below
medium height, with the pallor and the
st0op peculiar to students, shoemakers
and other men ofsedentary habits. That
he was not a student, glance would
have shown you. and second glance
would have convinced you that he was
a shoemaker. even if you had not seen
the little red shop in the yard, with the
sign-Calvin Ketchum-over it, the
name preceded by boot, andfollowed
by shoe.
GOOD luck at last. Nancy" was his
salutation.
. Have you got jobp' said she.
- Better than that" said Calvin.
what can be betterp'' asked she.
I've found something"
faint my scissors?" cried she.
" Well, never did expect to see them
again"
:" Sho, scissors contemptuously.
" Come, now, what is itP amt good
at guessing" said Nancy.
s'What do you think of thatp'' said
Calvin. taking out a large leather pock-
et-book, and holding it before her.
Sakes aliver' said she.
And what do you think of aatT'
opening it and showing the inside stuffed
with. bills. s4a'
20 my! never see such sight in
my life! shall faint, / know / shall.
And Calvin, !" hesitatingly, YOU'RE sure
you did find itp You're sure you come
by it honestP''
Come by it honestp Do you take
me for thiefP Me. Calvin Ketchum.
as does custom work, warranted-rips
mended gratisp Me, as am ready to
give 'em rs many of my shoes as they'll
find paper in the sole OFF WAL, l
must say do feel sot upon"
81 didn't mean to call you thief"
said Nancy. s'The fact is, I'm SO fius-
tered don't know what be saying;
where vast you found it?''
:" Up here by Spinner's brook"
And you haint no notion who
dropped itP''
"How should have. when there's
been sech crowd goin' to and from
the Fair? / s'pose there's forty men
watered their horses at that brook to-
day, and how can tell which on 'em
dropped this ERE walletr,
There pears to be something writ
on it." said Nancy, examining it close
ly. But / can't for the life of me
make out what it's"
- don't believe that's writing at
ALL" said Calvin" it's Jest a scrawl;
looks ike hin's tracks"
That looks something like a great
A." persisted Nancy, pointing with her
forefnger.
about as much a. it does like a
harrer," said Calvin.
But they don't put harrers on
pocket-books," said Nancy, whereas
A might be the beginning Of the own
er's name. I'll tell you what, Calvin.
If you was to show it to lawyer Sharp.
he'd make it out in twlnkling.''
Yes, and to his own advantage"
quoth Calvin. "Sharp by name, and
Sharp by natur, that what he is. And
anyhow you might as well trust wolf
with lamb as . lawyer with money.
Even the Bible says, Woe unto you,
lawyers
Waal, there's Parson Goldhead,
show it to him; there amt nothing about
woe on ministers, and he knows q
sight, they say"
What should show it to anybody
for? faint my business to go round
huntin' up an owner for it. findings
having all the world over; and must
say it's real aggravatin' of you, when
have a little bit Of good luck, to try and
spoil it all. thought you'd be tickled
to death with the money"
And so / be-" said Nancy, "only 1
can't help thinking about the man that
lost it."
Let him come and claim it, and be
shall have it; il that amt fair. / should
like to know what is :"
Of advertising, this minded
pair knew nothing. And in propos-